Healthyvives Health Blog

Sexual health is an important component of over all health and well-being. It is a major,
Positive part of personal health and healthy living and it follows that “sexual health education
Should be available to all. In principle, all persons, including youth, have a right to the
information, motivation/personal insight, and skills necessary to prevent negative sexual
health outcomes (e.g., sexually transmitted infections including HIV, unplanned pregnancy)
and to enhance sexual health (e.g., maintenance of reproductive health, positive self-
image). Most people become sexually active during their teenage years with over 70% of
males and females experiencing their first sexual intercourse before age 20. In order to
ensure that youth are equipped with the information, motivation/personal insight, and skills

to protect their sexual and reproductive health, “it is imperative that schools, in cooperation
with parents, the community, and healthcare professionals, play a major role in sexual
health education and promotion”. Parents and guardians are a primary and important source
of sexual health education for young people. A dolescents often look to their families as one
of several preferred sources of sexual health information. In addition, most young people
agree that sexual health education should be a shared responsibility between parents and
Schools. A recent study found that among Grade 9 students in Canada, the school was the
most frequently cited main source of information on human sexuality/puberty/birth control
and HIV/AIDS.
Since schools are the only formal educational institution to have meaningful contact with
Nearly every young person, they are in a unique position to provide children, adolescents,
And young adults with the knowledge and skills they will need to make and act upon
Decisions that promote sexual health throughout their lives
As an important part of its contribution to adolescent development, school-based sexual
health education can play an important role in the primary prevention of significant sexual
Health problems. As documented in more detail below, well developed and implemented
School-based sexual health education programs can effectively help youth reduce their risk
Of STI/HIV infection and unintended pregnancy. In addition, it should be emphasized that an
Important goal of sexual health education is to provide insights into broader aspects of
Sexuality, including sexual well-being and rewarding interpersonal relationships.
At the most basic level, in order for school- based sexual health education programs to be
Effective, there must be sufficient classroom time devoted to sexual health related instruction
And teachers must be adequately trained and motivated to provide high quality sexual health
Education programming. In addition, it is clear from the research literature on sexual health
Promotion that effective progr ams are based and structured upon theoretical models that
Enable educators to understand and influence sexual health behaviour. For example, the
IMB model specifies that in order for sexual health education for youth to be effective, it
Must provide information that is directly relevant to sexual health (e.g., information on
Effective forms of birth control and where to access them), address motivational factors that
Influence sexual health behaviour (e.g., discussion of social pressures on youth to become
Sexually active and benefits of delaying first intercourse), and teach the specific behavioural
Skills that are needed to protect and enhance sexual health (e.g., learning to negotiate
Condom us e and/or sexual limit setting) (For information on the use of the IMB model for the
Planning, implementation, and evaluation of sexual health education programs.
At a more detailed level, review and analysis of the sexual health intervention literature
Indicate that effective sexual health education programs have contained the following ten
Key ingredients:
1. Include sufficient classroom time to achieve program objectives;
2. Provide teachers with training and administrative support;
3. Employ theoretical models to develop and implement programming;
4. Use elicitation research to ascertain student characteristics, needs, and optimal learning
styles;
5. Specifically target sexual behaviours that lead to unintended pregnancy and/or STI/HIV
Infection;
6. Deliver and consistently reinforce prevention messages related to sexual limit setting
(e.g., delaying first intercourse, abstinence), consistent condom use and other forms of
Contraception;
7. Include activities that address social pressures related to adolescent sexual behaviour;
8. Incorporate the necessary information, motivation, and skills to effectively perform sexual
Health promotion behaviours;
9. Provide examples of and opportunities to practice (e.g., role plays) sexual limit setting,
Condom negotiation and other communication skills;
10. Employ appropriate evaluation tools to assess program strengths and weakness in order