About Us; SIECUS Developments; Fiscal Year 2003 Annual Report
Since its inception, SIECUS has taken stands on major sexuality issues confronting society. SIECUS' has position statements on sexuality education; the role of schools; sexuality and religion; sexuality and the media; sexually explicit materials; sexual orientation, gender equality and equity; sexual exploitation; female genital mutilation; sexuality of the aging; sexuality of persons with disabilities; masturbation; sexual health care; adolescent sexual health; adolescent contraceptive care; abortion; and HIV/AIDS. SIECUS invites other organizations and individuals to join in affirming these statements and in working for their implementation.
HUMAN SEXUALITY
Human sexuality encompasses the sexual knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors of individuals. Its various dimensions involve the anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of the sexual response system; identity, orientation, roles, and personality; and thoughts, feelings, and relationships. Sexuality is influenced by ethical, spiritual, cultural, and moral concerns.
SEXUALITY EDUCATION
Sexuality education is a lifelong process that begins at birth. Parents, family, peers, partners, schools, religion, and the media influence the messages people receive about sexuality at all stages of life. These messages can be conflicting, incomplete, and inaccurate.
All people have the right to comprehensive sexuality education that addresses the biological, sociocultural, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of sexuality from the cognitive domain (information), the affective domain (feelings, values, and attitudes), and the behavioral domain (communication and decision-making skills).
Parents are--and ought to be--their children's primary sexuality educators, but they may need help and encouragement to fulfill this important role. Religious leaders, youth and community group leaders, and health and education professionals can complement and augment the sexuality education that takes place at home.
SCHOOL-BASED SEXUALITY EDUCATION
Comprehensive school-based sexuality education that is appropriate to students' age, developmental level, and cultural background should be an important part of the education program at every grade. A comprehensive sexuality program will respect the diversity of values and beliefs represented in the community and will complement and augment the sexuality education children receive from their families, religious and community groups, and health care professionals. Because child development involves sexuality, all pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade teachers should receive at least one course in human sexuality.
SEXUALITY AND RELIGION
Religion can play a significant role in promoting an understanding of sexuality as an affirming expression of equality, mutual respect, caring, and love. Religious groups and spiritual leaders can helpfully involve themselves in sexuality education and in promoting the sexual health of their constituents, including those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, young, elderly, and ill, or with physical, cognitive, or emotional disabilities. While recognizing that religious groups have diverging views on how sexuality is expressed, professional guidance can assist religious leaders in how best to minister to their constituents regarding their sexual needs. It is important for religious institutions to minister and allow full religious participation to individuals who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
SEXUALITY AND THE MEDIA
The media have a powerful influence on all aspects of society. With this power goes a major responsibility to present the complexities of human sexuality at all stages of the life cycle in a manner that is accurate, sensitive to diversity, and free of exploitation, gratuitous sexual violence, and dehumanizing sexual portrayals.
SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIALS
When sensitively used in a manner appropriate to the viewer's age and developmental level, sexually explicit visual, printed, or on-line materials can be valuable educational or personal aids, helping to reduce ignorance and confusion and contributing to a wholesome concept of sexuality. However, the use of violence, exploitation, or degradation, or the portrayal of children in sexually explicit materials is reprehensible. Minors should be legally protected from all forms of sexual exploitation.
Adults should have the right of access to sexually explicit materials for personal use. Legislative and judicial efforts to prevent the production or distribution of sexually explicit materials endanger constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of speech and press and could be employed to restrict the appropriate professional use of such materials by sexuality educators, therapists, and researchers.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Sexual orientation is an essential human quality. Individuals have the right to accept, acknowledge, and live in accordance with their sexual orientation, be they bisexual, heterosexual, gay or lesbian. The legal system should guarantee the civil rights and protection of all people, regardless of sexual orientation. Prejudice and discrimination based on sexual orientation is unconscionable.
GENDER EQUALITY AND EQUITY
Gender equality and equity are fundamental human rights. Women and girls should be protected from gender-based violence, including sexual, physical, and psychological abuse. They should have equal access to paid employment, credit, education, and job training. There should be universal access to age-appropriate information and education about sexuality, gender roles, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS. Gender stereotyping in educational curricula, the mass media, and other public communications should be eliminated. All sexual relationships should be governed by principles of equity, consent and mutual respect, with men and women having mutual responsibility for contraception, parenting, and child care.
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
Sexual relationships should be consensual between partners who are developmentally, physically, and emotionally capable of understanding the interaction. Coerced and exploitive sexual acts and behaviors such as rape, incest, sexual relations between adults and children, sexual abuse, and sexual harassment are always reprehensible. There should be information and education programs to prevent such acts, laws to punish them, treatment programs to help survivors and offenders, and research to increase understanding of the causes and effects of sexual exploitation.
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
While cultural differences among people of different nations, races, and religions must be regarded with respect, the leadership of the many courageous women and men in Africa and parts of Asia who are working to eradicate female genital mutilation in all its forms deserves entire support. The removal of the female sexual organs is a violation of the human body and of human rights and poses a serious risk to the sexual, reproductive, and psychological health and well-being of women and girls. Comprehensive sexuality education should include arguments against this tradition.
