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SEXUAL HEALTH INDEX
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Sexual Education See: Sexual Development, Adolescent Sexuality
This involves teaching knowledge and skills relating to sexuality. Sex education covers a broad range of issues such as human relationships, gender issues, reproductive health, anatomy, puberty, STD/HIV prevention, body image and relationship and social roles.
Sexuality develops and is affected by our environment from birth to death and education about sexual health should ideally be taught from birth throughout the life cycle. Adolescents view of sexuality is influenced by parents, peers and what is learnt at school and the media.
The main purpose of school-based sex education is to promote sexual health which involves empowering youth to make choices based on value clarification exercises and skills for improving interpersonal relationships.
Sex education should include information about both abstinence and contraception, and the joys and risks and consequences of sexual behaviour,and be implemented before the onset of sexual activity.
School-based sex education programmes are not supported by all parents. Parents may feel that their children will become sexually active due to the lessons they are being taught or that others outside the family will contradict moral values and lessons about sexuality that are taught at home. Parents should be involved in the program and be informed about the content and approach, and be given inforamtion about thow they can provide information and guidance to their children.
SEXUALITY
This refers to the totality of being a person - sexuality suggests our human character and does not only refer to genital acts and has implications regarding the total meaning of being a man or a woman.
Sexuality is concerned with the biological, psychological, sociological and spiritual variables of life that affect personality development and interpersonal relations.
SEXUAL HEALTH See: Sexual Rights
Sexual health is not merely about sexual intercourse and reproduction, but includes such issues as self-esteem, body image, social roles and relationships.
Sexual health is composed of three key elements:
- A capacity to enjoy and control sexual and reproductive behaviour in accordance with a personal and social ethic.
- Freedom from fear, shame, guilt, false beliefs and other psychological factors inhibiting sexual response and impairing sexual relationships.
- Freedom from organic disorders, diseases and deficiencies that interfere with sexual and reproductive functions.
