Today’s generation of adolescents is the largest ever - there are 1.2 billion people between the ages of 10 and 19 alive today. To protect their health and rights, young people need evidence-based, accurate information about their sexual and reproductive health, as well as support and skills to feel comfortable and confident about their bodies and their sexuality. While adolescence is a time for growth and learning, often young people confront multiple threats to their health and their lives such as violence and sexual coercion, unintended pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) provides young people with the necessary skills and information to make free and informed decisions about their health, and enjoy safe and satisfying relationships.

Click here to download the 8 page PDF in English.

To enjoy safe and satisfying sexual lives, young people must be able to exercise their basic human rights. A rights- based approach to comprehensive sexuality education not only helps young people acquire accurate information about their bodies and sex, but also approaches sexuality holistically; equipping young people with the skills they need to forge emotionally and socially healthy relationships.

It’s All One is a gorgeous two book collection of guidelines and activities that are examples of comprehensive sexuality education. For this work, IWHC collaborated with the International Planned Parenthood Foundation, International Planned Parenthood Foundation Western Hemisphere, Mexfam, the Population Council, and our partners CREA and the Girls Power Initiative.

You can download each volume below as a PDF, or request a hard copy.

Book 1: GUIDELINES
Curriculum content that
places gender issues and
human rights at the heart
of sex and HIV education.
Download PDF here.

Book 2: ACTIVITIES
54 activities that engage
young people and foster
critical thinking skills.
Download PDF here.

This post is by Audacia Ray and originally appeared on Our Bodies, Our Blog on January 26, 2009.

Demand for newer and better devices that protect against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections is constant — partly due to the fact that the process of development, testing and approval takes forever, and partly because what’s on the market often leaves something to be desired.

Guest blog by Neha Sood, member of the Youth Coalition, With Women Worldwide Compact signatory, and Young Visionary. Originally posted on RHRealityCheck.org.

>>Available in Word and PDF

>>Also available in French, Portuguese, and Spanish

>>To view more issue briefs from the Young Adolescents' Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights series, click here.