Satellite Symposium– SS1

The Role of Education Systems in the Promotion of Sexual Health in Schools and Among Adolescents – Development of a Consensus Statement.

Details

Sunday April 15th 20071300 -1630 hours

Venue: SheratonFourPointsDarlingHarbour

Satellite Summary

At the 2006 European Sexology Federation Congress in Prague, a small group of interested people gathered to create an ad hoc network of governments, educators, academia, researchers, and health professionals concerned about sexual health promotion for youth. This group, while quite ad hoc, is looking for opportunities to expand its network and increase its capacity for knowledge and resource sharing.

Additionally, at the 2006 Prague Congress, a debate was held on the last day of the event to discuss the merits and limitations of school-based education and whether schools hold any, some, or all responsibility for educating adolescents about healthy sexual behaviors. This debate will be continued through into the new International Journal on Sexual Health and discussed at the Satellite session.

Guest speakers from eight developed and developing nations will be invited to present on their state of school-based and school-linked sexual health education to answer the question “what common key principles do we share in the delivery of school-based sexual health, respecting differences due to cultural considerations, religions, and belief systems”. Speakers will represent the global diversity of economics, language, traditions, political beliefs, cultures and religions and will share how these factors influence their respective public school systems in the provision of sexual health education. Participants have been invited from Canada, the United States, Australia, Nigeria, Iran, Thailand, Switzerland, and the Latin Americas.Following the panel presentation, participants will be invited to join the dialogue and debate those consensus principles that emerged through the presentations. Information about the guest speakers will be provided once their participation has been finalized.

Purpose of the Satellite

The Satellite will have four objectives:

  • To identify common key principles for the delivery of school-based sexual health in order to help develop an international consensus statement on what is an appropriate approach for the school setting irrespective of differences due to cultural considerations, religions, and belief systems
  • To increase the scope of the ad hoc network beyond its current membership and increase the amount of available international resources related to school-based and school-linked sexual health education
  • To identify opportunities for increased international partnerships in research related to school based sexual health education through individual research initiatives and collaborative initiatives that allow for comparative analysis
  • To ensure that appropriate international attention is focused on the rights of youth to have access to appropriate, comprehensive information about sexuality and sexual health

Who Should Attend this Workshop?

The satellite session will be for conference participants interested in the provision of school-based or school-linked sexual health education and promotion.

Registration Fee

The satellite symposium is sponsored by the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Registration to conference delegates is free

Faculty

This Satellite Session is moderated by Dr. Maryanne Doherty PhD, Associate Dean, Alternate Programs,Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, andMr. Jeff Dodds, Head, Public Health Promotion, Prevention and Control, Sexual Health and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Dr. Doherty has recently completed research into the status of school based sexual health education across Canada’s 13 provinces and territories, analyzing such issues as currently available curricula, the philosophies and policies that govern their application, the models that the curricula are based in; teacher, student, and parent resources,and a review of pre-and in-service teacher training programs and tools. Her findings will be published in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality in late 2006. Dr. Doherty co-chairs the Working Group on Sexual Health which operates as part of Canada’s Joint Consortium for School Health, an inter-departmental consortium of Health and Education departments across Canada working to collaboratively improve the health of Canada’s youth through the school system.

Mr. Doddsworks both federally and provincially in sexual health promotion and STI/blood borne pathogen prevention and control. The Public Health Agency of Canada is responsible for developing and promoting the Canadian Guidelines on Sexual Health Education. In addition, the Agency promotes the development of knowledge and evidence for the promotion of sexual health education and information for school-aged youth. The Agency is also responsible for supporting the Working Group on Sexual Health which operates as part of Canada’s Joint Consortium for School Health.