“残障” 与 “性”

(English version below)

今天，我们要谈论的两个关键词是 “残障” 与 “性”。

首先，我们要明确的一点是，残障人士与非残障人士享有同等的性与生殖健康权利。残障人士的性与生殖健康权利，早在1994年的国际人口与发展大会就已经被明确提出。2006年联合国大会通过的《残疾人权利公约》也要求保护和促进残障人士的性与生殖健康权利、为他们提供优质的免费或负担得起的性与生殖健康信息和服务（第25条），2008年中国成为首批在此公约上签字的国家。联合国可持续发展目标更是明确强调，要实现人人享有性与生殖健康。

但是，关于残障群体在性与生殖健康方面的需求，很多人并不了解。11月1日， 在上海有人公益基金会组织并得到联合国教科文组织驻华代表处、国际助残联盟北京代表处以及联合国人口基金驻华代表处支持的“残障者全面性教育挑战与策略研讨会”上，联合国教科文组织与国际助残共同发布了一项针对中国残障儿童与青年的性相关知识、态度和行为的研究发现，填补了中国此类研究的空白。研究调查显示：

• 残障儿童与青年的性相关知识水平普遍偏低，安全性行为意识较差，因而面临较大的性与生殖健康风险，尤其是农村地区以及智力障碍儿童与青年；

• 大多数残障儿童与青年都有较强的性与生殖健康权利意识，认为自己同样需要性教育，但是并不能从学校教师和家长那里获得足够的信息；

• 学校教师和家长虽然大部分都认可对残障人群进行性教育的重要性，但是其开展性教育的能力与资源都很有限；

• 相关的性与生殖健康服务及专家严重缺乏。

针对这样的现状，需要采取什么措施呢？该研究建议：

• 提高各利益相关方对于残障、性与生殖健康、以及性教育议题的认识；

• 制定相关教育政策，开发适合残障儿童与青年的性教育课程体系；

• 对教师和家长进行培训、提供支持；

• 提供相关的无障碍的性与生殖健康服务。

这项研究由联合国教科文组织和国际助残联合发起， 由上海市计划生育科学研究所具体实施，并得到了残障者组织北京能力发展研究所和广州市越秀区爱成长教育支持中心的支持。该研究于2015年在北京、上海、广州的城市地区以及陕西的部分农村地区开展，通过问卷调查、小组访谈及个人访谈的形式，共调查了700多名视力、听力、肢体、智力障碍的儿童与青年（12-24岁），以及家长和教师60名。 

残障人士与非残障人士一样，都需要全面的性教育。在研讨会上，与会者们从家庭支持、学校教育、政策制定、机构支持等角度，讨论了相关的挑战、策略和经验，并相互分享了有用的资源。

联合国教科文组织介绍了其与多家联合国机构共同出版的《国际性教育技术指导纲要》（下载链接 http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0026/002607/260770c.pdf），对“全面性教育”的概念及内容框架进行了阐释。针对残障群体开展性教育的组织以及家长代表，介绍了各自的相关经验。例如，根据儿童和青年的障碍程度及发展水平等，调整性教育内容，有创造性地制作和使用教具，通过情境化教学训练生活技能并传递价值观。同时，他们也开始考虑如何让性教育更加本地化，并提高性教育项目的成本效益和可复制性。

全面性教育主题曲《心生》首演 / CSE thematic song Xinsheng made its debut

值得一提的是，一周前刚刚在联合国教科文组织驻华代表处举办的音乐工作坊上集体创作的全面性教育主题歌曲《心生》，在研讨会上首次亮相并获得好评。

残障群体的“性”是一个无法避免也不应回避的问题。残障儿童和青年急需接受全面的性教育，而且越早越好，因为这与他们的安全、健康与福祉密切相关。提高相关部门和机构的意识，使之充分了解、考虑并满足残障儿童和青年的实际需求，包括为一线的教育和社会工作者以及家长提供现实的、有针对性、可操作性强的教育资源等，是保证更多残障儿童和青年获得性教育、实现健康成长的关键。

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Disability & Sexuality

We are going to talk about two key words today – “Disability” and “Sexuality”. 

