Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region X – Division of Lanao del Norte
RUFO dela CRUZ INTEGRATED SCHOOL
Tubod West, Lanao del Norte

INCLUSION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION

The fundamental need for young people to access an inclusive sexual and reproductive education

What if I tell you I know one secret tool that could be the key to solve the discriminations around

homosexuals’ reproductively, family diversity, late motherhood, transgender persons and by the same time

increasing self-well-being, sexual fulfilment and reproductive autonomy for everyone? Well, I am going to

reveal this secret to you, and it is nothing more than education. Indeed, I strongly support the idea of

promoting and establishing an inclusive and a deconstructive sexual education in the school curriculum of

children and teenagers in order to allow more self-acceptance and well-being and to try to avoid

discriminations and assaults. Knowledge is power and by giving the tools to understand respect, diversity of

genders, sexual orientations, reproductive possibilities and the deconstruction of taboos to individuals during

their period of self-development will allow to strengthen social acceptance, sexual health, family diversity

and reproductive autonomy in my opinion.

First, I claim that this education should take place all along the child’s development from primary school to

high school. Of course the contents of the educational program would not be the same according to the ages,

and would only focus on representations, stereotypes, consent and homosexuality with children for instance

whereas the question of sexuality, sexual pleasure, reproductive autonomy would be addressed to teenagers.

This education will have the aim to guide individuals during their personal development in life and to advocate

sexual health. Indeed, according to The World Health Organization (WHO) sexual health is linked to the

physical, mental, emotional and social well-being of an individual in relation to his sexuality and requires a

positive approach to it, free of discrimination and violence. Yet, children and teens face a taboo around

sexuality and gender which gives space to a social acceptance of discriminations and violence (when consent

is not learned as a priority for instance). I believe having wrong knowledge or a lack of information about

sexuality or gender is at the root of gender inequalities and sexual violence. Indeed, the models learned in

childhood and stereotypes around sexuality and gender roles play a part in the construction of relationships of

dominations according to the author Rosa Marí-Ytarte 2. Thus acting during the transition to adulthood is

necessary because emotional relationships, knowledge about oneself gender, sexual orientation and sexuality

are one of the most important dimensions for the achievement of personal autonomy.

Then, this leads me to argue the importance of knowledge around sex, reproductive possibilities and

stereotypes’ deconstruction in the life of every individuals. A major study made by the
 United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2010 and 2018 shows the

extent to which habits and sexual beliefs are linked to personal development and social problems derived

from conflictive relationships and affecting young people's well-being. In the absence of a broader sexual

health education young people will be more likely to perceive sexual problems as normal and they will

consequently run the risk of experiencing psychological and physical side effects.

Last but not least, I think this educational program should speak about inclusive reproductive autonomy and

should promote family diversity. It should promote the variety of contraceptive methods and reproductive

possibilities for all gender and sexuality such as abortion, egg, sperm or oocyte donation, egg freezing, in

vitro fertilization, uterus transplantation, transgender men’s possibility of giving birth and it should talk

openly about their risks and advantages. Also it is mainly primordial to not teach a heteronormative or cis-

centred sexual education. This means that access to LGBT+’s parenthood for instance should be mentioned

and everyone should be aware of the rights they have and of the ones they still don’t have access (PMA for

transgender people). Speaking of those notions will allow the understanding of the non-binary of genders and

will allow the ridding of complexes of sexual minorities for the rest of their lives. Indeed, according to the

Guttmacher institute4, a leading research and policy organization committed to advancing reproductive and

sexual health and rights worldwide, this inclusive sexual and reproductive education would be the best

investment a state could make for school in a progressivist world. The penalization of the fluidity of gender

and sexual orientations and their access to parenthood will permit certains individuals to get the chance to

understand better their identity and by the same time it will permit to reduce their stigmatizations by others.

Thus, knowledge on those topics can bring well-being for the whole society.

To conclude, a comprehensive sex education should develop a sex-positive attitude improving safe sex

practices, access to contraceptive and procreative future methods for all gender and sexuality. Of course this

fabulous recipe should be guided by the state which should recognize lgbt+ people and women reproductive

rights through inclusive policies and protect them with justice that should stop the impunity of abusers and

stop the vicious circle of the non-respect of sexual and reproductive health.

Prepared by: Reviewed & Checked by:

MOHAMMAD C. DATUGAN MA. VICTORIA B. ONG

Teacher I Assistant School Principal

Recommending Approval by:

HELEN C. TORRES
School Principal