Making the Case for School-Based Sexual Health Education

A Basic Human Right

It is widely accepted within Canadian society that all people, including youth, have a fundamental right to the information and services necessary to maintain their health.

Sexual and reproductive health are clearly important components of overall health and well-being. As a result, access to information that enables individuals to protect and enhance their sexual health is a basic right of all people at all ages.

It is clearly necessary for all youth to receive educational and health services that prepare them for the reality and responsibilities of sexual behaviour. The lack of such programs infringes on the right of all young people to make informed choices about their health and places them at increased risk for significant negative health outcomes (p. 597).

– The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (2004)

As stated by the World Health Organization (1975) "Since health is a fundamental human right, so must sexual health also be a basic human right" (p. 6). The ability of young people to maintain and enhance their sexual health is clearly dependant on their capacity to access relevant sexual health information and services.

As stated by Health Canada (2003), "sexual health is a major, positive part of personal health and healthy living. Sexual health education should be available to all Canadians as an important component of health promotion programs and services" (p. 1).

Along with parents and families, schools are an important and indispensable source of sexual health education for youth. For many Canadian young people, schools may be the only authoritative, easily accessible source of accurate information on topics such as sexually transmitted infections and reproductive health.

The importance of schools in supporting young people's right to access sexual health education is emphasized in Health Canada's (2003) Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education.

Schools are one of the key organizations for providing sexuality education. They can be a main vehicle for ensuring that young people have access to effective sexual health education.

Since schools are the only formal educational institution to have meaningful contact with nearly every young person, they are in a unique position to provide children, adolescents, and young adults with the knowledge and skills they will need to make and act upon decisions that promote sexual health throughout their lives (Health Canada, 2003, p. 17).

Young people without access to broadly based sexual health education are likely to be more vulnerable to sexual exploitation/abuse, unintended pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections.

Young people who do have access to broadly based sexual health education are more likely to be able to make informed choices leading to the attainment and maintenance of sexual and reproductive health throughout their lives. Access to sexual health education is an important and basic right for all young people.

Last Modified: July 17, 2007