Firstly, we need to know that, all individuals should enjoy the same Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), including persons with disabilities. The rights of all persons are enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The SRHR of persons with disabilities has been clearly articulated at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). In 2006, the United National General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which requires protecting and promoting SRHR of persons with disabilities and providing them with quality, free or affordable Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and (Article 25). In 2008, China was among the first countries who ratified the CRPD. Furthermore, SRH actions at the global, regional and country level are implemented within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda to achieve SRH for everyone.

However, many people are not aware of the SRH needs of persons with disabilities.  On November 1st, at the workshop on Challenges and Strategies for Promoting Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Persons with Disabilities, co-organized by Shanghai Youren Foundation, UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office, Humanity and Inclusion (HI) Federation China office, and United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) Beijing office. At the workshop, UNESCO and HI jointly released the finding of the research on Sexuality-related Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior of Children and Youth with Disabilities in China, the first of its kind in China.  The research indicates that:

• Overall, the surveyed children and youth with disabilities, especially those from rural areas or with intellectual disabilities, generally has a low level of sexuality-related knowledge and little  awareness of safe sexual behavior, which expose them to high SRH risks. 

• The majority of the survey participants  are aware of SRHR and expressed their need for sexuality education, but they can’t get sufficient information from their teachers or parents; 

• Although most of the surveyed teachers and parents recognize the importance of sexuality education for persons with disabilities, they have limited capability, skills, knowledge and resource to deliver it;

• There is a severe shortage of relevant SRH services and expertise. 

In light of this situation, what measures should be taken? This survey recommends: 

• Raise stakeholders’ awareness of disabilities, SRH, and sexuality education;

• Put in place relevant education policies, and develop disability-inclusive sexuality education curriculum

• Train and support teachers and parents; 

• Provide relevant and accessible SRH services.

This study was jointly initiated by UNESCO and HI, and was conducted by the Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research with support from two organizations of persons with disabilities, the Able Development Institute and the Guangzhou Yuexiu District Nurturing Relationship Education Support Center. In 2015, the researchers conducted questionnaire survey, focus group discussions and individual interviews in urban areas of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and some rural areas of Shaanxi Province. In total, over 700 children and youth aged 12-24 with visual, hearing, physical and intellectual disabilities, and 60 parents and teachers participated in the survey.

Like everyone else, persons with disabilities also need Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). At the workshop, participants discussed and reviewed CSE-related issues, challenges and strategies, and shared experience and resources, from diverse perspectives such as family support, school education, policy-making, and institutional support.  

UNESCO staff introduced the International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0026/002607/260770c.pdf) published by UNESCO and other UN agencies, and explained the definition and content framework of CSE. Some organizations and parent representatives shared their program experiences, in terms of, for example, tailoring the content of sexuality education in light of the degree of disabilities and level of development of the target audience, making and utilizing teaching tools innovatively, as well as using real life scenarios to teach life skills and convey values. Meanwhile, the involved stakeholders are also considering how to make sexuality education more localized, cost-effective and replicable. 

It is worth mentioning that the CSE thematic song Xinsheng, was collectively created at the music workshop organized by UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office one week earlier, made its debut at the workshop and reaped great acclaim from the audience.

“Sexuality” for persons with disabilities is a topic that should not be avoided. Children and youth with disabilities are in urgent need of CSE, and the earlier, the better, because it is about their safety, health and wellbeing. Raising awareness of relevant organizations and departments, so that they can fully understand, consider and deliver on the actual needs of children and youth with disabilities, including by providing realistic, relevant and practical sexuality education resources for the frontline educators, social workers and parents, is key to enable children and youth with disabilities to benefit from sexuality education, and realize their rights. 

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