UNESCO International Guidelines on Sexual Education

At what age do you think it is appropriate to talk about sexuality and how should it be discussed?

This question has been floating around the global community, especially due to the ever-growing HIV crisis and its links to sexuality.

The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) gave us their take by drafting the International Guidelines on Sexual Education, presented this June at the 19th World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) Conference.

The goal was to provide a comprehensive, systematic approach to sexual education, covering everything from love and relationships, orientation, pleasure, family planning and HIV/STD prevention options in an evidence-based, health-focused, culturally sensitive way. The curriculum is categorized in age-appropriate lists, teaching sexuality in digestible doses.

After getting wind of the draft, conservatives jumped. Feeling uncomfortable with “teaching masturbation to five year olds,” the protests began. Parents complained that it is inappropriate for teachers to and Focus on the Family’s vice president Chong Cheh Hoon said that the Guidelines are like “telling…kids not to smoke and yet providing them with cigarette filters.”

UNESCO employee Mark Richmond defended the Guidelines saying, “At the moment, education is the best weapon we have for dealing with these issues… Evidence tells us that by and large, young people do not have access to the knowledge that could help them make informed decisions and thereby avoid tragic consequences.” The agency is certain that the youth are interested and deserve to know the facts.

The draft was given a second chance at the Sex and Relationships Education Conference on September 7th-9th. UNESCO stood by its goals, but reworked some areas with attending specialists.

A finalized version is said to be out by the end of this year.

While this has been debated for some time, now is the time to sit up and pay attention! Read the June 2009 guidelines to decide what you think and keep your eye out for the final draft!

photo credit to lamont_cranston on flikr

Sex & Hypocrisy

We've all witnessed more than our fair share of the rhetoric surrounding the HPV shot and its fantastic potential to lead young women and girls to sexual promiscuity.... Boo.

If, in our ever-puritanical society, sexuality is still considered BAD (dirty, sinful, et al.), one might assume that the same uproar would ensue when it was announced that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decided to consider "promoting routine circumcision for all baby boys born in the United States to reduce the spread of HIV...."

Such an uproar has yet to be heard. As blogger KJ Dell'Antonia has noted, "If both procedures might make unprotected sex marginally safer, why is the conversation so different?" I am certainly glad to see the general public in support of taking all measures within our realm to reduce/prevent any STI--my concern lies in the fact that "we" are only ok with it if it directly affects men.

If circumcision can help prevent boys and men from contracting HIV/AIDS by up to 50%, GREAT! If a vaccine can help girls and women reduce the risks of multiple types of HPV that may lead to cancer, PHENOMENAL! Why on earth aren't we doing everything in our power to protect ALL of us?!?

Why do we talk about protecting our daughters and sons from chicken pox, from H1N1, from scraped knees and busted lips...but we refuse to offer equal protection when it comes to one of the most natural inclinations of human nature: SEX!

What do we do about the double standard? How can we get beyond it and actually protect ourselves?

Photo courtesy of flickr.com/Zitona

Sexing it Up in UK Schools

A sex-ed leaflet distributed by the National Health Service of Britain has scandalized much of the country by suggesting to high school students that "an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away".

This new educational campaign tells students about the pleasures of a healthy sex life, and the cardiovascular benefits to a good romp between the sheets, or regular masturbation. The authors of the pamphlet believe that teens in healthy relationships have as much a right to a pleasurable sex life as adults do.

Unsurprisingly many parents, family groups, and teachers are not happy with this particular approach to sexual education, arguing that with rising rates of teen pregnancy and the spread of STIs, this sort of education will only encourage students to have sex at a young age and does not provide any more assurance that they will use contraception to protect themselves. Advocates of the campaign, including author Steve Slack, a director of the Center for HIV and Sexual Health at NHS, argue that if students know the truth about sex, including the good parts, they will be more prepared to make an informed decision about when they are ready to become sexually active, and furthermore will be encouraged to wait until they are sure they will have an enjoyable experience.

Although I agree completely that it is important for teens to have comprehensive sex education and access to contraception, as well as information about the risks of having sex, I can't help but be amused by the idea of educating teens about the benefits of being sexual as well. In the United States you are lucky if you get any sex-education explaining the physiological mechanics of sex, but the physical and mental benefits of intercourse and masturbation? Forget about it! Why are we left in the dark to figure the pleasurable parts of sex out on our own?

Young women are particularly discouraged from exploring the pleasurable parts of sex. As young women, we are not encouraged to masturbate, not encouraged to explore what makes our bodies feel good or bad, and for many women not encouraged to orgasm on our own or during intercourse. Based on my experience, many young women are either too embarrassed, ashamed, or just clueless about thier own bodies to masturbate in high school. Maybe by educating women about how to enjoy sex and masturbation at a young age when the majority of them start to become sexually active would help to take the taboo out of female sexuality, and allow women to develop healthy, safe, and pleasurable sex lives.