a sourcebook of hiv/aids prevention programs volume 2

Programa de Educación Afectivo Sexual (PEAS), the Dominican Republic 11biology, social studies, and health education, as well as through schoolcounseling. In social sciences, natural sciences, and “comprehensive humanisticand religious education,” the program emphasizes the foundations ofsexuality and HIV/AIDS education. In counseling and parts of the curriculumthat touch on psychology, ethics, and health education, sexuality is addressedfrom a cross-disciplinary perspective. This approach guarantees that educationon sexuality is given from a biological, psychological, sociocultural, andspiritual point of view. The program pays a great deal of attention to the roleof values in sexual education, in line with the goals and principles of educationin the Dominican Republic (Education Law 66 1997).Teaching focuses on four main areas: knowledge and information, attitudesand moral values, emotional development, and social (includingfamily, school, and community) development. Specific topics addressedinclude the following:• Sexual and reproductive health• Prevention of STIs, including HIV• Responsible sexual behavior (responsibility toward oneself and others)• Sexual behavior from an emotional perspective• Self-efficacy and self-esteem• Responses to peer pressure• Interpersonal communication skills, including parent-child communication• Problem-solving skills• Negotiating skills and the right to say no to sex (with emphasis on therights of girls)• Gender equality• Attitudes toward sexual violence• Protective skills• The right to privacy, confidentiality, and informed consent• Child rights, child abuse, and respect for others’ rights• Law 136-03 and the Code of Protection.Teaching combines science-based information as well as discussion of thehuman side of HIV/AIDS, allowing students to connect the issue to real life.Students are informed not only about symptoms and the ways in whichHIV/AIDS and other STIs are transmitted and prevented but also about(c) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank