| Abstract: | In several countries, despite considerable opposition to sex and HIV/AIDS education programs, school-based reproductive and sexual health education is gradually gaining ground. It has expanded to include adolescent and sexual health. There exist positive trends and evident changes in the delivery of school-based reproductive and sexual health education. Among these are the following: 1) systemic and deliberate incorporation of adolescent reproductive and sexual health issues in the school curriculum in countries that have UN Population Fund population programs; 2) inclusion of reproductive and sexual health issues in different subjects, which paves the way for their incorporation into the curriculum; 3) continuous improvement in the delivery, content, methodologies and activities of population education, particularly the inclusion of topics concerned with reproductive and sexual health and greater emphasis on the behavioral and skills development; and 4) the growing nongovernmental organization involvement in the provision of reproductive and sexual health education and training. Numerous factors ensure the success of the programs; they are the use of social learning and cognitive behavioral theory and clear mission statements, communication and negotiation practical exercises, values formation, interactive strategy development, effective training, behavior change--particularly with regard to risk-taking behavior, and provision of a supportive environment. |
