Comprehensive sexual health education (CSHE) is so much more than what most people imagine when they hear the more traditional framing of “Sex Ed” and “Sexual Education.” Ultimately, CSHE is about empowering youth. Educators and caregivers play a key role in supporting young people in understanding bodily changes and health needs and in building emotional maturity, relationship skills, and body liberation. We are grateful to continue our support and implementation of CSHE in Washington State schools and youth-serving organizations. WA OSPI’s CSHE state standards provide crucial scaffolds to support youth in building skills, knowledge, and self-efficacy to live healthy and happy lives. As we move into the spring and summer months, we are highlighting the breadth and depth of issues included in CSHE and offering key resources for educators and caregivers.
What We Mean When We Say Sexual Health
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) emphasizes that sexual health is based on a positive, equitable, and respectful approach to sexuality, relationships, and reproduction, that is free of coercion, fear, discrimination, stigma, shame, and violence. This distinction that sexual health should be free of discrimination, stigma, shame, and violence gives an invitation to add to common individualistic definitions and expand our understanding of how historical, systemic, and institutional oppressions are intertwined with sexual health. To represent these intricacies of CSHE, we’ve compiled some overlapping features of sexual health that bring to light the breadth and dynamism of CSHE. Some key characteristics to emphasize in a definition of a sexually healthy young adult are someone who:
- Fosters a state of physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual well-being in relation to sexuality
- Possesses accurate knowledge of human anatomy and physiology
- Understands the risks, responsibilities, outcomes, and impacts of sexual actions and possesses the skills needed to reduce risks
- Communicates effectively with family, peers, and partners to form and maintain meaningful, healthy relationships
- Knows and can use health care systems and community services as needed
- Accepts their body, gender identity, and sexual orientation
- Sets appropriate sexual boundaries that help them act and live according to their personal values
These are important goals for young adults to access healthy lifestyles, and the WA PREP team is committed to continuing our support to help educators achieve these outcomes for students in age-appropriate ways.
Intersectional CSHE Topics to Explore
Intersectionality describes the interconnectedness and overlap of social identities and systems of oppression and discrimination related to race, ethnicity, gender, age, disabilities, sexuality, geographic location, and socioeconomic status. Scholar and civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw, LL.M, J.D, B.A, coined this term, and her decades of work have helped us better understand intersectionality. Viewing CSHE through an intersectional lens creates more space for students to bring their own experiences to the content, and make explicit connections between sexual health and identity, discrimination, access, stigma, and other topics. We want to acknowledge these intersectional complexities and hold space this season to allow room for exploration and deeper understanding.
CSHE Resource SPRINGboard
Often, adults and educators are learning the nuances of CSHE alongside our students, as our own educational experiences may have been quite different. This level of deep self-reflection can feel uniquely challenging and incredibly enlightening! The intersectional nature of CSHE gives us numerous avenues to explore, reflect, and grow. As spring is pushing into summer, we want to provide a Spring Resource SPRINGboard, full of CSHE, resources, reflections, and learning opportunities. As you wrap up your school year and move into summer recuperation, rest, play, and personal learning modes, we hope you will have the capacity to learn about a new topic or two, dig in deeper on a topic of interest, and/or share a resource with someone in your community. Feel free to bookmark this for when you have the time and energy!
Below is a list of some of the intersectional CSHE topics our team has been studying this year. We hope you find some of these resources helpful and interesting to jumpstart your exploration and to support your students’ health and well-being.
| CSHE Resource SPRINGboard | |
| Affirmative Consent | What is Affirmative Consent Website: We Speak About It |
| Kids, Consent, & Healthy Boundaries Tips/resources Website: Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence | |
| Anti-fat Bias, Anti-fatness, Body Liberation | Fat Phobia And Its Racist Past & Present Short Wave Episode: NPR Podcast |
| Maintenance Phase with Aubrey Gordon Podcast, Website, & Books: Your Fat Friend | |
| Bystander Intervention | Bystander Intervention Tips & Strategies Article & Podcast: National Sexual Violence Resource Center |
| 5D’s of Bystander Intervention Student Video Series: Asian Americans Advancing Justice | |
| Disability Justice | Sexuality, Intimacy, & Disability Book List: Spice Institute |
| Sins Invalid Curriculum Website & Resources | |
| Faith, Spirituality, & Sexuality | Navigating Sexuality & Faith for Better Sex Ed Article, Webinar, & Resources: Healthy Teen Network |
| How Religion Made Modern Sex Ed Article: The Immanent Frame, Social Science Research Council | |
| Gender, LGBTQIA+ | Understanding Gender Website, FAQ, Downloadable Resources: Gender Spectrum |
| Gender, Sexuality, & Inclusive Sex Education Teaching Tips & FAQ: Healthy Teen Network | |
| Human and Sex Trafficking | Reconsidering the Use of the Terminology ‘Modern-Day Slavery’ in the Human Trafficking Movement Article: National Sexual Violence Resource Center |
| The Great (Fake) Child-Sex-Trafficking Epidemic Article: The Atlantic | |
| Inclusive Puberty & Intersex: | What is Intersex? FAQ & Website: InterAct Advocates for Intersex Youth |
| Advancing Inclusivity: The Impact of Gender Segregation in Sex Ed Article: SIECUS – Sex Ed for Social Change | |
| Racial Justice | Sex Ed is a Vehicle for Racial Justice Article: SIECUS – Sex Ed for Social Change |
| Black Disability Politics Book & Website: Sami Schalk | |
| Reproductive Justice | Opill: Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Student Facing One-Pager w/resources: Advocates for Youth |
| Reproductive Justice: Part 1 Educational Video: Color of Change | |
| Sexually Explicit Material | Porn Is Not Sex Ed Student Video: Amaze |
| The P Word: Porn Literacy & Sex Education Webinar: SIECUS – Sex Ed for Social Change | |
| Trauma Informed Classrooms | Do’s & Don’ts of a Trauma-Informed Classroom One-Pager Tips: Echo |
| Helping Teachers Manage the Weight of Trauma Article: Harvard Graduate School of Education | |