Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a Means of Promoting Sexual Health

Various international declarations have called for universal access to comprehensive sexuality education. This article looks at why comprehensive sexuality education is most effective in promoting sexual health and why it should be framed in terms of health, values, development and rights. The lack of recognition of young people as sexual beings and the return of abstinence-only sexuality education are two main challenges for rights-based, comprehensive sexuality education. To address these challenges, stronger international responses are needed to make sexuality education a comprehensive initiative supported by all, both in the community and at the international level. In order to move the agenda forward for better sexuality education, a positive approach that accepts sexual desire and pleasure as essential components of young people's sexuality should be the next step.