Science Based Sexuality Education: Madrid Consensus Paper

"When society and parents, in particular, understand the rationale for sexuality education, they participate in it, promote it, and demand it for their children."

This paper offers the basis for sexuality education and strategies needed to promote it, as well as relevant information and reflections to promote science-based sexuality education. The consensus paper was prepared by an international working group of experts in sexuality education, representing professional associations, organisations, institutions, federations, and national and international agencies after a meeting the World Meeting of Experts on Sex Education held on June 20-21 2011 in Madrid, Spain.

At it outset, the paper defends the right to development of healthy sexuality and differentiates sexuality education from sexual information. "...[S]exuality education is designed to develop and foster certain skills and attitudes in interpersonal relations in a particular society. In sexuality education processes the facts and data acquired encourage anticipatory thinking and analysis so that impulsive action does not prevail over logical thinking. In practice, sexuality education and sexual health promotion involve bringing a holistic approach to the study of needs, planning, implementation, and evaluation of education and health programs designed to effectively reach different groups of people."

To advocate for a professional and social movement to promote science-based sexuality education as a basic strategy for moving the sexual rights agenda forward, the World Meeting of Sex Education Experts was convened in October of 2010 to "develop a document that would serve as a reference and source of support for practitioners and institutions working on sexuality education, and to propose specific, consensus-based strategies and actions geared towards implementing science-based sexuality education with a view to attaining the full exercise of sexual rights."

The document is divided into two sections:

"The first section describes the conclusions of the meeting of experts, which set out the basis for sexuality education and strategies needed to promote it, including advocacy strategies, and strategies to obtain the necessary resources and to implement programs." This section endorses the need for beginning sexuality education early, making it a lifelong process of each institution that deals with people as they mature, and providing age-appropriate education using parameters designed respectful perspective on gender, diversity, cultural context, and social specificity, with attention to sexual abuse prevention. The methodology should be based upon empirical evidence, include high-quality content, and involve children and adolescents in its design.

For promoting sexuality education, messages addressing decision-makers can use a public health perspective, including a cost-benefit approach; argue the State’s responsibility and duty to ensure investment in individual health and well-being: promote the human rights framework; and use the social justice perspective. "The education and health systems must coordinate their efforts....Political advocacy must employ science-based and convincing arguments....It is important to demand that States comply with international human rights legal instruments."

Messages for decision-makers must be standardised for coherence, must recognise progress, and must include networking to facilitate implementation. Professional training programmes should include participatory pedagogy and science-based content. Development of a stand-alone curriculum for sexuality education should incorporate tailored contents, involve children and youth in content development and implementation, include surveys on issues of main concern to them, and include strategies involving internet social networks and both formal and informal education strategies. Communities and families should be involved, as well as, media, health professionals, informal educators, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and street educators.

Specific groups need specific strategies and content of sexuality education - institutionalised people, seniors, the physically and mentally disabled, immigrants, refugees, minorities, and lesbian, gay, transgender and bi-sexual (LGTB) youth.

Media should be key agents of publicising scientific advances in the field, producing simple press releases with positive messages, and involving youth in crafting social sensitisation messages and median campaigns. Press should be offered training on the contents of sexuality education.

Programmes should be regularly revaluated and resources created that encourage networking among institutions and professionals involved in sexuality education, including websites, consensus papers, and training programmes. The document also contains social awareness-building strategies and consensus factors for the success of sexuality education on page 4.

"The second section offers relevant information and reflections to promote science-based sexuality education. This section includes standards for sexuality education, general and specific factors for the success of education programs that have been carried out in different regions of the world, and technical guidance on sexuality education that describes the characteristics of effective programs and the learning components of comprehensive sexuality education."

"Finally, the report cites the scientific documents used as references and includes annexes on definition of concepts, sexual rights, and the legal framework."