According to UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO), more than five million young people are living with the HIV virus worldwide and 45 percent of all new infections occur among young people aged from 15 to 24 years. Data from the International Planned Parenthood Federation show that, each year, at least 111 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections occur among young people aged between 10 and 24, and up to 4.4 million girls aged 15 to 19 seek abortions, the majority of which will be unsafe. Ten percent of births worldwide are to teenage mothers, who experience higher rates of maternal mortality than older women.
"At the moment, education is the best weapon we have for dealing with these issues," said Mark Richmond, UNESCO Director of the Division for the Coordination of UN Priorities in Education, and UNESCO Global Coordinator for HIV and AIDS. "However, 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 new guidelines contribute to filling this gap.
"The document is not a curriculum," Mr Richmond added. "Instead, it focuses on the ‘why' and ‘what' issues that require attention in strategies to introduce or strengthen sexuality education."
The International Guidelines were co-authored by leading researcher Douglas Kirby of Education,Training and Research Associates (ETR), and Nanette Ecker, former director of International Education and Training at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS).
The publication is evidence-informed and rights-based. It draws on 87 studies from around the world and a review of curricula from 12 countries, as well as the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education developed by SIECUS. It is designed to help education, health and other relevant authorities involved in the development and implementation of school-based sexuality education programmes and materials.
