NICHCY Connections...to Sexuality Education (continued)

Comprehensive sexuality education programs stand in contrast to abstinence-only. They approach this delicate subject through the frame that young people should be taught to make responsible decisions about sexuality, and that any sound educational program should provide thorough and accurate information about human sexuality.

So which is it? One or the other, or some combination of the two? Or something else entirely? Let's start this resource page by taking a look at some resources on the two main approaches to sexuality education.

• A quick summary of the approaches---and the debate.
  http://womensissues.about.com/od/healthsexuality/i/isabstinenceonl.htm
  What are the two approaches, and what do proponents and opponents of them have to say? What's the legislative history of abstinence-only, and what is federal policy right now?
• Is abstinence-only effective in preventing HIV transmission? What research shows.
  www.apa.org/releases/sexed_resolution.pdf
  In this age of applying research to decision making, this question has obvious implications for our youth. A recent report from the APA Committee on Psychology and AIDS answers the question----no.

The Committee is charged with providing policy direction and oversight for activities related to HIV/AIDS. It reports that, while current Federal policy actively supports widespread implementation of abstinence-only education programs as a way to prevent HIV transmission, there is little scientific evidence that these programs work. Those few studies that do report evidence in support of abstinence-only and abstinence-until-marriage programs have very limited generalizability, because they did not use appropriate comparison groups nor the type of sampling strategies required to ensure minimum bias in the selection of research subjects. Read the full report at the link above:

Harassment & Abuse

http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/sexabuse.htm
Visit the address above and link to a fact sheet on child sexual abuse of the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

From the ARC (The national organization of and for people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families)

• People with Cognitive, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities & Sexual Offenses
  http://www.thearc.org/faqs/sexoffender.htm

Sexual Harassment in School: An Invisible Issue for
Girls and Young Women with Disabilities
http://www2.edc.org/GDI/publications_SR/publications/CRicaPub/RoussoEnglish.pdf
From the Gender & Diversities Institute & Universidad de Costa Rica
Centro de Investigación en Estudios De La Mujer

Escape: An Effective Strategy-Based Curriculum for Abuse Prevention and Empowerment
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/i/a/902_jpkjrfinalreport.pdf
ESCAPE is three year project focused on the development, evaluation and dissemination of an educational curriculum whose purpose was to empower women with mental retardation to become more effective decision-makers so that they can protect themselves against violence and abuse and benefit more fully from increased opportunities for independence and community inclusion

Abuse and People with Disabilities
http://www.ucp.org/ucp_printdoc.cfm/1/8292/8296/8296-8296/4918
Some tips for parents to teach your child about personal safety. Courtesy of the United Cerebral Palsy Michigan

Sterilization of Minors with Developmental Disabilities
A Policy Statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics%3b104/2/337

Spanish Resources

http://www3.usal.es/~inico/actividades/actasuruguay2001/9.pdf
Link to the address above and find an article called: Educación sexual y discapacidad (Sexuality Education and Disability)

Link to the address below and find a publication called: La educación Sexual para estudiantes con necesidades educativas especiales ( Sexuality Education for students with Special Needs)
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Cottage/6843/educacionsexual.html

Planned parenthood
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/pp2/portal/medicalinfo/espanol/main.xml
Find information in Spanish on sexuality, teen issues, woman health, health centers and much more!

La Familia Habla ( The Family Project)
http://www.lafamiliahabla.org/about.html
The Family Project, is a Project of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States o SIECUS. They empower parents and caregivers to communicate with their children about sexuality-related issues, to provide tools to help families communicate about these issues, and to encourage parents, caregivers, and young people to become advocates on the local, state, and national levels for sexuality-related issues including comprehensive sexuality education programs in the schools. You will find publications for families, parents and others that address sexuality issues and much more!

Hable con sus hijos in English Talking With Kids About Tough Issues
http://www.talkingwithkids.org/spanish-sexo.html
Is a national initiative by Children Now and the Kaiser Family Foundation to encourage parents to talk with their children earlier and more often about tough issues like sex, HIV/AIDS, violence, alcohol, and drug abuse.
Link to the address above and find an article in Spanish called: Cómo Hablar con sus Hijos Sobre el Sexo y las Relaciones

Visit the AACAP (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) and find the following articles in Spanish: El Abuso Sexual a los Niños ; Respondiendo al Abuso Sexual a los Niños ; Los Niños, los Adolescentes y el VIH/SIDA ; Cuando los Adolescentes Tienen Hijos. http://www.aacap.org/publications/apntsFam/index.htm

Books & Other Resources

Developmental Disabilities –Sex Education
http://www.stanfield.com/sexed.html
If you are a professional working with people with disabilities visit the Program Development Associates and find books, videos , CD's and training packages on sex education for persons with developmental disabilities

Sex Education and relationships
http://www.stanfield.com/sexed-1.html
From The James Stanfield Publishing Company find more than 20 sex education and relationship programs for schools and professionals working with students with disabilities.