Terms of Reference for Global Expert on Sex, Relationships and HIV education

Terms of Reference for Global Expert on Sex, Relationships and HIV education
Background
Within the global move towards universal access to HIV and AIDS prevention, care, treatment and support, and
the UNAIDS technical support division of labour, UNESCO’s roles are to promote comprehensive education sector
responses to HIV and AIDS, contributing to overall national HIV and AIDS responses, and to provide policy and programmatic
leadership in the area of HIV and AIDS education for young people in schools. In light of the devastating
effects of the HIV epidemic, sex, relationships and HIV education is also an important aspect in achieving Education
for All (EFA). The underlying foundation to school-based HIV and AIDS education must be sex education57 – education
about biology, education about reproduction and family life, and education about inter-personal sexual relations
– simply because over 75 per cent of all HIV infections are caused by sexual transmission58 and therefore, at some
stage, HIV and AIDS education must introduce the subject of sexual transmission of the virus and provide choices
on how to minimise risk.
Furthermore, sex education must be an important part of HIV and AIDS education because it is within the context
of sexual relationships that HIV is most often transmitted. However, many HIV and AIDS curricula for schools avoid
discussions around sex,59 alternatively focusing on wider vulnerability factors (such as poverty or gender inequality)
or through science or school health. Despite overwhelming evidence that sex education reduces chances of unintended
pregnancies and STIs (including HIV), many countries have not adequately prioritised sex, relationships and
HIV education within the formal curriculum.
Research Questions
To date, there has been little research to document the benefi cial effects of sex, relationships and HIV education
within a wider curriculum for HIV and AIDS education. In this context, UNESCO is commissioning a desk-based literature
review and seeking advice from a global advisory group in order to document the state of sex, relationships
and HIV education. The literature review will address the following research questions.
Principal research question:
Globally, what is the current state of sex, relationships and HIV education within the formal education sector?
Additional research questions:
1. 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?