Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
UNAIDS - 31 July 2009
The Ministers committed to promoting concrete actions for HIV prevention among young people in their countries by implementing sex education and sexual health promotion programmes.
The declaration noted that "Sexuality is an essential part of being human and it is expressed throughout ones lifetime. Childhood and adolescence are important periods for the development of people and their countries, and for this reason, it is necessary to provide quality education that includes comprehensive education on sexuality both as a human right, as well as one that contributes to present and future quality of life."
The Ministers also committed to two specific targets:
1. By the year 2015, we will have reduced by 75% the number of schools that do not provide comprehensive sexuality education, of schools administered by the Ministries of Education.
2. By the year 2015, we will reduce by 50% the number of adolescents and young people who are not covered by health services that appropriately attend to their sexual and reproductive health needs.
The 1 August meeting took place in Mexico City and was co-hosted by Dr Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos (Mexico), Minister of Health and Lic. Josefina Vazquez Mota (Mexico), Minister of Public Education in collaboration with Canciller Patricia Espinosa Cantellano (Mexico), Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The event led to renewed commitment to education to prevent HIV in both Latin America and the Caribbean regions. Thanks to the declaration a new agreement was signed earlier this year in San Jose by the Government of Costa Rica which will lead in the sharing of sexual health information among young people, aged 15 û 25 years in two provinces. The young leaders will provide education on a wide range of issues such as modes of HIV transmission and how to use a condom.
Dr Cesar Nunez, UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America, points out that young people aged 15-24 accounted for 45% of all new HIV infections in 2007, however only 40% of young people aged 15-24 had accurate knowledge about HIV and transmission.
"Effective sexuality education can provide young people with age-appropriate, accurate and sensitive information equipping them to make informed decisions. Governments in Latin America and Caribbean are showing increasing leadership in this area."
Resources:
Related information:
Young people - http://www.unaids.org/en/PolicyAndPractice/KeyPopulations/YoungPe ople/default.asp
Education - in and out of school settings - http://www.unaids.org/en/PolicyAndPractice/Prevention/Education/d efault.asp
HIV prevention - http://www.unaids.org/en/PolicyAndPractice/Prevention/default.asp
Feature stories:
Costa Rica: Peer HIV prevention programmes to be promoted for young people (03 March 2009) - http://ww2.aegis.org/news/unaids/2009/UN090302.html
Leaders pledge to promote sexual health to stop HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean (03 August 2008) - http://ww2.aegis.org/news/unaids/2008/UN080805.html
Publications:
Ministerial Declaration: Preventing through education (pdf, 112 Kb.| 91.5 Kb.) English: http://data.unaids.org/pub/BaseDocument/2008/20080801_minsterdecl aration_en.pdf | Spanish: http://data.unaids.org/pub/BaseDocument/2008/20080801_minsterdecl aration_es.pdf
Impact of HIV and sexual health education on sexual behaviour of young people: a review update (UNAIDS) (pdf, 736 Kb.) - http://data.unaids.org/Publications/IRC-pub01/JC010-ImpactYoungPe ople_en.pdf
Preventing HIV/AIDS in young People: A systematic review of the evidence from developing countries UNAIDS Inter-agency Task Team on Young People (UNAIDS Inter-agency Task Team on Young People, 2006) (pdf, 2.54 Mb.) - http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/WHO_TRS_938_eng.pdf
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