Sex, Sexuality and Gender

However, in preventing the transmission of HIV this is vital:
• zChildren and teenagers need to be encouraged to identify ways in which they are
vulnerable to HIV transmission and these areas given special attention in any
training that is done. The SAVE Toolkit has a number of ideas of how this can be
done. This includes looking at sexuality broadly, activities related to condom use
and discussions on cultural practices and addressing inhibiting factors to abstinence
etc. The SAVE Toolkit also uses the methodology of seeking to find from
those you are addressing what their specific vulnerabilities to HIV are, and working
on addressing these as a first priority.
• zIn recognising ways in which they are vulnerable to HIV, children, teenagers and
adults can jointly work together to decrease this vulnerability. This can be through
challenging social norms, changing cultural practices or the establishment of peer
support groups that promote SAVE and anti-SSDDIM messages.
Points to remember when using a human-rights based approach
in discussing gender and sexuality:
• zThe majority of cases of HIV-transmission, new infections as well as re-infection,
occurs through sexual activity and reproduction.
• zSo working with HIV prevention necessarily involves working with people’s sexuality.
This includes exploring sexual practices and behaviour as well as the longing
for love, sex and intimacy. It means working with our beliefs, myths and values
about love, sex and gender. It is also about working with expectations, hopes
and fears on how we as individuals will be able to discover our own sexuality and
love and how we can express our love and/or sexuality in interaction with others.
• zWorking with sexuality means working with issues of identity, as sexuality is an
integrated part of every individual’s personality and identity. Sexuality is not only
about knowledge and facts; it is also very much about basic questions such as: Am
I good enough? Who am I? Am I normal? Will I find someone to love and someone
who will love me? What does sex feel like? What is love actually about? There are
many other related aspects that individuals will ask themselves.
• zImportant aspects to keep in mind for all sexuality education are gender issues,
sexual identity (homo-bi-hetero) and transsexuality issues, ethnic and religious
issues, the socio-economic and class issues, issues of physical and psychological
abilities and disabilities, and finally the issue of age. In a human-rights based approach,
sexuality education should be realistic and inclusive – not exclusive.
© INERELA 2012
• zFurthermore it is important to have a Human Rights perspective and to work with
SRHR in issues related to sexuality, gender and HIV.
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