15th International AIDS Conference Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. D10361)

Kalugampitiya AR
Foundation for Development of Community Strengths, Colombo, Sri Lanka

ISSUES: Sex education and related subjects are included in the subject stream of school education in Sri Lanka. Also this education starts from grade 10. Due to lack of training of teachers and cultural reasons sex education in schools is not successfully implemented. Even after school education school leavers don't have any opportunity to get formal sex education and correct information on it.

DESCRIPTION: One of the AIDS services organizations implemented a AIDS prevention and sexual health program in a selected educational zone. The organization selected 50 schools trained three teachers per school on sexual health using participatory methods. Teachers learned how to openly discuss sexual health with children and how to start sexual health education from grade one. In the training program teachers prepared an action plan to implement in their schools from grade 1-13. More than 90% of teachers implemented programs in their schools as planned. From grade 1-5 they start the programme educating students understand, cleanliness of human body and hygiene. This was included cleanliness of sexual organs. Small students in schools used to maintain cleanliness of their body and they started to maintain a diary putting notes on daily activities of cleanliness. This diary was popular in that area and was helped to expand the program without having additional effort.

LESSONS LEARNED: Teachers found that students are more clean and pleasant, they had better personality with result of these activities. It was easier to discuss further steps of the sexual health with these students and they were more comfortable with the subject. Recommendation: This experience recommends that Sexual health education in schools should start in their early stage and make teachers as well as students comfortable to discuss the subject using new approach. Training for teachers is very necessary for this kind of effort.

040711
D10361

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