Some programmes give young

Some programmes give young people the opportunity to consider diversity, marriage and partnership, love and
commitment, and the law as it relates to sexual behaviour and relationships, together with consideration of social,
religious and cultural aspects of sexuality.25 The development of critical thinking, for example about rights and
gender, is also often encouraged, and skills developed in communication and decision-making. However, it is important
that the content remains focused on sexual relationships and the sexual transmission of HIV if the programme
is to have measurable impact on HIV infections.
All sex and relationships education programmes are values-based. The key questions concern which (or whose)
specifi c values, the extent to which these are made explicit, and whether or not they are open to scrutiny. Processes
that clarify values about sex and relationships can be useful not only for students but also for teachers, school
authorities, parents and communities.
Sex and relationships education is delivered through a range of named programmes, including: sex education,
family life education, population education, sex and relationships education, sexuality education and life skills education.
The title of the programme may be a refl ection of political or cultural sensitivity, indicative of the emphasis
of its content, or a combination of the two.
Experience in Kenya and Tanzania suggest that, even in contexts of severe resource constraints, it is possible to
implement good quality sex and relationships education within primary school curricula. The Mema Kwa Vijana
(‘Good Things for Young People’) programme in Tanzania touched on community-based activities including condom
distribution, health service and in- and inter-school elements. The most intensive component was a participatory,
teacher-led, peer-assisted, in-school programme, comprising an average of twelve forty-minute sessions per year,
held during school hours in Years Five to Seven of primary school.