Girl or Boy – Does It Really Matter? Gender-Related Health Promotion and Sexuality Education at School

Natalia Weimann

Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań

Faculty of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology

Girl or boy – does it really matter?

Gender-related health promotion and sexuality education at school

Key-words: gender, sexuality education, health promotion, adolescents, Poland

Abstract

The article discusses the importance of implementing sexuality education at schools as a part of gender-specified health-promoting education. This is because of the differences between girls and boys as far as their lifestyles – and thus health-related issues – are concerned. Both females and males have different needs and require different approaches while forming the health-promoting behavior is in focus. Recognizing these differences is the first step to create gender appropriate health-promoting programmes. The next stage is to put the programmes into practice by implementing them as obligatory courses of sexuality and health-promoting education at schools.

Introduction

According to the “Gender tool”, a working paper issued in 2007 by the World Health Organization as a part of the European strategy for child and adolescent health development,

Gender means the characteristics of women and men that are socially constructed; sex refers to those that are biologically determined. Gender defines the socially perceived roles, responsibilities, opportunities and interactions for females and males that are influenced by familial, cultural, political, and economic determinants. (Gender Tool, 2007: 3)

Thus, gender is an important factor influencing human’s health since the social background determines it. The social background defines people’s lifestyles and thus has a great impact on health-related behavior. Taking this into consideration we cannot underestimate the role of gender while dealing with the issue of health promotion.

Utterly significant factors that play a great role in establishing health...