Costa Rica: Sex Education Should Be Compulsory, Says Defensoria

"Sex eduction should be part of the curriculum, that is compulsory in the Costa Rican educational system, because it is a duty of the State in its responsibility to provide quality information that allows students to deal with knowledge, without taboos and stereotypes, to healthy sexuality", was the statement issued by the Defensoría de los Habitantes (Ombudsman) on Friday.



The Defensoria said in the statement it does not share the recent decision of the Constitutional Court in which it said parents may choose if their children will take part or not, in sex education programs in schools.

The Defensoria argues that, sex education being made an "elective" course, "it could affect the comprehensive education in other fields and also minimizes the importance of knowledge that is intrinsic to human beings in the hands of persons trained in addressing these issues".

"The country is missing an opportunity for the system to provide educational tools to all the students, according to their level, in order that such knowledge be used to strengthen interpersonal relationships, minimize health risks and create opportunities discussion for healthy sexuality," said Ofelia Taitelbaum, Defensora de los Habitantes.

Confirming the opinion of the Defensoria are experts who say that compulsory sex education would be of enormous benefit to the adolescent population, which for the most part is not receiving sex education in the home.

According to the Asociación Demográfica Costarricense (Costa Rican Demographic Association) in 2008 14.856 girls under the age of 19 became pregnant, hence access to information will reduce pregnancies, but also prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STD).

Religious sectors for the most part are those who have opposed the implementation of compulsory sex education as proposed by the Ministerio de Educacion Publica (MEP) for all students for grades seven, eight and nine.

The Catholic Church is one of the largest group opposing the implemenation of the program developed by the MEP.