relationships and HIV education,

relationships and HIV education,
the Terms of Reference for which can be found in Appendix 1. This document is a background document for
the fi rst meeting of UNESCO’s Global Advisory Group on Sex, Relationships and HIV Education, which held its fi rst
meeting in Paris in December 2007.
In relation to HIV and AIDS, UNESCO’s overarching goal is to support Member States to move towards universal
access to comprehensive HIV prevention programmes, treatment, care and support.13 Education has been identifi
ed as a key element and an area of UNESCO’s comparative advantage in efforts to scale up to universal access,
and will remain a priority in UNESCO programming. UNESCO also recognises that universal access is a major
milestone in efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halting and reversing the spread of
HIV by 2015 and other MDGs, including those relating to poverty eradication, child mortality, maternal health and
environmental sustainability, as well as the two education-related goals.
HIV-specifi c objectives are to:
• Strengthen the evidence base and improve the policy and programmatic responses of Member States through
the documentation and dissemination of good practices and support for their use and application; the monitoring
and evaluation of progress, trends and impact; and advocacy and technical assistance for evidence-informed
responses to HIV and AIDS.12
• Enhance the capacity of Member States to implement comprehensive and scaled-up responses to HIV and
AIDS, particularly in the education sector, that are informed by available evidence, based on widespread consultation
with key stakeholders, undertaken through strategic alliances and partnerships at all levels, and evaluated
for impact.12
• Promote full and effective multisectoral engagement and coordinated and harmonised AIDS responses by
Member States within the framework of the agreed UNAIDS division of labour and other recommendations to
improve harmonisation and alignment with national priorities.12
This review of literature is intended to address the following question:
Globally, what is the current state of sex, relationships and HIV education within the formal
education sector?
Supplementary questions included the following:
History
What is the overall history of sex education in schools? How is it linked to HIV and AIDS education? When
and why was sex education fi rst introduced in schools?
Typologies of Sex Education
What are the typologies of sex education described in HIV and AIDS curricula (pedagogical approaches,
components, content (e.g. condoms, context)? What is the known coverage of sex, relationships and HIV
education in schools to date?
Methods and Approaches
How is sex, relationships and HIV education taught in primary and secondary school? What are the specifi c
learning outcomes by age, gender, level and social class? What constitutes a basic minimum package of
quality sex, relationships and HIV education in school?