for the exercise of health

for the exercise of healthy, free, responsible and enjoyable relationships. Sex education now includes information
about sexual and reproductive health and the promotion of attitudes and values for practising gender equity.
While the majority of country or region-specifi c material considered for this review concerns sub-Saharan Africa, a
useful overview of school-based HIV and AIDS education in the Asia-Pacifi c region was conducted by Smith and
Kippax et al. (2003). While all the countries surveyed appeared to have sexual and reproductive health education
at some stage in the school career, the content tended to focus on the biology of reproduction within an overall
context of married life and there was notable reluctance to discuss sexual and drug-related HIV transmission. In
Asia, HIV and AIDS and sexual relationships are rarely discussed at primary school level, with the notable exceptions
of Papua New Guinea and Cambodia, where discussion of condoms was included. This was despite the fact
that, in some countries, the majority of children would not progress to secondary school. The authors also note that
when cross-ministerial policy support exists for primary education on HIV and AIDS, and where this is implemented
alongside community-based education of adults (generating local support for school-based education), primary curricula
can be introduced successfully. They conclude that there is a need to reassess the age at which education on
sexual and reproductive health is provided to students and the content of that education together with the mode
of its delivery.