New sexual health collective gives first lesson to Edmonton teachers - Metro Ottawa - 02/24/2017 - Metro Ottawa - 02/24/20172/24/2017
News ontoin
New sexual health collective gives first lesson to Edmonton teachers
INew sexual l Ihealth collective dives-fiirst Illessoin to Edmonton teaclheirs
'Sometimes we talk about fear and danger at the expense of giving information about how sex works.'
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By: IllKeviilin IIlftiiiururtainirt Metro, Published on 1Fri IFeta 24 2017
A group of sexual health providers hopes to reshape how Edmonton schools teach sex ed, after parents
raised concerns about the information some of their children were getting.
The Sexual Health Educators Collective of Edmonton teamed up with Edmonton Public Schools and the
University of Alberta to deliver its first round of learning sessions to more than 200 teachers and education
students Tuesday.
"We're talking about pregnancy, we're talking about healthy relationships, consent, STIs, HIV, very tangible
things that can have a huge impact on their life," said Brook Biggin with HIV Edmonton, who is part of the
collective.
He said comprehensive sexual health education is often undervalued, and abstinence -based programs,
which have been used in some Edmonton schools, are linked to higher rates of teen pregnancy, sexually
transmitted infections and HIV.
"There's really no evidence to show that withholding accurate sexual health information from youth is of
any benefit to them at all. In fact, we see the opposite," Biggin said.
Parents raised concerns with the Edmonton Public School Board in 2014 that outside groups coming in to
teach sex ed were using an absdinei ce oiNly irriio tee
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2/24/2017
New sexual health collective gives first lesson to Edmonton teachers
Kristy Harcourt with the Pride Centre said the collective — which now has a uW✓e sit(:) and hopes to continue
working collaboratively with teachers and students — can keep educators up to date on terminology and
new statistics, and ensure they are "current and authoritative" when they talk to young people about sexual
heath.
Harcourt presented to teachers Tuesday on dealing with secrecy, stigma and shame, promoting disclosure
of sexual abuse, and how to talk about gender diversity in classrooms.
She said it is important to talk about feelings with students, not just dangers.
"Sometimes we talk about fear and danger at the expense of giving information about how sex works,"
Harcourt said.
Other groups involved include the Zebra Child Protection Centre, the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton,
The Compass Centre, the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services, the GSA Network, The
Canadian Red Cross and the Students Invested in Health Association.
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