){kind=logo}
){kind=icon}
){kind=logo}
){kind=icon}
There is a whole agenda of vital health questions beyond preventing pregnancy.
Sex education in schools has always been a sensitive issue. This year has been particularly rocky with debates about the “parental pin” and reproductive rights. The big conversations have been about who has the right to educate children and young people about sexuality, when, and how. There has been much discussion about faculty instruction in this area but little about the subjects’ content.
The eternal protagonist in the current curricula is pregnancy prevention. In a country like Mexico with very high levels of child sexual abuse and an epidemic of adolescent pregnancies, it could not be otherwise. These issues should be central to any sex education curriculum, but they should not be the only ones. The sexual health of young children and adults depends on a fuller knowledge of related content, such as:
The human papillomavirus (HPV)
If we discuss venereal diseases, AIDS is the one that usually consumes most of the writing in the educational curriculum. Although it has one of the highest mortality rates, it is not the most common. The US Department of Health and Human Services estimates 79 million Americans are infected with the human papillomavirus and that 80% of women will get at least one type of HPV during their lifetime. There are more than 100 different types. Most of these do not generate health problems, but some can cause genital warts or cervical cancer.
Both these virus symptoms are treatable, but the numbers of women with cancer resulting from the human papillomavirus are alarming. According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth type of cancer most common in women, an outrageous number considering that this type of cancer is one of the easiest to prevent. In addition to condom use and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions, cervical cancer can be prevented with a vaccine against the human papillomavirus. This measure is especially recommended for adolescents, both women, and men, who are also exposed to developing other types of cancers after infection.
Breast cancer
We have a whole month raising visibility and awareness about breast cancer. The internet is full of pink colors, the Mexican soccer teams sell special-edition T-shirts to commemorate the month and allocate funds to fight against this type of cancer. At the same time, the NFL launches its Crucial Catch Initiative to encourage people to get screened. However, we should ask ourselves, would all this effort be necessary if we had better school education to help prevent it?
Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women worldwide and leading cancer-causing their death in Mexico. Early detection is critical to establish a diagnosis favoring a high survival probability. The CDC issued general recommendations to prevent breast cancer. These include a balanced diet, daily exercise of no less than 30 minutes, reducing sugars and fats, avoiding smoking and alcohol, monthly self-examinations, and going to the doctor for periodic mammograms.
Climacteric and menopause
If we refer to sex education, issues related to young people and adolescents come to mind. However, sexual health is an aspect that affects different stages of human life, not just youth. As women reach subsequent phases of sexual development, few are prepared, and the same can be said of the social apparatus around them.
Climacteric and menopause are significant phases of sexual development of women and people menstruating. Menopause is defined as the cessation of menstruation and reproductive capacity of menstruating women and people, explains the National Health Service From the UK. The years of hormonal symptoms before this cessation are known as premenopause. The climacteric refers to the transition period in the life of menstruating people and includes the period before and after menopause.
The premenopausal phases are distinguished by hormonal alterations in the cycle and physical and mental health of patients going through this process; symptoms include hot flashes, depression, and osteoporosis. There is no exact age to enter menopause that applies in all cases, but it tends to occur between 40 and 50 years of age. It is advisable to consult a specialist physician if premenopause or menopause is suspected. Formal education within a school program is critical to ensure a dignified personal transition and adequate policies to protect the future work of those experiencing menopause and its phases.
Sex education is linked to many issues of human dignity and fundamental health rights. A complete program is necessary to accompany children, young people, and adults in the different stages of their lives, providing crucial information. Teachings must include how to identify and preve
nt child sexual abuse, juvenile pregnancies, and venereal diseases. Other instruction should center on awareness of periods, their phases, managing them, and promoting integral health instead of hiding menstruating bodies. Basic notions such as defining and applying mutual consent, reproductive rights, and responsible parenthood for both sexes should be curricular topics.
A complete and effective sex education curriculum cannot be accomplished in a couple of classes between fifth grade and junior year in high school. The need for adequate instruction in these subjects is required promptly under the framework of commemorations such as Breast Cancer Month and World Menopause Day. However, let us hope that a well-conceived didactic intention for sex education will be incorporated into school curricula soon, reducing the need to allocate days or months to entirely preventable health problems.
What do you think of the sex education curriculum in your schools? Do you think it is sufficient? Should other topics be added to the ones discussed in this article? Let us know in the comments.
Translation by Daniel Wetta.
Disclaimer: This is an Op-ed article. The viewpoints expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints, and official policies of Tecnológico de Monterrey.
){kind=icon}
){kind=icon}
This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 
)