Making the case for School-Based Sexual Health Education

Most Canadians agree that teaching sexual health education is important for the health and well being of our youth. Nevertheless, sexuality and the related educational needs of youth are issues that need to be addressed with sound, factual information. So, it is important for teachers and program planners to be able to clearly articulate to school administrators, policy makers, and the community at large the importance of school-based sexual health education.

As a sexual health educator you may be asked why schools need to provide sexual health education. The information in this section provides a strong basis to help you answer this question. You may also want to see:

• Health Canada’s Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education.
• SIECCAN’s Common Questions About Sexual Health Education, a useful resource for making the case for school-based sexual health education.