Guidelines for teaching about sexuality

The issue of sexuality education is very much on the political agenda both in health care education and in general education (Weller 1993, The Times 1994). This paper offers some guidelines for suitable preparation for nurse teachers in sexuality education. The appropriate preparation of educators is fundamental to how the subject is delivered. Nurse educators who are comfortable with their own sexuality and can thus cultivate sensitive and perceptive communication skills about sexuality, are far better able to effectively, safely and intuitively integrate sexuality education into the curriculum. Having a sexual health knowledge base alone is not enough.