Yesterday, January 24, while strolling down on my Facebook feed, I saw several posts by different NGOs, UN agencies, and government representatives celebrating the International Day of Education. A few posts later, I bump into a study highlighting that only 34% of young people worldwide have an accurate knowledge of how HIV is transmitted and how it can be prevented – ONLY 34 %!

When governments and organizations talk about the Right to Education, they do not mention the right to obtain Comprehensive Sexuality Education, and they should. The study also shows that young people account for almost 50 percent of new HIV infections worldwide.

For girls and women, lack of knowledge about their bodies and sexualities makes them vulnerable to gender-based violence, an estimate of 1/3 women worldwide has experienced physical and sexual abuse. Gender-based violence continues to be one of the most widespread human rights violations worldwide. Likewise, little knowledge of and access to contraceptives and abortion services, make adolescent girls and young women make up 40 percent of all unsafe abortions.

Governments are failing to provide young people with the necessary information to live long and healthy lives. Providing Comprehensive Sexuality Education to young people is an obligation of every state in the world. But, what is the difference between the old and boring Sexual Health Education and the new and sexy Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)?

The old approach to Sexual Education concentrated on teaching the physiological side of sexuality without taking into consideration psychological and social issues. In contrary,  CSE provides a holistic approach that contemplates the biological side of sexuality, plus the emotional wellbeing of young people, encourages healthy relationships, considers cultural factors such as religion and pop culture, encourages assertiveness in your body and decisions affecting it, it talks about gender identity, and encourages respect and non-discrimination.

CSE can contribute to reducing poverty by decreasing unwanted adolescent pregnancies (less pregnant adolescents = more adolescents in schools) and by empowering women. It reduces discrimination against non-cis people. CSI can contribute to eliminating gender-based violence by teaching young men values like respect, empathy, and consent. It empowers young girls to say NO and to take control over decisions and actions that affect their bodies.

While some old and/or conservative folks may argue that CSE “encourages” adolescents to be sexually active, evidence proves the contrary. Evidence shows that a well-implemented CSE provides the confidence to take care of sexual health thus reducing early sexual debut and other high-risk sexual activities. Plus, eliminating CSE from the schools’ curriculum, does not mean that kids are not being exposed to sexually related content everywhere else. Schools and governments bear the responsibility to provide adolescents with the necessary skills and knowledge to filter all the information out there.

In conclusion, Comprehensive Sexual Education rocks! Talk about it, learn about it, and let’s normalize taking control over our bodies and sexualities 😊

Happy International Education Day!