A RSE reading list

Sometimes people ask me what reading I recommend around RSE, so I thought I would put together a bit of a list. 

Key (free) articles and reports 

• Young people’s RSE UK poll Sex Education Forum (2018)
• RSE outcome variations due to facilitator differences Young et al (2018)
  
• What do young people think about their school-based sex and relationship education? A qualitative synthesis of young people's views and experiences Pound et al. (2016)
• Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges Ofsted (2021)

National and International RSE Guidance 

• UNESCO international guidance on RSE UNESCO (2018)
• England Department for Education full guidance on statutory relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education Department for Education (2019)
• Wales Curriculum for Wales guidance and code for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) (Consultation stage) Welsh Government (2021) 
• Scotland Guidance for teachers on the conduct of teaching relationships, sexual health and parenthood education Scottish Government (2014) 
• Northern Ireland Relationships and Sexuality Education Guidance An Update for Post-Primary Schools Northern Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment (2019)

Some RSE teaching resources not written by me

• Great Relationships and Sex Education: 200+ Activities for Educators Hoyle and McGeeney (2019)* 
• NSPCC RSE lesson plans and materials NSPCC (2018+)
• Better Health, every mind matters Public Health England (2017+)

Recommended longer reads and background issues connected to RSE

• Understanding sex and relationships education, youth and class Elley (2013)*
  (It is out of print so look out for second hand copies for the best price) 
• Pedagogy of the Oppressed Freire (2017 reprint) (Audiobook edition)* 
  (Not specifically about RSE but a great book about the ethos I think is needed for the best RSE) 
  
• Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times Washington (2008)*
  (USA focused but a powerful exploration of how racism impact medicine including sexual health) 
• Bad Science Goldacre (2009) (Audiobook edition)* 
  (Really useful book to help you read research better and cut through media hype)
• Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods Gibbs (2001) Free eBook
• Doing It: Lets talk about sex! Witton (2017) (Audiobook edition)*
• eLearning from Brook about some RSE topics (some free, some paid for)
  
  

YouTube content related to RSE

• Hannah Witton sex education playlist
• Crash Course anatomy course (4 vids on reproductive system)
• Sexplanations channel
• Amaze.org channel (videos mainly for younger students)

Academic articles around RSE (some behind a paywall)

Open access

• Labelling the labia – a lesson in how to terrify teachers: Pedagogical obstacles to the introduction of compulsory Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Dobson (2019) 
• Statutory RSE: Are teachers in England prepared? Sex Education Forum (2018)
• Delivery is just as important as content in sex and relationship education Pound and Campbell (2017) 
• Acceptability and stakeholders perspectives on feasibility of using trained psychologists and health workers to deliver school-based sexual and reproductive health services to adolescents in urban Accra, Ghana Tabong et al. (2018)
• Putting sexuality back into Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Making the case for a rights-based, sex-positive approach International Planned Parenthood Federation (2016)
• Involve us, respect us: Engaging young people in relationships and sex education Barnardos (2018)
• A school-based social-marketing intervention to promote sexual health in English secondary schools: The Positive Choices pilot cluster RCT Ponsford et al. (2021)

Behind a paywall

• Comprehensive sexuality education in Thailand? A nationwide assessment of sexuality education implementation Boonmongkon et al. (2019)
• Factors associated with middle school students’ perceptions of the quality of school-based sexual health education Byers (2013)
• Barriers to Providing the Sexuality Education That Teachers Believe Students Need Eisenberg et al. (2013)
• Occupational Stigma Communication: The Anticipatory Socialization of Sex Educators Selzer et al. (2018)
• Exploring the content and delivery of relationship skills education programmes for adolescents: A systematic review Janssens et al. (2020)

RSE topics 

Biology 

• HIV global statistics UNAIDS (2021 regularly updated)
• UK Sexual health figures mask serious trends and inequalities UK Health and Social Care Committee (2019)
• Good progress but more to do : teenage pregnancy and young parents. Case studies and practical examples Local Government Association, & Public Health England (2018)

Relationships

• The Talk, How Adults Can Promote Young People’s Healthy Relationships and Prevent Misogyny and Sexual Harassment Weissbourd et al. (2017)
  (What young people want help with understanding about relationships)
• Can We Talk About Consent? Hancock (2021)*
• When and Why Women Regret Sex in Hookups More Than Men Do: An Analysis of the Online College Social Life Survey Uecker & Martinez (2017) 

Emotional wellbeing

• Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2020: Wave 1 follow up to the 2017 survey NHS (2020)

Technology

• Royal society of public health report examining the positive and negative effects of social media on young people’s health RSPH (2017)
• Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and UK Council for Internet Safety (2020)
• Young people, Pornography & Age-verification Revealing Reality & British Board of Film Classification. (2020, January)
  (Some great data on when, how and why young people encounter porn in the UK)
• The Dark Net Bartlett (2015) (Audiobook Edition)*

RSE and disability focused resources 

• #UndressingDisability, a campaign aiming to raise standards in sexual health and sexual awareness for disabled people Enhance the UK
• Anatomically correct models Desmond and Daisy Bodysense
  (a small organisation that has a strong reputation in producing physical RSE teaching resources that are accessible for learners with intellectual or physical disabilities.) 
• Recommended resources for people with a disability around relationships and sex Mencap
• Supporting pupils with autism through sex and relationships education Reachout ASC  
• A collection of short videos using British Sign Language covering a range of RSE topics Sign Health and Brook 
• A Disabled Persons Guide to Talking with Your Partner(s) About Sex Carrie Kaufman writing for Scarleteen
• Misconceptions About Sex & Disability and a Roundtable discussion about disability and sex Hannah Witton
• Sex was rude, but now its real Benito (2019)
  (Resources and information targeted for working with autistic people but I have heard back from some workers that some of the content was useful for working with people with a wide range of needs.)
• Providing Relationships and Sex Education for Special Learners: An Essential Guide for Developing RSE Provision Bray (2021)*

Physical teaching resources I recommend

In person teaching

• Compact contraception display kit Health Education
• Condoms bulk buy Pasante* 
  (The cost of condom demonstrations can quickly add up so always look out for the big boxes usually called "clinic packs". Also flavoured condoms can help young people feel more confident to touch condoms in a classroom demonstration)
• Condom Demonstrators*, Another and another
  (For education I recommend buying a few different ones, different shapes and sizes and colours to emphasize that variation is normal and the same condoms can fit on all of them)
• Sexual Dams EXS

* Affiliate link. This post includes some affiliate links. These links do not impact the price you are offered but I may receive a small % of the sale.