Tailored Resources to Make a Sexual Health Curriculum More Inclusive of LGBTQ+ Youth

Access to sexual health education that is inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth is associated with improved health outcomes and reduced impacts from stigma related to being LGBTQ+—including reductions in risky sexual behavior, lower risk of depression, and fewer reports of bullying—among LGBTQ+ youth. LGBTQ+-inclusive sex education is not available for most youth, especially for LGBTQ+ youth who are Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC). In a 2017 survey of LGBTQ+ youth, only 13 percent of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth reported that they received safer sex information in school that they found personally relevant.

El Camino is an adolescent sexual health program that employs a positive youth development approach by addressing youth goal-setting, healthy relationships, and sexual and reproductive health. While El Camino has focused on the needs and cultural norms of Latino youth and their families since its development, we have strengthened the curriculum to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ youth’s identities, needs, and experiences (see dropdown menu below for more information). This work has resulted in the following facilitator and youth resources that speak to different dimensions of LGBTQ+-inclusive sex education.

While these resources were designed with El Camino facilitators in mind, they can also be used outside of the curriculum and are intended to be a resource to anyone who works with youth.

Resources

LGBTQ+ Definitions

• Spanish Translation

Intended for facilitators and students, this resource defines terminology used throughout the student and facilitator resources. It can be used throughout the curriculum.

---

Sex, Gender, and Identity

• Spanish Translation

Intended for facilitators, this resource provides foundational information about sex, gender, and identity to strengthen baseline knowledge and confidence in delivering Activity 5B. Gender, Culture, and Pregnancy within Lesson 5 of El Camino.

---

Sexual Identity

• Spanish Translation

Intended for students, this resource provides information and resources to support youth who may be exploring their sexual identity. While this resource supplements Lesson 5 of El Camino, facilitators should make it available to students, as needed, throughout curriculum implementation.

---

Safer Sex for LGBTQ+ Young People

• Spanish Translation

Intended for facilitators, this resource provides an overview and resources on ensuring that conversations about safer sex are inclusive of all kinds of sex—not just penile-vaginal sex—and ways young people can protect themselves from STIs and prevent pregnancy. It accompanies Arc 2: Sexual and Reproductive Health (lessons 5–8) of the curriculum.

---

Finding LGBTQ+ Friendly Care

• Spanish Translation

Intended for students, this resource includes questions to help young people determine whether providers and clinics are LGBTQ+ friendly. It complements Activity 8C. Sofia and David Go to the Clinic: Meeting with a Nurse Practitioner within Lesson 8 of El Camino; however, facilitators should make this resource available to students, as needed, throughout curriculum implementation.

---

Helping Young People Find LGBTQ+ Friendly Care

• Spanish Translation 

Intended for facilitators, this resource provides background information and strategies to encourage young people to think about what they want in a sexual health provider. It complements Activity 8C. Sofia and David Go to the Clinic: Meeting with a Nurse Practitioner within Lesson 8 of El Camino and the student resource Finding LGBTQ+ Friendly Care.

---

Supporting Healthy Relationships for LGBTQ+ Young People

• Spanish Translation

Intended for facilitators, this resource provides information and resources related to healthy relationships and intimate partner violence so facilitated discussions around these topics are inclusive of LGBTQ+ young people. It accompanies Arc 3: Healthy Relationships (lessons 9–11) of the curriculum.