How to Teach Sex Education
Familiarize yourself with your local sex education requirements., Make sure teaching sex education is possible in your situation., Understand the different approaches to sex education., Plan your own lessons or curriculum.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Familiarize yourself with your local sex education requirements.
Every school, state, province, or country will have its own set of requirements on how sex education can be taught.
In most cases, if you are a professional educator, you will most likely be required to follow a certain curriculum provided for you.
For example:
In the United States, the U.S, Department of Health & Human Service identifies 28 evidence-based curriculums that are eligible to be taught.Your school or program may provide you materials and information from these curriculums.
The Public Health Agency of Canada provides Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education.
It is a guide that provides specific curricula and teaching strategies to teach sex education.
Canadian sex education teaches key concepts like health, health promotion, health education, sexuality, sexual health, and sexual rights.In the United Kingdom, sex education is compulsory after age 11 and focuses on teaching children about reproduction, sexuality, and sexual health.Sex and relationship education (SRE) is part of the national curriculum and is based on the Personal, Social, and Health Education (PSHE) framework of knowledge.Guidelines can be found on the UK government website. -
Step 2: Make sure teaching sex education is possible in your situation.
In some countries, cultures, religions, and schools, sex education for children is not compulsory or mandatory.
In these situations, teaching sex education to children can be difficult for many reasons.
For example, sex education might not be welcomed and you may run into roadblocks before you are allowed to teach it.
Before teaching sex education, you may have to:
Speak to local officials about implementing sex education in your area.
This might mean speaking to schools, your community, or members of your government.
Prepare resources and evidence that sex education is needed.
Join an organization or group that advocates for the implementation of sex education for the community.
Plan your own sex education curriculum.
You may be able to teach sex education but there are little resources available to you that provide tested and reputable sex education programs that can be taught in your area.
In these cases, you may need to do extensive research, talk to sexual health professionals, and collaborate with institutions to come up with an effective sex education program. , In North America, most curriculums advocate the need for comprehensive sexual health education where multiple topics are discussed and taught extensively.
Issues taught include contraception, gender, sexuality, abstinence, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, and much more.
Comprehensive sexual health education is just one approach to sex education.
Some other approaches include:
Family life education:
This program places emphasis on preparing children for family life and reproduction.
Population education:
This program focuses on the sociological, environmental and economic consequences of population growth.
Medical/disease education:
This program emphasizes on avoiding disease and provides medical information about sexual health.
Fear-based approach:
This program emphasizes the risks of sexually transmitted infections, diseases, and HIV.
Abstinence-based education:
This programs focuses on abstinence from sex a way to avoid pregnancy and does not provide much coverage on how to use contraceptives, how to have safe sex, and how STIs/HIV work.
Sexuality education:
This approach places more emphasis on the individual, sexual activity, sexology, biology and behaviour.
It presents sexuality as a key part of life and includes message that sexuality and sex are pleasurable. , Some sex education programs may already have detailed lesson plans for you to follow and some may only provide you with guidelines and will require you to come up with your own lessons.
In the case that you will need to plan your own lessons, it is best to follow the established and accurate curriculums for sex education at your school, community, or sex health care provider.
These programs have been tested for effectiveness and will provide helpful advice, approaches, and strategies to aid you in teaching sex education.
Reach out to other educators who have already implemented or taught sex education.
Ask them what was effective, what didn't work, and how they approached sex education with their learners.
You may need to establish your own curriculum if you are teaching groups that need special attention, such as learners who have mental disabilities, LGBTQ+ learners, or if you are teaching in a community with specific beliefs and religious views. -
Step 3: Understand the different approaches to sex education.
-
Step 4: Plan your own lessons or curriculum.
Detailed Guide
Every school, state, province, or country will have its own set of requirements on how sex education can be taught.
In most cases, if you are a professional educator, you will most likely be required to follow a certain curriculum provided for you.
For example:
In the United States, the U.S, Department of Health & Human Service identifies 28 evidence-based curriculums that are eligible to be taught.Your school or program may provide you materials and information from these curriculums.
The Public Health Agency of Canada provides Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education.
It is a guide that provides specific curricula and teaching strategies to teach sex education.
Canadian sex education teaches key concepts like health, health promotion, health education, sexuality, sexual health, and sexual rights.In the United Kingdom, sex education is compulsory after age 11 and focuses on teaching children about reproduction, sexuality, and sexual health.Sex and relationship education (SRE) is part of the national curriculum and is based on the Personal, Social, and Health Education (PSHE) framework of knowledge.Guidelines can be found on the UK government website.
In some countries, cultures, religions, and schools, sex education for children is not compulsory or mandatory.
In these situations, teaching sex education to children can be difficult for many reasons.
For example, sex education might not be welcomed and you may run into roadblocks before you are allowed to teach it.
Before teaching sex education, you may have to:
Speak to local officials about implementing sex education in your area.
This might mean speaking to schools, your community, or members of your government.
Prepare resources and evidence that sex education is needed.
Join an organization or group that advocates for the implementation of sex education for the community.
Plan your own sex education curriculum.
You may be able to teach sex education but there are little resources available to you that provide tested and reputable sex education programs that can be taught in your area.
In these cases, you may need to do extensive research, talk to sexual health professionals, and collaborate with institutions to come up with an effective sex education program. , In North America, most curriculums advocate the need for comprehensive sexual health education where multiple topics are discussed and taught extensively.
Issues taught include contraception, gender, sexuality, abstinence, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, and much more.
Comprehensive sexual health education is just one approach to sex education.
Some other approaches include:
Family life education:
This program places emphasis on preparing children for family life and reproduction.
Population education:
This program focuses on the sociological, environmental and economic consequences of population growth.
Medical/disease education:
This program emphasizes on avoiding disease and provides medical information about sexual health.
Fear-based approach:
This program emphasizes the risks of sexually transmitted infections, diseases, and HIV.
Abstinence-based education:
This programs focuses on abstinence from sex a way to avoid pregnancy and does not provide much coverage on how to use contraceptives, how to have safe sex, and how STIs/HIV work.
Sexuality education:
This approach places more emphasis on the individual, sexual activity, sexology, biology and behaviour.
It presents sexuality as a key part of life and includes message that sexuality and sex are pleasurable. , Some sex education programs may already have detailed lesson plans for you to follow and some may only provide you with guidelines and will require you to come up with your own lessons.
In the case that you will need to plan your own lessons, it is best to follow the established and accurate curriculums for sex education at your school, community, or sex health care provider.
These programs have been tested for effectiveness and will provide helpful advice, approaches, and strategies to aid you in teaching sex education.
Reach out to other educators who have already implemented or taught sex education.
Ask them what was effective, what didn't work, and how they approached sex education with their learners.
You may need to establish your own curriculum if you are teaching groups that need special attention, such as learners who have mental disabilities, LGBTQ+ learners, or if you are teaching in a community with specific beliefs and religious views.
About the Author
Daniel Ryan
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in cooking and beyond.
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