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Introduction:
Did you know that only 34 % of young people around the world can demonstrate accurate
knowledge of HIV prevention and transmission? And that two out of three girls in some
countries have no idea of what is happening to them when they begin menstruating? These
are some of the reasons why there is an urgent need for quality comprehensive sexuality
education (CSE).
The right to know about comprehensive sexuality education is grounded in fundamental
human rights and is a means to empower young people to protect their health, well-being and
dignity. Teaching the English language allows teachers to analyse different topics and
familiarize students with topics of their interest. One of these important themes that should
be developed through the English lessons is Sexual Education due to its importance in the
formation process of the new generations and mainly during their adolescence period.

What is Comprehensive Sexuality Education?

Comprehensive Sexuality education is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning
about cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality. It aims to equip children
and young people with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will allow them to realize
about their health, well-being and dignity. To develop respectful social and sexual
relationships; consider how their choices affect their own well-being and that of others; and
understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives.
According to the UNESCO, CSE is recognized as an age-appropriate, culturally relevant
approach to teaching about sexuality and relationships by providing scientifically accurate,
realistic, non- judgmental information.

Misconceptions about CSE:

 There is a widespread belief that teaching sexuality education promotes or increases
sexual activity among children and young people. However, CSE programmes don’t
lead to this neither to an increase of sexual activity nor hasten initiation.
 Another misunderstanding of what CSE means is the idea that it teaches young
learners about ways to have sex, or masturbation techniques, however, it has been
demonstrated that CSE programs help young people delay sexual initiation.
 According to the UNESCO CSE programs provide a safe and supportive learning
environment which is something parents support so CSE programs don’t undermine
their authority.
 Another myth about CSE is that is disregards values and morals, which is something
false as the values of respect, acceptance, tolerance, equality, empathy, and
reciprocity and inextricably linked to universally agreed human rights so they are
incorporated in CSE.
 The belief that CSE teaches the mechanics of sex to young children is totally false as
CSE is age-and developmentally-appropriate.
 CSE is used as a tool to control population growth. However, it provides women and
men with the information they need to voluntarily decide the size and spacing of their
families.
Myth
Encourages youth to have sex
Undermines parental authority
Disregards values and morals
Teaches the mechanics of sex to young
children
Fact
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Help young people to delay sexual initiation
Majority of parents support it
Incorporates values and cultural sensitivity
Topics are covered according to the student’s
age.

Alarming figures around the world:

 Half the girls in the Islamic Republic of Iran believe menstruation is a disease.
 82% in Malawi doesn’t know anything about menstruation before they experience it
themselves.
 In Argentina, there a lot of pregnancies under the age of 15, and in particular under 13,
product of sexual violence.
 Nearly 15% of births registered in 2005 were to mothers aged 15 and 19. And in some
provinces in the north of the country where poverty is widespread, the proportion is
over 20% percent, for instance in Chaco 23%.
 34% percent of female teenage survey didn’t use any contraceptive method for the
first time they had intercourse.
 7% said they used coitus interrupts, a practice not recommended for the prevention of
pregnancy or infection with HIV, the AIDS virus.

Why teaching Comprehensive Sexuality Education?

As Littlewood (1981:95) states, “Foreign languages teaching must be concerned with reality:
with the reality of communication as it takes place outside the classroom and with the reality
of learners as they exist outside and inside the classroom”
In this way, we’ll teach students a significance piece of knowledge that may increase their
motivation towards the English lessons by means of different topics because this knowledge
will help them at the present time and also in the future.
In the English classroom it is important to teach CSE as students may feel motivated in the
lessons they are going to receive and will feel free to talk and so the speaking will be highly
developed.
Through these years, it has been demonstrated that topics related to sexual education have
become really important, due to the increase of behaviours that are causing notables and
unexpected results to the society; this is why it is important to include the sexual education in
all spheres as possible in order to educate since the adolescence because, adolescents need
and appropriate orientation towards sexual education cause is in this period where appear a
series of inquiries and preoccupations but also sexual intercourse desires. In this way, the
school plays an outstanding role inside the society and consequently teachers in the education
related to sexuality have to be accurate; together with teachers, the family should educate
young’s people sexuality in a systematic manner.
There is clear evidence that CSE has a positive impact on sexual and reproductive health which
has contributed to reducing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and unintended
pregnancy. It has also been demonstrated the impact in terms of improving knowledge and
self-esteem changing attitudes, gender and social norms, and building self-efficacy.
Even children at the age of five need to understand basic facts about their body, think about
family and social relationships and recognize inappropriate behaviour and identify abuse.
Otherwise, many will grow up with inaccurate beliefs.
The Argentinian movement “Don’t mess with my children” campaign alarms parents and
teachers from solely moralistic and deterministic outdated viewpoints damaging in this way
generations of kids who’ll go out about their lives with misconceptions, fears, and predujice
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regarding gender and sexuality.

