South Africa School-Based Sexuality and HIV Prevention Education Activity Lessons Learned

The activity was implemented from January 18, 2015, to July 31, 2021, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The main contractor was Education Development Center (EDC), and the subcontractor was the Health Economics and HIV and AIDS Research Division (HEARD) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The activity's objectives included increasing the number of teachers qualified to teach sexuality education, strengthening the DBE's capacity to provide education and training for teachers, improving the quality of school-based sexuality and HIV education programs, and increasing the DBE's capacity to work in partnership with other partners and stakeholders. The activity also aimed to improve systems to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the sexuality and HIV education program. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) was defined as a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social aspects of sexuality. The activity developed and implemented Scripted Lesson Plans (SLPs) for all grades, which were designed to be classroom-based, evidence-based, and aligned to the Life Skills/Life Orientation curriculum. The SLPs were developed in collaboration with the DBE and were tested and finalized through a rigorous development process. The SLPs were designed to be comprehensive, covering topics such as policy coherence and compliance, health goals, and scientifically accurate age-appropriate knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes. The SLPs were also aligned to the DBE's National Policy for HIV, STIs, and TB, as well as the International Technical Guidance for Sexuality Education. The SLPs were developed in a graded and conceptual integration format, with 80 activity-based lessons for grades 4 to 12. The activity also implemented a mentorship program for girls and boys, designed and developed by HEARD, and trained school management teams and SGB members in advocacy for sexuality and HIV prevention education. The activity strengthened linkages to Adolescent and Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) services and referrals, and trained LO educators in sexuality and HIV prevention and the use of SLPs. The activity package included a range of components, including teacher training, SLP implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. The activity was implemented in six locations in South Africa, and the results showed significant improvements in the quality of school-based sexuality and HIV education programs. The activity's findings and lessons learned were shared through a presentation at the South African AIDS Conference, highlighting the importance of comprehensive sexuality education in reducing new HIV infections among learners and teachers.