AIDS – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
BZgA – German Federal Centre for Health Education
CDC – United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CSE – Comprehensive Sexuality Education
EECA – Eastern Europe and Central Asia
ESA – Eastern and Southern Africa
HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus
ICPD – International Conference on Population and Development
IEC – Information, Education, and Communication
INERELA+ – International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS
IPPF – International Planned Parenthood Federation
ITGSE – International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education
LGBTQI+ – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning or Queer, Intersex and Others
M&E – Monitoring and evaluation
NGO – Non-Governmental Organization
SDGs – Sustainable Development Goals
SERAT – Sexuality Education Review and Assessment Tool
SOGIE – Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression
SRH – Sexual and Reproductive Health
SRHR – Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
STIs – Sexually Transmitted Infections
UNAIDS – Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS
UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNFPA – United Nations Population Fund
UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund
US – United States
USAID – United States Agency for International Development
WHO – World Health Organization
WISE – Working to Institutionalize Sex Ed
Glossary of Terms
Adolescent – a person ages 10 to 19 years, as defined by the UN.
Age-Appropriate – Designed to teach concepts, information, and skills based on the social, cognitive, emotional, and experience level of most students at a particular age level.
Bisexual – a person who is attracted to people of more than one gender.
Child – a person under 18 years of age, as defined by the UN.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education – Comprehensive sexuality education is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality. It aims to equip children and young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will empower them to realize their health, well-being and dignity; develop respectful social and sexual relationships; consider the well-being of others that are affected by their choices; and understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives.
Contraception – Any means to prevent pregnancy, including abstinence, barrier methods such as condoms and hormonal methods such as the pill, patch, injection and others.
Curriculum – A compilation of lessons, designed to be delivered in a particular scope and sequence, that teach students of different ages.
Evaluation – The process of determining whether a programme has achieved its objectives and of systematically assessing the programme’s merit, worth or effectiveness. During evaluation, the relevance, performance, and achievements of a programme are assessed.
Gender – Refers to the social attributes, opportunities and expectations associated with being male and female and the relationships between women and men and girls and boys, as well as the relations between women and those between men. These attributes, opportunities, expectations and relationships are socially constructed and are learned through socialization processes.
Gender identity – a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned to them at birth. This includes the personal sense of the body which may involve, if freely chosen, modification of bodily appearance or function (by medical, surgical or other means).
Gender-based violence – violence against someone based on gender discrimination, gender role expectations and/or gender stereotypes; or based on the differential power status linked to gender that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering.
Implementation –The process of carrying out programme activities.
Inclusive Education – the process of strengthening the capacity of the education system to reach out to learners of all backgrounds and identities.
Medically-Accurate – Grounded in evidence-based, peer-reviewed science and research.
Monitoring – the routine and systematic tracking of programme activities by measuring on a regular, ongoing basis whether the activities planned are being carried out, as well as the quality of these activities. Monitoring also involves measuring progress towards programme objectives and keeps track of and registers achievements, personnel utilization, use of supplies and equipment, and the money spent in relation to the resources available, so that if
anything goes wrong immediate corrective measures can be taken.
Pedagogy – the way that educational content is delivered, including the use of various methodologies that recognize that individuals learn in different ways and help different children engage with educational content and learn more effectively.
Puberty – A time when the pituitary gland triggers production of sex hormones in young people. Puberty typically begins between ages 9 and 14, and includes such body changes as hair growth around the genitals, menstruation in girls, sperm production in boys, and much more.
Reproductive Health – a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system, and not merely the absence of reproductive disease or infirmity. Reproductive health deals with the reproductive processes, functions and systems at
all stages of life, and implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life, the capacity to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so.
Reproductive Rights – embrace human rights recognized in national laws, international human rights documents and other consensus documents, and are the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children; and to have the information, education and the means to do so, and the right to the highest attainable standard of sexual and reproductive health. It also includes their right to make decisions concerning reproduction free from discrimination, coercion and violence, as expressed in human rights documents.
Sex – Biological and physiological characteristics (genetic, endocrine, and anatomical) used to categorise people as members of either the male or female population (see also the definition of intersex).
Sexual Health – a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected, protected and fulfilled.
Sexual Orientation – Each person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional, and sexual attraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with, individuals of a different gender (heterosexual) or the same gender (homosexual) or more than one gender (bisexual or pansexual).
Sexual Rights – the application of existing human rights to sexuality and sexual health constitute sexual rights. Sexual rights protect all people’s rights to fulfil and express their sexuality and enjoy sexual health, with due regard for the rights of others and within a framework of protection against discrimination.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) – infections caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites that are transmitted from one person to another during sexual contact.
Stakeholders – Persons outside the immediate programme staff who have an interest and role in programme functions and activities.
Young person – a person between 10 and 24 years old, as defined by the UN.
Youth – a person between 15 and 24 years old, as defined by the UN. The UN uses this age range for statistical purposes, but respects national and regional definitions of youth.