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This page lists resources related to the development and implementation of school and agency policies on sexual health and related issues.

Overview

The Public Health Agency of Canada has released the new edition of the Canadian
Guidelines for Sexual Health Education. This much-anticipated document is an important
resource for educators, health professionals, curriculum and program planners, policy
makers, and others engaged in sexual health education and promotion in and out of school settings. The Guidelines also offer direction for local, regional and national organizations and government bodies seeking to develop and improve sexual health education policies and practices.
To order your English or French copy of the Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education please contact the CATIE Ordering Centre at their website, http://orders.catie.ca, or by calling 1-800-263-1638.
PDF versions of the Guidelines will be available on the Public Health Agency of
Canada website at: www.publichealth.gc.ca/sti The Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2003) offer clear direction to assist local, regional and national groups as well as organizations and government bodies concerned with education and community health to further develop and improve sexual health education policies and programs that address the diverse needs of Canadians. The Guidelines are designed to guide and unify professionals working in fields that provide sexual health education. The Guidelines are grounded in evidence-based research placed in a Canadian context and offer curriculum and program planners, educators, and policy-makers clear direction for the initiation, development, implementation and evaluation of effective sexual health education programs.
The Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education are available on-line or copies can be obtained through the Canadian HIV/AIDS Information Centre.

School-Based and School-Linked Sexual Health Education and Promotion in Canada (Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, 2004) in this the SOGC articulates its support for the use of a comprehensive approach to school-based and school-linked sexual health education and promotion.

Sexual health education in the schools: Questions & Answers: A resource with answers to your questions about sexual health education in our schools from the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (2005) is designed to support the provision of high quality sexual health education in Canadian schools. It provides answers to some of the most common questions that parents, communities, educators, program planners, school and health administrators and governments may have about sexual health education in schools.

The Canadian Youth, Sexual Health and AIDS Study (Council of Ministers of Education, 2003) was undertaken to increase understanding of the factors that contribute to the sexual health of Canadian youth and in so doing provides a snapshot of current adolescent sexual health.

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Canada: A Report Card in 2004 (A. McKay as published in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality) summaries data and trends and identifying priorities for adolescent sexual health care provision and sexual health education. National and large sample data are useful for drawing general conclusions about the status of adolescent sexual health in Canada. Such findings can and should be used to inform policy development and clinical/educational practice.

From the United State’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:


Putting What Works to Work (PWWTW) is a (US) project of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy funded, in part, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Through PWWTW, the Campaign will translate research on teen pregnancy prevention and related issues into user-friendly materials for practitioners, policymakers, and advocates. Read more about PWWTW.

Linking Youth Development and Teen Pregnancy Prevention from the National Campaign offers a series of relevant research sources including: Kirby, D. (1999). Reflections on two decades of research on teen sexual behavior and pregnancy. Journal of School Health, 69, 89-94. Their National Campaign Reports offer relevance to the Canadian context.

From Advocates For Youth (US): Science and Success: Supplement I: Additional Sex Education and Other Programs That Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections. In addition, Advocates for Youth's publications include information on involving communities to improve programs and policies for youth, uncovering the facts about adolescent sexual health, involving youth in peer education, and educating young people. Despite recent declines in teen pregnancy, US teen birth and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates remain among the highest in the western world. Given the need to focus limited prevention resources on effective programs, Advocates for Youth undertook exhaustive reviews of existing research to compile a list of the programs proven effective by rigorous evaluation.

Nineteen evaluated programs were previously described in Science and Success: Sex Education and Other Programs that Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections, (Advocates for Youth, 2003). This document serves as a supplement to Science and Success and identifies an additional five programs, bringing the total to 24 programs that have been proven effective by rigorous evaluation.

YouthLensis a series of research briefs that summarize the latest information on key issues regarding reproductive health and HIV prevention among youth ages 10 to 24.

The Nova Scotia Framework for Action: Youth Sexual Health in Nova Scotia was developed based on seven years of work by the Nova Scotia Roundtable on Youth Sexual Health. Among other things, this work consisted of reviewing Nova Scotian, Atlantic, and Canadian-based research and initiatives and gathering input from youth and youth sexual health stakeholders across the province.

The purpose of the Framework for Action is to provide rationale and strategic direction for a comprehensive approach to sexual health education, services, and supports for all youth throughout Nova Scotia. The Framework for Action is intended for policy makers and decision makers from a variety of sectors and for people working in the area of youth sexual health.

Harassment

Gender Equity

Role of Guidance Counsellors

Referrals to Health Clinics