World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) supports Unesco's international guidelines on sexuality education
New York, NY, September 7, 2009 — The World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) in its Declaration of Sexual Health for the Millennium considers comprehensive sexuality education as one of the foundations on which sexual health and general well-being are built.
WAS proposes that to achieve universal access to comprehensive education the following actions are necessary:
- Mandate comprehensive, rights-based, gender sensitive, and culturally appropriate sexuality education as a required component of schools’ curricula at all levels, and that the required resources be provided.
- Work with community agencies to reach out-of-school youth and other high risk populations with comprehensive sexuality education.
- Issue guidelines to ensure that sexuality education programs and services are grounded in the principle of fully informed, autonomous decision-making.
- Ensure that sexuality education programs are evidence-based and include the characteristics that have been shown to contribute to effectiveness. This should be done in a way that allows for creativity, and considers community specific needs in the development and evaluation of innovative programs.
The UNESCO International Guidelines on Sexuality Education: An evidence informed approach to effective sex, relationships and HIV/STI education are a major contribution in this direction and certainly will contribute to furthering the agreements of the Ministerial Declaration “Preventing through Education,” adopted by acclamation by all the Health and Education Ministers and representatives in the Latin American and Caribbean region in August 2008, which affirms the right to the highest possible level of health, education, non-discrimination and well- being of current and future generations.
This right cannot be achieved and exercised without a scientific-based, comprehensive sexuality education which addresses gender equality and equity. Furthermore, as stated in the WAS Sexual Health for the Millennium “... a very basic international unity of approach and recognition of the need for comprehensive sexuality education is required to underpin international agreements pertaining to sexual and reproductive health and rights, to secure funding for programs, to share expertise, and to ensure community engagement, active participation and ownership of programming.” (p.44)
The World Association for Sexual Health urges all United Nation agencies, international and national NGOs, Governments, and professional institutions to support the International Guidelines on Sexuality Education process. In this way, an instrument which is supported by world research and experience will be placed in the hands of all stakeholders. Ongoing input to create a stronger and more effective document is welcome, and the hope is that the document serves as a model for further adaptations to regional and country-level contexts.
The World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) promotes sexual health throughout the lifespan and through the world by developing, promoting and supporting sexology and sexual rights for all. WAS accomplishes this by advocacy actions, networking, facilitating the exchange of information, ideas and experiences and advancing scientifically based sexuality research, sexuality education and clinical sexology, with a trans-disciplinary approach.
Text Size:
Current Size: 100%
