70% of students in Latin America do not have comprehensive access to sexual education

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UN official calls for equality, respect and tolerance among school students and asks governments to respect the right to information.

Gender approach in the National Curriculum of Basic Education, whose objective is to promote equality, respect and tolerance among men and women, has generated controversies due to the lack of knowledge on the subject. In this context, the Regional Director of the UN Joint Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), César Núñez, said that these contents, far from being alarming, are a success in a regional context that shows the lack of information provided to students.

“Study plans that include debates on gender issues, such as the rights or the dynamic of power, show positive changes towards gender equality in the school environment. They also help in preventing stigma, discrimination and bullying¨ said Nuñez.

The director said that only 30% of students in the region have access to comprehensive information. Comprehensive Sexual Education is a tool that empowers human beings to achieve their goals, to plan and decide on their future. This could not happen without a proper approach to the subject, according to age, which includes values, respect, gender equality, human rights and personal responsibility in the education process.

Current figures ratify what the UN official stated. According to a study carried out by the organization, in 2014 at least 500 children contracted HIV in the Caribbean and less than 2.000 children in Latin America. Estimates worldwide show that 85 countries are in conditions to eliminate HIV, given that every year there are less than 50 registered new cases of infections in children.

The number of deaths of women between 15 and 49 years due to AIDS related causes has decreased by 35% since 2010, according to the UN.

“Sexual education contributes to delay the onset of sexual relations, to reduce the new HIV infections, to reduce non-desired pregnancy and to increase the voluntary HIV test, including the use of condoms¨, says César Núñez in the following video.