Objective:
To promote scientific and human rights-based sexuality education among high schools and general population of Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
Conceptual framework:
The “Congreso Morelense Interescolar sobre Sexualidad Humana” is a project that recognizes the authority of the World Association for Sexual Health as the most important sexological organization in the world. Consequently, it supports the WAS Declaration of Sexual Rights, its Ethical Guidelines and its Millenium Declaration.
As the concept of “sexual health” is part of the concept of “health”, the “Congreso Morelense Interescolar sobre Sexualidad Humana” recognizes the authority of the World Health Organization (WHO) as the leading international organization in health matters.
Because of the intimate relation between sexology and psychology, the “Congreso Morelense Interescolar sobre Sexualidad Humana” recognizes the authority of the American Psychological Association as the world’s largest and leading psychological organization.
Basic concepts in human sexuality
The "Congreso Morelense Interescolar sobre Sexualidad Humana" supports the human sexuality concepts developed at the Regional Consultation on Sexual Health convened by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization in collaboration with the World Association for Sexual Health (at that time World Association for Sexology) in Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala, May 19-22 2000. The concepts developed at this Regional Consultation are presented next, extracted from the document: Promotion of Sexual Health. Recommendations for Action.
It is important to highlight the participation of Eusebio Rubio-Aurioles (Mexican sexologist and Past President of the World Association for Sexual Health) at the Consultation and the importance that his Systemic Theory of Human Sexuality had in the formulation of many of these concepts:
SEX
Sex refers to the sum of biological characteristics that define the spectrum of humans as females and males.
SEXUALITY
Sexuality refers to a core dimension of being human which includes sex, gender, sexual and gender identity, sexual orientation, eroticism, emotional attachment/love, and reproduction. It is experienced or expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, activities, practices, roles, relationships. Sexuality is a result of the interplay of biological, psychological, socio-economic, cultural, ethical and religious/spiritual factors. While sexuality caninclude all of these aspects, not all of these dimensions need to be experienced or expressed.However, in sum, our sexuality is experienced and expressed in all that we are, what we feel,think and do.
SEXUAL HEALTH
Sexual health is the experience of the ongoing process of physical, psychological, and sociocultural well being related to sexuality. Sexual health is evidenced in the free and responsibleexpressions of sexual capabilities that foster harmonious personal and social wellness, enrichingindividual and social life. It is not merely the absence of dysfunction, disease and/or infirmity.
For Sexual Health to be attained and maintained it is necessary that the sexual rights ofall people be recognized and upheld.
GENDER
Gender is the sum of cultural values, attitudes, roles, practices, and characteristics based on sex. Gender, as it has existed historically, cross-culturally, and in contemporary societies,reflects and perpetuates particular power relations between men and women.
GENDER IDENTITY
Gender identity defines the degree to which each person identifies as male, female, or some combination. It is the internal framework, constructed over time, which enables an individual to organize a self-concept and to perform socially in regards to his/her perceived sex and gender. Gender identity determines the way individuals experience their gender and contributesto an individual’s sense of sameness, uniqueness and belonging.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Sexual orientation is the organization of an individual’s eroticism and/or emotional attachment with reference to the sex and gender of the partner involved in sexual activity. Sexualorientation may be manifested in any one or a combination of sexual behavior, thoughts, fantasiesor desire.
SEXUAL IDENTITY
Sexual identity is the overall sexual self identity which includes how the individual identifies as male, female, masculine, feminine, or some combination and the individual’s sexual orientation. It is the internal framework, constructed over time, that allows an individual toorganize a self-concept based upon his/her sex, gender, and sexual orientation and to performsocially in regards to his/her perceived sexual capabilities.
EROTICISM
Eroticism is the human capacity to experience subjective responses that elicit physical phenomena perceived as sexual desire, sexual arousal and orgasm, and usually identified with sexual pleasure. Eroticism is constructed both at individual and societal levels with symbolicand concrete meanings that link it to other human dimensions.
EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT
Emotional attachment is the human capacity to establish bonds with other human beings that are built and maintained through emotions. Emotional attachment is constructed bothat individual and societal levels with symbolic and concrete meanings that link it to otherhuman dimensions. Love represents an especially desirable kind of emotional attachment.
SEXUAL ACTIVITY
Sexual activity is a behavioral expression of one’s sexuality where the erotic component of sexuality is most evident. Sexual activity is characterized by behaviors that seek eroticism andis synonymous to sexual behavior.
SEXUAL PRACTICE
Sexual practice is a pattern of sexual activity that is exhibited by an individual or a community with enough consistency to be expected as a behavior.
SAFER SEX
Safer sex is a term used to specify sexual practices and sexual behaviors that reduce the risk of contracting and transmitting sexually transmitted infections, especially HIV.
RESPONSIBLE SEXUAL BEHAVIORS
Responsible sexual behavior is expressed at individual, interpersonal and community levels. It is characterized by autonomy, mutuality, honesty, respectfulness, consent, protection, pursuit of pleasure, and wellness. The person exhibiting responsible sexual behavior does notintend to cause harm, and refrains from exploitation, harassment, manipulation and discrimination.A community promotes responsible sexual behaviors by providing the knowledge,resources and rights individuals need to engage in these practices.
WAS Declaration of Sexual Rights
As told in the beginning, the “Congreso Morelense Interescolar sobre Sexualidad Humana” supports the Declaration of Sexual Rights of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS):
Declaration of Sexual Rights
World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)
Sexuality is an integral part of the personality of every human being. Its full development depends upon the satisfaction of basic human needs such as the desire for contact, intimacy, emotional expression, pleasure, tenderness and love.
Sexuality is constructed through the interaction between the individual and social structures. Full development of sexuality is essential for individual, interpersonal, and societal well being.
Sexual rights are universal human rights based on the inherent freedom, dignity, and equality of all human beings. Since health is a fundamental human right, so must sexual health be a basic human right.
In order to assure that human beings and societies develop healthy sexuality, the following sexual rights must be recognized, promoted, respected, and defended by all societies through all means. Sexual health is the result of an environment that recognizes, respects and exercises these sexual
rights.
1. The right to sexual freedom. Sexual freedom encompasses the possibility for individuals to express their full sexual potential. However, this excludes all forms of sexual coercion, exploitation and abuse at any time and situations in life.
2. The right to sexual autonomy, sexual integrity, and safety of the sexual body. This right involves the ability to make autonomous decisions about one's sexual life within a context of one's own personal and social ethics. It also encompasses control and enjoyment of our own bodies free from torture, mutilation and violence of any sort.
3. The right to sexual privacy. This involves the right for individual decisions and behaviors about intimacy as long as they do not intrude on the sexual rights of others.
4. The right to sexual equity. This refers to freedom from all forms of discrimination regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, race, social class, religion, or physical and emotional disability.
5. The right to sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure, including autoeroticism, is a source of physical, psychological, intellectual and spiritual well being.
6. The right to emotional sexual expression. Sexual expression is more than erotic pleasure or sexual acts. Individuals have a right to express their sexuality through communication, touch, emotional expression and love.
7. The right to sexually associate freely. This means the possibility to marry or not, to divorce, and to establish other types of responsible sexual associations.
8. The right to make free and responsible reproductive choices. This encompasses the right to decide whether or not to have children, the number and spacing of children, and the right to full access to the means of fertility regulation.
9. The right to sexual information based upon scientific inquiry. This right implies that sexual information should be generated through the process of unencumbered and yet scientifically ethical inquiry, and disseminated in appropriate ways at all societal levels.
10. The right to comprehensive sexuality education. This is a lifelong process from birth throughout the life cycle and should involve all social institutions.
11. The right to sexual health care. Sexual health care should be available for prevention and treatment of all sexual concerns, problems and disorders.
Sexual Rights are Fundamental and Universal Human Rights
Adopted in Hong Kong at the 14th World Congress of Sexology, August 26, 1999