Media

For Immediate Release:
July 14, 2005

Contact: Adrienne Verrilli
at: 646-334-3735

Establishing National Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Lessons and Inspiration from Nigeria Released at XVII World Conference of Sexology

Montreal, Canada - Today, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) is pleased to announce the release of its new publication, Establishing National Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Lessons and Inspiration from Nigeria at the XVII World Conference of Sexology. This publication profiles SIECUS' experience in Nigeria, where we supported Action Health Incorporated (AHI) and other leading local organizations for adolescent health in a process to develop The Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Nigeria.

"Lessons and Inspiration from Nigeria is a model of success and hope, not only for Nigeria, but also for the region that, in the era of HIV/AIDS, needs comprehensive sexuality education and sexual health promotion programs more that ever," said William Smith, vice president for public policy at SIECUS. "We hope this document will provide both an inspiration and a guide for those working for comprehensive sexuality education in their home countries, wherever that may be," Smith continued.

The Guidelines for Sexuality Education in Nigeria, which are based on SIECUS' pioneering U.S. Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education; K-12, are a framework that lay out the key concepts and topics that young people need to learn as well as age-appropriate messages for students at all levels of schooling. They are designed as a framework for the development of new programming and evaluation of existing programming, but they can also serve as an advocacy tool to generate government and public support. Since their adoption in 1996, more than 100 organizations across Nigeria have endorsed the Guidelines and are using them in their programming efforts. Additionally, based on the work of the Guidelines, the government in the Nigerian state of Lagos approved the introduction of comprehensive sexuality education in its secondary school curricula and created a committee to ensure that it is implemented.

"Young people in Nigeria, like in many areas of the world, are facing serious threats to their sexual and reproductive health including high rates of teen pregnancy, high and rising rates of HIV infection, and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)," Smith explained. "Having genuine government commitment to comprehensive sexuality education is a triumph for young people's health and futures," Smith continued.

The successful process outlined in Lessons and Inspiration from Nigeria can serve as a model for developing Guidelines and implementing comprehensive sexuality education for many countries worldwide. Some key lessons learned include:

draft Guidelines that are relevant to the population and culture
maintain high-quality, accurate programming
build a strong, broad-based coalition to support comprehensive sexuality education
anticipate opposition

As comprehensive sexuality education becomes increasingly politicized, Nigeria has preemptively addressed its opposition. However, the country may face its greatest challenge yet-the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). PEPFAR is the Bush Administration's vehicle for exporting unproven abstinence-until-marriage programs that denigrate condom use. There is already evidence that the Bush Administration has undermined Uganda's comprehensive approach to HIV prevention, replacing it with abstinence-until-marriage. Nigeria, like Uganda, is a PEPFAR focus-country and we believe it can expect to face similar political and financial pressure to adopt abstinence-until-marriage as a condition of receiving U.S. aid.

"We are thrilled to release Lessons and Inspiration from Nigeria at the XVII World Congress among the world's renowned leaders in the field of sexuality and sexual health. SIECUS is confident it will assist and inspire educators, service providers, and health professionals in communities worldwide to advocate for all young people to receive comprehensive sexuality education, and help fight against the tide of right-wing ideologues attempting to undermine advances in addressing sexual health," Smith said.

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