Resources

IPPF EN is fighting with and for young people so that they have the chance to develop the life skills needed to foster healthier and safer relationships, based on equality and respect. Over the past few decades we have seen increased support for relationship and sexuality education with several countries in Europe and Central Asia setting an ambitious tone. Nonetheless, access to relationship and sexuality education varies widely across countries, as many governments continue to deprive young people of crucial life skills that would enable them to have happy and healthy relationships and lives. At IPPF EN, we believe that the quality of someone’s sexuality education should not be reduced to a geographical lottery. Sexist and coercive movements are spreading misinformation about relationship and sexuality education. These movements oppose efforts to break down harmful and rigid gender norms around masculinity and femininity. They attack education that promotes awareness and respect for gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual pleasure and sexual rights. In this context, IPPF Member Associations are working tirelessly to enable young people to develop knowledge and life skills that support their health and well-being - through trainings for educators, the implementation of innovative programmes outside school settings, and advocacy for mandatory relationship and sexuality education. To learn more about the work done in different countries on ensuring young people access relationship and sexuality education, read our three blog series.

Young people are often denied care in societies where sex is taboo and parents can control their children’s access to medical providers. These challenges are amplified in conservative contexts where women and girls are made to feel uncomfortable when talking about contraception. The Tajikistan Family Planning Association (TFPA) has pioneered a phone application - available free of charge - that allows young people to gain crucial knowledge about modern contraception and sexually transmitted infections/HIV and connects them with health care providers. Through its innovative app, TFPA has created a safe space for young people to access stigma-free care, and to explore methods of sexual and reproductive self-care. This app has changed attitudes towards people living with STIs/HIV and inspired young people to have open and honest conversations about sexual and reproductive health care with their peers. "Before using the app, she thought STIs could only be caught by sex workers or people lacking morals, and that something like that could never happen to her or to her close friends. But now she realises that it can happen to anyone, even by accident. Now she tries to understand people who might have an STI." Young person in Tajikistan recounting an interview with a 19-year old woman as part of TFPA’s project

      Our latest analysis - done in collaboration with the BZgA - shows that over the past two decades sexuality education has progressed, but improvements are still needed. We cover the state of play and latest developments in the field across 25 European and Central Asian countries, including aspects related to the quality of programmes and the impact on young people’s health. The roll-out of sexuality education differs widely within the region and while promising steps have been taken, we look forward to more progress. Sexuality education addresses the need to foster emotional-sexual intelligence and the capacity for healthy, intimate bonding and growth. It is based on an understanding of the concepts of consent, equity and respect for one’s own boundaries and the boundaries of others in intimate relationships and in society in general. When young people lack these crucial skills, they inevitably face a lack of personal growth and joy as much as a lack of ability to form and foster nurturing and stable relationships with others. To ensure that young people are equipped with these skillsets, we recommend increased knowledge-sharing in the field of sexuality education as well as improving the scope of school programmes and investing in teacher trainings.  

This film is about the partnership between Sex og Politikk and Cyprus Family Planning Association (CFPA) - IPPF members - during the roll-out of the "Implementing Sexuality Education for Teens (I’MSET)" project. The project is a great example of how sharing knowledge on sexuality education can lead to successful results. The main outcome was a manual on sexuality education to be used in middle schools across Cyprus.  After the inclusion of the manual in the curriculum, Sex og Politikk travelled to Cyprus to document the project. The short documentary film is the result of this trip. Sex og Politikk interviewed the partners from CFPA and other actors involved in the project. The focus was talking to young people who have received comprehensive sexuality education with the help of the manual and to teachers who have used the materials.Young people expressed the need for comprehensive sexuality education in Cyprus, where sexuality has been a taboo for a long time. The I’MSET material inspired them to reflect on changing harmful stereotypes and traditional gender norms. We hope the documentary can inspire future partnerships and exchanges on comprehensive sexuality education. Sexuality education is a human rights based approach aimed at equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values required to make informed decisions and enjoy their sexuality physically, emotionally, individually, and in their relationships. It approaches sexuality holistically and within the frame of emotional and social development. As one of the Cypriot youth expressed: “Don’t demonize sex. Don’t make us afraid of it!” To learn more about the project and to download the manual see sexualityeducation.com.cy