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This advocacy statement endeavors to clarify the concept of the hymen as a symbol of "virginity". The anatomic variants of this structure precludes any correlation to prior sexual activity and the value of physical assessment of this structure is thus questioned. Moreover, physical examination of the hymen is painful, traumatic and humiliating and is a form of gender-based violence. This statement exhorts various sectors-governments, educators, the medical community and the general public-to discard the concept of the "virgin hymen", avoid its use when documenting sexual abuse, and provide progressive education to affirm female sexuality.

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This scoping review synthesizes the intersection of comprehensive sexual education (CSE) for children and adolescents with sustainable development goals (SDGs) to assess the potential for empowering future generations. Considering the global challenges in addressing sexual health, this review explores the potential role of CSE in contributing to the achievement of the SDGs, particularly in the context of empowering youth and ensuring their well-being. The review begins by providing a comprehensive overview of CSE, emphasizing its role in promoting informed decision-making, gender equality, and preventing sexual and reproductive health issues among young individuals. It then delves into the overarching framework of the SDGs, mainly focusing on goals related to health, education, gender equality, and sustainable development. The synthesis examines the alignment and potential synergies between CSE and various SDGs, highlighting how CSE can contribute to outcomes such as improved health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, and reduced inequalities. Furthermore, the review brings attention to potential challenges and barriers in implementing CSE programs in different cultural and socio-economic contexts. Ultimately, this scoping review provides a critical analysis of the intersection between CSE and the SDGs, offering insights into how the comprehensive education of children and adolescents in sexual and reproductive health can play a significant role in advancing sustainable development and empowering future generations worldwide.

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This work shows an approach to comprehensive sexual education as an anthropological key to promoting health in the self-realisation of future education professionals. Comprehensive sexual education and health form a system. To carry out this study, we have analysed the opinion that students of the Faculty of Education Sciences of the University of Granada (Spain) have about the comprehensive sexual education received and the importance of this training in their professional practice. For this purpose, we used a quantitative and exploratory research design, using a questionnaire as an instrument for collecting information with a sample of 293 students. The results show that students have received poor sex education, along with the belief that education professionals do not receive proper and organised training in sex education. We can conclude that the majority of respondents consider sex education to be a recognised right, highlighting the importance of education professionals receiving proper training in sex education at university, where content related to respect, education for equality, and sexual health is prioritised. Sexuality constitutes the fundamental anthropological structure: comprehensive sexual education is a source of personal (corporal, psychic, spiritual) and social health, hence the importance of educating in comprehensive sexuality.

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Abstinence-only education taught predominately via formal classroom instruction has continuously been emphasized throughout history and in classrooms today. Although abstinence-only methods are often stressed, contraceptive education is occasionally but not consistently implemented in school curricula. A variety of other instructional delivery methods include student-peer education, education outside of the formal classroom setting, community youth service programs, education via telehealth, educational videos, self-study websites and social media. Providing comprehensive sexual education utilizing multiple instructional delivery methods could close the gap in sexual education for adolescents. The age at which sexual education instruction is introduced has remained relatively unchanged throughout history. Adolescents are being formally educated within classrooms as early as grade five, although they are often exposed to informal and potentially misleading information regarding sexual education much earlier than this. In part, this is due to the relatively recent emergence and subsequent influence of technology such as social media. Thus, given the influence of technology such as social media in recent history we need to reevaluate the age of formal sexual education and increase comprehensive sexual education resources. Additionally, it is important to note that sexual education instruction provided solely in formal classroom settings may not provide sufficient information for youth to make informed decisions. Thus, sexual education information including abstinence and contraceptive methods should be provided through additional means via utilizing differing instructional delivery methods in conjunction with formal classroom instruction. For example, comprehensive sexual education should also be provided in healthcare offices including pediatric and obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) offices. Sexual education could include discussing/providing external resources such as pamphlets that incorporate social media and other links to online resources that provide a more inclusive, accurate educational experience within a safe environment. This would allow healthcare professionals to provide a better targeted and engaging educational experience to adolescents as well as proactively allow for exposure of younger adolescents to helpful educational resources.

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OBJECTIVES: Comprehensive sexual education plays an essential role in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The study aim was to investigate Kenyan secondary school teachers' attitudes toward girls associated with contraceptive use and abortion. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study in January 2018 among school teachers (n = 144) at 4 religiously affiliated suburban secondary schools in Kenya and used 2 validated Likert Scales (1-5) to capture contraception and abortion stigma. RESULTS: Overall, 122 teachers responded (85%) (females, 57%; males 43%; age, 21-70 years [mean, 36]). Respondents associated contraceptive use with a promiscuous lifestyle (43%) that will encourage peers to do the same (51%). Respondents indicated that married women were more deserving of contraception than unmarried women (57%), a girl could not herself decide to use contraceptives (50%), and contraceptive use could impair future fertility (57%). Abortion was considered a sin (74%), shameful for the family (48%), a habit (34%), and a behavior that might encourage peers to do the same (51%). Many believed an abortion will lead to worse health (73%). Male and female teachers gave similarly distributed responses. Younger teachers were more likely to find abortion shameful (<29, 64%; 30-39, 39%; ≥40, 39%; p = 0.046). Contraception stigma and abortion stigma were highly correlated (r = 0.355, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Stigmatizing attitudes associated with contraceptive use and/or abortion were common among teachers in Western Kenya. IMPLICATIONS: Stigma may hinder the sexual and reproductive health and rights of students. Contraceptive use and abortion stigma need to be addressed in teacher education to ultimately improve health outcomes among adolescents.

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South Carolina ranks 16th in the USA for highest rates of teenage pregnancy. The South Carolina Comprehensive Health Education Act (CHEA) does not require medically accurate, unbiased, culturally appropriate materials, and varies greatly in compliance and implementation. This study aimed to better understand parents' perspectives in one county in South Carolina regarding reproductive and sexual health education. A total of 484 parents responded to a qualitative questionnaire, collectively representing 798 students. Researchers conducted a thematic analysis to organise data. Main themes identified include comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education as a duty; dispelling the myth of abstinence-only education; and the value of comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education. Parents described teaching reproductive sexual health education in public schools as a 'duty.' Furthermore, parents rejected the idea that abstinence-only education is effective and believed reproductive and sexual health education should be taught without the influence of religion. Parents valued inclusive reproductive and sexual health education, covering a robust set of topics. Findings from the study provide evidence for the need to update current reproductive and sexual health education materials and legislation to meet parental demands and reduce youth sexual and reproductive health disparities.

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@#<p style="text-align: justify;">Consequently, abstinence only programs may not be enough to lower the risk of sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs), such as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV AIDS). Paradoxically, in another study, it was shown that the more strongly abstinence was emphasized by the law, the higher the average teenage pregnancy and birth rates were.2 In fact, the same study concluded that while abstinence-only programs were not successful, areas that taught comprehensive sex and/or HIV education and covered abstinence along with contraception and condom access tended to be more successful, and had the lowest teen pregnancy rates. (see full-text for continuation)</p>

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