Planned Parenthood Los Angeles' Sexuality Education Initiative: A Gender & Rights-Based Multi-Component High School Program

Sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies among adolescents continue to be a major public health concern. Lessons learned in sex education suggest that to reverse these high rates, programs must address the broader context in which adolescents’ sexual behavior occurs, including their interpersonal relationships and social norms. There is a large body of evidence that links adherence to hyper-masculine and hyper-feminine gender roles to negative sexual health behaviors. Yet evidence-based programs often do not address gender explicitly.

Planned Parenthood Los Angeles (PPLA) developed the Sexuality Education Initiative (SEI): a rights-based and gender-focused approach that integrates a 12-session classroom curriculum, after-school Peer Advocate club, parent education, and on-campus clinical services and condom distribution by trained teachers. This presentation will describe the theory and strategies used, as well as the successes and challenges with implementation of an innovative approach to providing sexuality education in urban public high schools in areas of health inequities. We will describe how students learn about sexual health and respectful sexual relationships through a pedagogical model that engages students in questioning strict gender norms and teaches them about the rights of youth in society and in relationships. By including parent education and obtaining buy-in from school personnel, the program strengthens the capacity of schools and parents to support healthy sexual behavior.  Preliminary evaluation results provide support for the adoption of a rights and gender framework in sexuality education. Final results are expected in December 2014.