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Let's talk about sex


CVC

About This Course

This on-line training curriculum is intended to train healthcare providers and community leaders in the Eastern Caribbean on Sex and Sexuality, with particular emphasis on sexual and gender minorities and other marginalized groups in the Caribbean. These groups tend to have behaviours and vulnerabilities that place them at increased risk of contracting HIV. They also often have legal and social issues related to their behaviours that increase their vulnerability to HIV.

What you’ll learn

  • Explore the broad concepts of sex, gender and sexuality.
  • Critically consider attitudes in their society and culture related to sexual orientation, sexual identity, sexual behaviour, and sexual diversity.
  • Reflect upon how their own experiences of sexual development affect their current views and feelings about sexuality issues and might influence their approach to peer education and/or outreach work on these issues.
  • Understand the value of sexual diversity as opposed to stereotypes, prejudice and unfair treatment.
  • Understand the link between discrimination and vulnerability to HIV and AIDS.
  • Be able to educate and engage in outreach work in the area of HIV and other STIs in the context of sexual diversity.
  • Understand structural barriers to sexual health.
  • To increase participants’ comfort with discussing sexuality, sexual pleasure and sexual health.

Course Staff

Course Staff Image #1

Alex P. Vega, Human & Health Development Consultant

Alex Vega holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Family-Centered Practice (Clinical Track) from New Mexico State University. He has postgraduate studies in Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University with a research concentration in HIV prevention among minority groups. For the past 19 years, he has collaborated with UN organizations and other regional institutions in capacity development initiatives in human sexuality, gender and development, sexual health education and standards of patient care geared to prevent HIV infection and Gender Based Violence (GBV). In his work, he applies diverse learning methodologies nurturing self-awareness, self-knowledge, emotional intelligence, and reflexive thinking. By engaging participants and stakeholders in critical reflexive practice and introspection, this approach contributes to building capacity to develop collaborative and responsive development practitioners.

Alex considers himself a nomad interested in living in different parts of the world in order to explore places, cultures, and food. As such, one of his great passions in life is world travel and immersion in foreign cultures. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening, reading, walking, jogging, biking, watching movies, and engaging in wellness activities.

Syllabus (week by week breakdown)

  1. 1. Basic concepts and terminology in sex and sexuality
    1. Welcome
    2. Talking about sex, gender and sexuality
    3. Exploring sexualities
    4. Checkpoint
  2. Talking about gender roles and gender identity
    1. About this section
    2. Gender non-conforming individuals’ definitions
    3. Health barriers affection gender non-conforming individuals’
    4. Checkpoint
  3. Sexuality and the life cycle
    1. Experiential exercise
    2. Checkpoint
  4. Sexually marginalized populations
    1. Learning objectives
    2. Stigma and discrimination
    3. Tips on working with vulnerable groups
    4. Checkpoint
  5. Sexual anatomy
    1. Learning objective
    2. Physiology and erogenous zones
    3. Checkpoint
  6. Sexual and reproductive health
    1. Learning objectives
    2. Sexual health definitions
    3. Checkpoint
  7. Sex workers and sexual health
    1. Learning objectives
    2. Transactional sex and sex workers
    3. Checkpoint
  8. Challenges to sexual health
    1. Learning objectives
    2. Barriers to sexual health for the sexually diverse
    3. Checkpoint
  9. Body image
    1. Learning objectives
    2. Sexuality and self-perception
  10. Masturbation and fantasy
    1. Learning objectives
    2. Discussion session

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I suitable to take this course?

This course was designed so Healthcare Providers, Policy Makers and Community Leaders can provide better service to and learn about sexual health and sexually diverse individuals and groups.

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