CANFAR knows that the needs of young people are constantly changing. With over 28 years of experience and expertise in producing and delivering free HIV prevention and educational materials to educators across Canada, we’ve learned the importance of evolving our HIV resources and educational approaches over time.

However, education around sex, pleasure, and sexual health in Canada are lagging behind the needs of what Canadian youth are asking for.

Societal stigma and cultural taboo around these topics undermine youth’s sexual and social development, and hinders their ability to make informed and proactive decisions around their sexual health, safety, and ability to care for their bodies.

As an educator, you play an important role in building the personal development and social development of youth. This includes young people’s self-awareness, relationality to others, and capacity to take care of themselves and make informed decisions around their bodies, health, and relationships.

With HIV infections on the rise in Canada, alongside other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, educating youth about the importance of sexual health, healthy communication, healthy sexuality, multiple forms of prevention, and harm reduction are crucial not only to prevention efforts but to the overall well-being of youth.

At CANFAR, we believe that HIV prevention and sexual health education must go beyond simply giving youth information about HIV/STI transmission and prevention, but address key issues that impact youth’s everyday realities and lived experiences.

CANFAR’s Educator Guides cover a range of topics including: Identity & Self Awareness, Healthy Relationships & Consent, HIV/AIDS Basics, and HIV Risk & Prevention. These lesson plans were developed by a community of experts with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Each guide includes grade-appropriate activities and correspond to curricula across all Canadian provinces and territories.