A textbook on sexuality education for college and university students, edited by Prof. Liu Wenli of Beijing Normal University, was published by Tsinghua University Press in 2013. It is an output of a UNESCO-supported two-year pilot project, “Deepening Education Response to HIV/AIDS by Integrating Comprehensive Sex
uality Education into Pre-service Teacher Education in China, 2010-2012”, implemented through collaboration among Beijing Normal University, Henan Normal University and Yunnan Normal University.
The project was based on the International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education (ITGSE), and explored how to integrate Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) into pre-service teacher education.
Sexuality education is an important part of education, to which everyone has a right. CSE helps young people make responsible and informed choices about their sexual lives by providing them with age-appropriate, culturally relevant and scientifically accurate information, helping them explore attitudes and values as well as practice essential life skills. CSE is a critical way to achieve universal access for reproductive health and HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
Since 1990s the Chinese government has recognized young people’s sexual and reproductive health as a key priority in the national family planning agenda. The school health education policy in China also includes some elements of sexuality education. However, some important topics related to sexuality such as gender, diversity and rights are generally lacking, and school-based sexuality education has yet to become a common activity of teaching and learning in educational institutions. A dearth of capable and well-sensitized teachers and appropriate teaching and learning materials remain as a barrier to sexuality education in China.
This textbook provides essential information on a range of sexuality-related topics that are relevant to Chinese young people in general and college and university students in particular. The book is expected to serve as a valuable reference for both students and teachers, and to contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of many young people in China.
Mr Abhimanyu Singh, Director and Representative of UNESCO Beijing and Mr Gu Mingyuan, renowned professor of Beijing Normal University wrote prefaces for the book.
Contact: Li Hongyan, UNESCO Beijing at h.li@unesco.org
Related Link:
International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education