Sex education provides instruction on issues relating to human sexuality including relationships, sexual anatomy, activity, reproduction, consent, health and rights. It aims to educate through comprehensive programs, parents and public health campaigns. Traditionally, such topics were taboo but progressive education led to their introduction in schools. The AIDS crisis has increased the urgency of sex education, seen as vital in Africa. Research finds comprehensive programs can be effective while abstinence-only programs are ineffective.

1. SEX EDUCATION

2.  Sex education is instruction on issues relating
to human sexuality, including emotional
relations and responsibilities, human sexual
anatomy, sexual activity, sexual
reproduction, age of consent, reproductive
health, reproductive rights, safe sex, birth
control and sexual abstinence. Sex education
that covers all of these aspects is known
as comprehensive sex education. Common
avenues for sex education are parents or
caregivers, formal school programs, and
public health campaigns.

3.  Traditionally, adolescents in many cultures
were not given any information on sexual
matters, with the discussion of these issues
being considered taboo. Such instruction, as
was given, was traditionally left to a child's
parents, and often this was put off until just
before a child's marriage. The progressive
education movement of the late 19th century,
however, led to the introduction of "social
hygiene" in North American school curricula
and the advent of school-based sex
education.

4.  The outbreak of AIDS has given a new
sense of urgency to sex education. In
many African countries, where AIDS is
at epidemic levels (see HIV/AIDS in
Africa), sex education is seen by most
scientists as a vital public
health strategy.

5.  Some international organizations such
as Planned Parenthood consider that
broad sex education programs have
global benefits, such as controlling the
risk of overpopulation and the
advancement of women's rights (see
also reproductive rights). The use of
mass media campaigns has sometimes
resulted in high levels of "awareness"
coupled with essentially superficial
knowledge of HIV transmission.

6.  According to SIECUS, the Sexuality
Information and Education Council of
the United States, 93% of adults they
surveyed support sexuality education in
high school and 84% support it in junior
high school.

9.  in fact, 88% of parents of junior high
school students and 80% of parents
of secondary school students
believe that sex education in school
makes it easier for them to talk to
their adolescents about sex.

10.  Also, 92% of adolescents report
that they want both to talk to their
parents about sex and to have
comprehensive in-school sex
education.

11.  Furthermore, a "study, conducted
by Mathematica Policy Research on
behalf of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, found that
abstinence-only-until-marriage programs
are ineffective."

13.  Research has identified highly effective sex
education and HIV prevention programs that
affect multiple behaviors and/or achieve
positive health impacts. Behavioral outcomes
have included delaying the initiation of sex as
well as reducing the frequency of sex, the
number of new partners, and the incidence of
unprotected sex, and/or increasing the use of
condoms and contraception among sexually
active participants.[4,5,6,7] Long-term impacts
have included lower STI and/or pregnancy
rates. [4,5,6,7]

14.  No highly effective sex education or HIV
prevention education program is eligible
for federal funding because mandates
prohibit educating youth about the
benefits of condoms and
contraception.[13]