FIGO position statement on comprehensive sexuality education

Abstract

AbstractNow is a pivotal moment in the fight for reproductive health and justice internationally. Well‐established research has recognized the benefits of comprehensive sexuality education for youth and adolescents—including vast reproductive health benefits, decreased interpersonal violence, and improvements on measures of academic success and well‐being. Despite these established benefits, challenges to the implementation of culturally sensitive and holistically framed sexuality education are intensifying across the globe. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stands firmly in its support of comprehensive sexuality education and re‐emphasizes the importance of the implementation of scientifically accurate, age‐appropriate, culturally relevant, and inclusive education. Successful implementation relies on active youth leadership, physician involvement, and a renewed focus on high‐quality monitoring mechanisms to assess impact and accountability at all levels. Most importantly, future efforts to improve and scale comprehensive sexuality education must emphasize the importance of an inclusive curriculum that addresses previously marginalized youth, such as LGTBQ+ and disabled individuals, through a reproductive justice lens. FIGO commits, and encourages the international healthcare community, to provide continued advocacy for the rights to health, education, and equality, in order to achieve improvement in health outcomes for young people across the globe.