SEXUALITY OF THE AGING
Sexual feelings, desires, and activities are present throughout the life cycle. Older adults have a right to sexuality education, sexual health care, and opportunities for socializing and sexual expression. Education concerning the sexual feelings, attitudes, and behaviors of older adults should be available to them, their family, health care providers, and other caregivers.
SEXUALITY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Persons with physical, cognitive, or emotional disabilities have a right to sexuality education, sexual health care, and opportunities for socializing and sexual expression. Family, health care workers, and other caregivers should receive training in understanding and supporting sexual development and behavior, comprehensive sexuality education, and related health care for individuals with disabilities. The policies and procedures of social agencies and health care delivery systems should ensure that services and benefits are provided to all persons without discrimination because of disability. Individuals with disabilities and their caregivers should have information and education about how to minimize the risk of sexual abuse and exploitation.
MASTURBATION
Masturbation is a natural, common, and non-harmful means of sexual self-pleasuring that is engaged in by individuals of all ages, sexual orientations, and levels of functioning. It can be a way of becoming comfortable with one's body and enjoying one's sexuality, whether or not in a sexual relationship. No one should be made to feel guilty for choosing or not choosing to masturbate, but it is appropriate for parents and other adults to make it clear that masturbation should be done in private.
SEXUAL HEALTH CARE
All people have a right to information, education, and health care services that promote, maintain, and restore sexual health. Health service providers should assess sexual functioning and concerns as integral parts of each individual's health care and make appropriate resources available. The medical community has the responsibility to understand how conditions such as pregnancy, illness, disease, surgery, diet, and medication may affect an individual's sexuality. Professional training in all health care fields, at entry and continuing education levels, should include education about sexual health concerns, needs, and therapies.
ADOLESCENT SEXUAL HEALTH
Becoming a sexually healthy adult is a key developmental task of adolescence. Sexual health encompasses sexual development and reproductive health and such characteristics as the ability to develop and maintain meaningful interpersonal relationships; appreciate one's own body; interact with both genders in respectful and appropriate ways; and express affection, love, and intimacy in ways consistent with one's own values.
Adults can encourage adolescent sexual health by providing accurate information and education about sexuality, fostering responsible decision-making skills, offering support and guidance in exploring and affirming personal values, and modeling healthy sexual attitudes and behaviors. Society can enhance adolescent sexual health by providing access to comprehensive sexuality education; affordable, sensitive, and confidential reproductive health care services; and education and employment opportunities.
Adolescents should be encouraged to delay sexual behaviors until they are physically, cognitively, and emotionally ready for mature sexual relationships and their consequences. They should receive education about intimacy; sexual limit setting; resistance to social, media, peer, and partner pressure; the benefits of abstinence from intercourse; and prevention of pregnancy and STDs. Because many adolescents are or will be sexually active, they should receive support and assistance in developing the skills to evaluate their readiness for mature sexual relationships. Responsible adolescent intimate relationships, like those of adults, should be based on shared personal values, and should be consensual, non-exploitive, honest, pleasurable, and if any type of intercourse occurs, protected against unintended pregnancy and STDs.
CONTRACEPTIVE CARE FOR ADOLESCENTS
Comprehensive contraceptive information, education, and services should be readily accessible to adolescents, irrespective of gender or income. Health care providers have a particular obligation to help adolescents understand the issues surrounding conception, contraception, parenthood, and prevention of STDs.
While it is generally desirable for parents to be involved in their children's contraceptive decisions, the right of each person to confidentiality and privacy in receiving contraceptive information, counseling, and services is paramount. Measures to support access to low-cost prescription and nonprescription methods of contraception should be strongly encouraged.
ABORTION
Every woman, regardless of age or income, should have the right to obtain an abortion under safe, legal, confidential, and dignified conditions, and at a reasonable cost. Every woman is entitled to have full knowledge of the alternatives available to her, and to obtain complete and unbiased information and counseling concerning the nature, consequences, and risks associated both with abortion and with pregnancy and childbirth. Abortion counseling and services should be provided by professionals specially trained in this field. Violence against abortion providers and harassment intended to impede women's access to these providers are unconscionable attempts to undermine women's reproductive health rights and should be decisively prosecuted by the justice system.
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS is a major public health concern. Strong government, private, and joint support should be maintained for research and programs on prevention and treatment; for medical and social services for people with HIV/AIDS, their families, and other caregivers; and for the continued development and delivery of straightforward, accurate, age-appropriate prevention information for all people. HIV testing should be done only with informed consent. HIV infection case reporting should only be done using unique or coded identifiers that insure privacy and confidentiality of the individual. The United States ban prohibiting entry to people with HIV/AIDS should be lifted.
(see also "fact sheets" to get up-to-date facts on sexuality issues)
Web Master: siecus@siecus.org