Sexual Health for Teachers
Sexual health is a key aspect of personal health and social well-being. It is important that teaching and learning focuses on enhancing positive sexual health outcomes.
What is Sexual Health?
Sexual health education is the process of equipping individuals with the information, motivation, and behavioral skills needed to enhance sexual health and avoid negative sexual health outcomes. Effective sexual health education maintains an open and nondiscriminatory dialogue that respects individual beliefs. It is sensitive to the diverse needs of individuals irrespective of their age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, physical/cognitive abilities, and religious background.
Sexual Health is about body awareness, overall health, and well-being, making good and consensual decisions. Most children enter puberty between the ages of 8 and 14 years. Teaching about human development and sexual health helps students to have a healthy understanding of their growth and development, healthy relationships, sexual health, and more. Every child has a right to comprehensive sexual health education. This knowledge is an important contributing factor to the health and well-being of Canadian youth (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2008).
Getting ready to teach Sexual Health Education
Visit the links below to explore important considerations and enhance your understanding of concepts related to sexual health.
Recommended Websites and Programs to Support Educators
Differing Abilities
Information and resources for teaching sexual health to students with developmental disabilities developed by Alberta Health Services.
OPHEA – Health and Physical Education Elementary Resources
Includes ready-to-use lesson plans per grades as well as student templates and assessment tools. Human development and sexual health webinars also available in English and French.
PHE Canada – Always Changing
Always Changing offers a FREE, user-friendly downloadable Leader Guide, Student Guide, Parent/Guardian Guide, and Worksheets, offering a comprehensive, ready to use program that will expand student knowledge and understanding of the physical, emotional, and social changes related to puberty. Resources are available in English and French.
Sex and U
Provides accurate, credible, and up-to-date information and education on topics related to sexual and reproductive health.
Sexual Health Ontario
Provides information about healthy relationships, sexual health, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), birth control, and more. Includes a live chat to answer questions.
Sex Information and Education Council of Canada
Develops and disseminates comprehensive sexual health education resource for educators, health professionals and the public; conducts research on sexual health; and publishes the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. Resources are in English and French.
SHORE Centre (Sexual Health. Options. Resources. Education)
Provides resources for educators of all grade levels to help teach about the human body, healthy relationships, consent, respecting diversity, and more. Classroom games, activities, and videos are available to support lesson plans. Provides online and in-person sexual health education workshops designed to address a variety of sexual health topics that are customizable to classroom grade and size. Presentations align with the Ontario Curriculum for Health and Physical Education. For Grades 4-12.
Teaching Sexual Health
Find lesson plans and classroom resources for students with differing abilities by grade, topic, language, or resource type. All lesson plans include specific curriculum outcomes. Teacher webinars and workshops are also available.
Teaching Sexual Health for Youth with Disabilities
This resource intended to address the most commonly asked questions regarding sexual health education for school-aged youth with physical disabilities. The goal of this resource is to assist in the creation of supportive and healthy learning environments for school aged youth with physical disabilities and in providing them with sexual health education. French resources are available here.
The Fourth R Strategies for Youth Healthy Relationships
Is a comprehensive school-based program to promote healthy youth relationships by building the capacity for students, teachers, parents, and the community, in reducing violence and risk factors. For Grades 7-12.
Support From Lambton Public Health
Lambton Public Health is committed to offering support for teachers and schools. For support or questions about teaching sexual health, please contact 519-383-8331 or email your inquiry to healthyschools@county-lambton.on.ca.
Additional Supports
Visit the links below to explore important considerations and enhance your understanding of concepts related to sexual health.