This presentation will introduce participants to this exciting new resource for developing or revising their curricula. (Developed by an international working group, this two-book set responds to the Millennium Development Goals and conforms with guidelines and priorities established by UNESCO, WHO and UNAIDS). The resource contributed to the development of the ‘Standards for sexuality education for Europe’.
The resource package is based on research and data suggesting that young people who develop a belief in gender equality have better sexual health outcomes (including with regard to rates of unintended pregnancy, STIs, and HIV); develop critical thinking skills valuable to their academic achievement and to their capacity for meaningful citizenship; and are better positioned to contribute to democratic and prosperous societies. The evidence base for what makes sexuality education effective, comprehensive and rights-based will be presented. For example, conservative views about gender and unequal power in intimate relationships are associated with earlier sexual initiation, more sexual partners, more frequent sexual intercourse, lower rates of condom and contraceptive use, and higher incidence of HIV. Yet a review of some widely used sexuality education programmes found too little attention to gender. Gender issues most commonly addressed were male behaviour and coercion, but few took into account larger issues of discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation. Moreover, sharing a shortcoming with many sexuality education programmes, consideration of gender norms tended to focus on individual behaviour, not addressing the social and cultural barriers that young people face. IAOC addreses these issues.
