relationships and HIV education in schools in developing

Promising Approaches
What are the most promising approaches for sex,
countries (with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa)? What are some of the factors that have enabled their
success?
Clearly, this is an enormous task. With the time and resources available, it has been possible to answer some questions
more than others and most only partially. It has also meant identifying further questions that could be usefully
considered.
The Terms of Reference stipulate that the focus of the review, as far as possible, should be upon sex and HIV
education programmes within the context of developing countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, with
material from Europe and North America included only when the programmes described are particularly innovative
or when the only available evidence comes from more economically developed countries.
Process and Methodology
The review is based upon two specifi c and complementary methods. In the fi rst instance, key informant interviews
were conducted with a broad range of experts in the fi eld (the full list can be found in Appendix 2). Many of these
interviewees either shared documentation or suggested where relevant material could be found. The review draws
on information from both published and grey literature. Grey material was identifi ed via personal recommendation
and through searches of both the internet and of specifi c institutional websites. Database searches were also conducted.
These included: Medline, PsycInfo, ERIC and Social Science Abstracts. Hand searches were also made of
key journals including Sex Education and AIDS Prevention and Education.
Given the sheer volume of documentation that exists, together with the time allocated for the review task, this
review is selective rather than exhaustive. Consistent with the Terms of Reference, the review has a strong emphasis
on sub-Saharan Africa. In comparison, very little material has been sourced so far for other geographic regions.
Inevitably, this review raises more questions than it answers. Nonetheless, it is intended that the questions it
does raise can be framed in such a way as to assist UNESCO in clarifying how it can most effectively support the
development and implementation of quality sex, relationships and HIV education within the scope of its institutional
remit through the next programming cycle.