The case of Argentina:

In Argentina, Comprehensive Sexuality Education is mandated by law. for the first time, sex
education will be on the curriculum at public and private schools all over the country. The law
was founded both on National laws governing education, on the protection of children and
adolescents, and on international standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the Convention on Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women. The law stipulates that sex education has to be
incorporated into the curriculum, and that “relevant, accurate, reliable and up-to-date”
knowledge must be taught. The law was approved in 2003 and it was considered a milestone
in Argentina as it was the first time the State expressed a definite intent to spread
reproductive health information and ensure free distribution of contraceptives through public
health centres all over the country. According to the law, sex education will be taught to
children from preschool level (five years old) through primary and secondary education, and in
teacher training courses at tertiary level. In secular or religious private schools’ freedom is
granted to “adapt” the curriculum content to the philosophy and convictions of each particular
educational community.
CSE is transversal to all subjects in primary and secondary schools.
However, teachers of English sometimes feel at a loss as to how and what contents of CSE they
should include and how to teach the language contents they are supposed to as established in
the Diseño Curricular.
The Argentinian law focuses on the importance of pleasure for all subjects involved in a sexual
relations and the social understanding of sex and gender, this means that students learn about
human rights that protect them from physical or psychological abuse. It also includes the vision
of sex as a collective, cultural and social part of our lives.

CSE’s role:
CSE plays a crucial role in addressing the health and well-being of children and young
people. Applying a learner-centred approach, CSE not only provides children and young
people with age-appropriate and phased education on human rights, gender equality,
relationships, reproduction, sexual behaviours risks and prevention of ill health, but also
provides an opportunity to present sexuality with a positive approach, emphasizing values
such as respect, inclusion, non-discrimination, equality, empathy, responsibility and
reciprocity.

Some topics according to age and level:

Kindergarten:
 Knowing and taking care of the body. Teaching each part of the body with their
accurate name. health (e.g. washing of hands, cleanness of oneself)
 Acceptance of oneself.
 Types of families.
 Values: solidarity, respect, integrity.
 Emotions.
 Identifying risking situations.
Primary School:
 Defending our rights.
 Respecting otherness.
 Bullying.
  Diversity.
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 Taking care of the body and health.
 HIV.
 Standards of beauty.
 Talking about the social, physical and emotional changes in the adolescence.
 Adolescence and sexuality.
 Feelings.
Secondary school:
 Violence.
 STIs
 Sexual abuse.
 Abuses
 Bullying.
 Gender stereotypes.
 Unplanned pregnancy
 LGBT visibility
 Gender identity
 Bullying
 Healthy life
 Relationships
 Gender violence
 Prostitution
 abortion

Conclusion:
 Sexual violence, can be prevent through education.
 Education on sexuality is creating attitudes for life, with respect to other people and at
the same time with oneself.
 It helps to achieve an integral education taking into account that it prepares to
adolescents for the constitution of a functional family and the responsibility in.
 It promotes humble and deep respect and the reciprocity that there should be
between sexes.
 It powers the decision of a free and responsible sexuality of each individual.
 The evidence is clear. CSE leads to improved sexual and reproductive health, resulting
in the reduction of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and intended pregnancy.
 CSE not only promotes gender equality and equitable social norms, but has a positive
impact on safer sexual behaviours, delaying sexual debut and increasing condom use.
 Teachers should be prepared about the information they are going to teach in that
level because it should be in correspondence with the level.
 Students will develop vocabulary, pronunciation and grammatical structures because
the material will rise their attention.

Bibliography:
 https://en.unesco.org/news/new-paper-busts-myths-about-comprehensive-sexuality-
education
 https://www.iwmf.org/reporting/mandatory-sex-ed-curriculum-stirs-controversy-in-
argentina/
 http://www.ipsnews.net/2006/10/education-argentina-sex-in-the-classrooms-by-law/
 http://eflcontextar.blogspot.com/2018/11/cse-for-teachers-of-english-
growing_16.html
 https://en.unesco.org/news/why-comprehensive-sexuality-education-important
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 https://www.gestiopolis.com/could-english-teachers-develop-sexual-education-
through-elt-lessons/
 https://www.advocatesforyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/storage/advfy/documents/
cse-myths-and-facts.pdf
 https://en.unesco.org/news/global-review-finds-comprehensive-sexuality-education-
key-gender-equality-and-reproductive
 Serie cuadernos ESI-Ministerio de Educación. Presidencia de la Nación.