ELPIDA Course - English

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UNESCO advocates for quality, comprehensive sexuality education, to promote health and well-being, respect for human rights and gender equality as well as for empowering children and young people to live healthy, safe and productive lives. In 2018, UNESCO published their updated International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education. This manual is designed to assist education policy makers in all countries in designing accurate and age-appropriate curricula for children and young people aged 5 – 18+ (17).

Before the publication of this UNESCO manual, the German Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) and the European Network of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF EN) initiated an extensive survey about the development and status of sexuality education in Europe and Central Asia in 2016-17 and also published the International Planned Parenthood Federation. 2008. Sexual rights: an IPPF declaration. The survey covered 25 selected countries of the WHO European Region. This new research fills a major knowledge gap about information available on the status of sexuality education (18). 

People with ID need services and measures in line with their individual needs and wishes. They need assistance throughout their life, services that vary and change according to their development and life situation. The need of information is more prominent because several people with disabilities do not have the equal opportunities to learn from peers and other ‘natural sources’ about their own and other’s sexuality.

Countries have different state policies regarding services and education for PWID, but entry level education is a guaranteed right by law in many countries. In spite of these rights, inclusion of individuals with ID is a subject often discussed. 

Examples of countries that have developed action plans for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health are Finland and Norway. These action plans also include people with special needs/disabilities/ID (14, 19).

Parents and teachers are responsible for ensuring that children and young PWID learn about sexuality. Sexuality education is a broad and comprehensive topic. Its contents change as the child develops into an adolescent and later to a young adult. At the age of three, a child needs different information and support from what they need 10 years later. Besides, sexuality education influences the development of sexual attitudes and behaviour, thus helps the individual to develop a self-determined sexuality (15: 33). 

Knowledge youths and adults ought to have about sexuality:

• Have specific and basic knowledge of sex (for instance know about body-parts, sexual relations, sexual acts, etc.)
• Knowledge about the consequences of sexual acts, including sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, sterilization, etc.
• Have an understanding of what suitable sexual behaviour is and the framework in which it should occur
• Need to understand that sexual activity is a result of free/voluntary choice
• Need to be able to recognize potential abusive situations
• Need to be able to stand on their own feet in social and personal situations and be able to refuse any unwanted attention at any given moment in time (11).

Countries need targeted, knowledge-based programs on sexual health, adapted to educating PWID in every age, such as at kindergarten, school and workplace. Among other sources, ‘The Country Paper’ provides a pool of common developments and differences in Europe about sexuality education adapted to youth (20). 

Young people in different countries have expressed their needs in the field of sexuality education. One example is the Norwegian Association of Youth with Disabilities’ that contributed to a report examining what youth with disabilities and chronic diseases need with regards to sexual health. This report also addresses how health services meet and handle young people and young adults in need of advice and aid for sexual health, or someone to talk to about sexuality (21- text only in Norwegian). In 2018, the  Youth with Disabilities also published an e-learning course (funded by the Norwegian Government). Look at following webpage for more information (text mainly in Norwegian): https://ungefunksjonshemmede.no/politikk/seksualitet/ and https://ungefunksjonshemmede.no/arrangementer/seminar-om-e-laeringsverktoyet-sex-som-funker/.

Suggestions for other learning resources that can be adapted to people’s information/education needs in relation to sexual health:

‘Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe’ (15) intends to contribute to the introduction of holistic sexuality education. Holistic sexuality education gives children and young people unbiased, scientifically correct information on all aspects of sexuality and, at the same time, helps them to develop the skills to act upon this information. Thus, it contributes to the development of respectful, open-minded attitudes and helps to build equitable societies (p.5). The sexual education matrix (p.38-50) in this document is structured to different age groups and comprises of eight main thematic categories. Parents or teachers can pick topics that are of special interest to the group they are targeting. You can download the standards in different languages here: https://www.bzga-whocc.de/en/publications/standards-in-sexuality-education/

‘Sexual education for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities’ (22) is an Instructional Manual and an accompanying Resource Guide designed to help parents and caregivers to assist PWID in their exploration of self and sexuality. By using these resources, both parent/caregiver and family member may gain a deeper appreciation of themselves and others, and thus when the person with disability reaches adulthood they will be better prepared to live and participate as independently and safely as possible in society: http://ceacw.org/docs/parentworkbook.pdf

‘Age appropriate sexual behaviour in children and young people’ (23), is a booklet for family and friends, teachers and other professionals working with children. The learning material is about differences between sexual behaviour as part of the normal growing up process, and sexual behaviour that raises concern. The purpose of the book is to i) understand what is normal (age appropriate) sexual behaviour and sexual behaviour that may raise concern, and those extremely concerning (abusive), ii) determine when you should be concerned about a child’s or a young person’s sexual behaviour iii) determine when further professional advice is required, and know who to contact. https://www.secasa.com.au/assets/Documents/Age-appropriate-behaviours-book.pdf.  Also, look at https://www.secasa.com.au/assets/Documents/Age-appropriate-behaviours-1.pdf

There are further sources on education in sexual health for teachers and service providers, that offer sexual education to PWID. One example is from Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). Look at these weblink: http://www.hioa.no/Studier-og-kurs/HF/Evu/Seksuell-helse-og-seksualitetsundervisning and http://www.hioa.no/Studier-og-kurs/HF/Evu/Sexologi-og-funksjonshemming

ACTIVITIES:

Case: Women and men in the internet. Right to sexual education

 

 

•                  Look at this report (18): https://www.bzga-whocc.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Dokumente/BZgA_IPPFEN_ComprehensiveStudyReport_Online.pdf and find out about the status of sexual education in your country.

 

•                  How would you plan to talk about the importance of sexual education with your child's teacher?

Photo: G.H.Lunde