Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Cyprus has an estimated population of around 1.2 million, with about a fifth of the population between the ages of 15 and 29. The adolescent fertility rate has remained roughly the same since 2010, close to the average rate of peer countries, with 7 out of every 1,000 girls aged 15-19 giving birth in 2020. In 2022, the rate of early marriage was 3% and the prevalence of gender-based violence was 15% in 2022. 

In 2010, the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth introduced an educational reform to introduce health education to schools, which led to the development of a Health Education (ΑΓΩΓΗ ΥΓΕΙΑΣ) curriculum. Sexuality education is included as a thematic area under the framework Family Planning – Sexual and Reproductive Health.  

Health education has been mandatory at public schools for primary and secondary education since 2011. In 2022, the Comprehensive Sexuality Education Act was enacted and institutionalized the framework for mandatory comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) at all education levels (preschool, elementary and secondary education) for public and private schools. The law came into force in 2023.

The Law On the Prevention and Combating of Sexual Abuse, Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography Law 2014 sets out the obligations of the Ministry of Health. This is largely to educate all children, both in primary and secondary education, about the dangers of sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as the ways they can be protected, through age-appropriate sexuality education (article 55).  

The National Strategy for the Rights of the Child to Health 2017-2025 (Εθνικη Στρατηγικη Για Τα Δικαιωματα Του Παιδιου Στην Υγεια 2017 -2025) is organized into two main thematic areas: i) violence and prevention; and ii) sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights. Collaboration between governmental bodies (such as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to implement the Health Education Programme in schools forms part of the implementation of the strategy.  

The Policy of the Ministry of Education and Culture on Sexual Education states that the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth responding to the national, European and international treaties, agreements and conventions, is committed to providing holistic sexuality education to all male and female students in primary, middle and secondary/technical education schools.  

The Strategic Plan 2021-2023 of the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth's puts greater emphasis on sexuality education and prevention against sexual abuse. 

The Strategy on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People by the Ministry of Health (2017 – 2025) (Εθνικη Στρατηγικη Για Τη Σεξουαλικη Και Αναπαραγωγικη Υγεια Των Νεων 2018 -2025) was created on the basis of the European Strategy of the World Health Organization (WHO) ‘Health 2020 and the principles described in the WHO Action Plan on Sexual and Reproductive Health. One of the goals of the Strategy is to provide information, awareness and education to young people starting from pre-school and to strengthen the health education programs for students by including topics related to the prevention of cancer of the reproductive system. 

The National Youth Strategy 2017–2022 of the Youth Board of Cyprus, includes the implementation of sexuality education and training on SRH and SRH rights for young people, as well as access to family planning services, as some of its objectives. The strategy targets young people aged 14 – 35. 

In 2022, the Comprehensive Sexuality Education Act was enacted to institutionalize the framework for mandatory CSE through the syllabus in all classes at all education levels for public and private education. This legislation came into force in September 2023.

Mandatory. Since 2012, Health Education has been compulsory in primary and middle education for public schools. In high school it is both mandatory and optional. 

In 2022, the Comprehensive Sexuality Education Act mandate for CSE to be taught at primary and secondary schools, in both public and private schools, came into force in September 2023.

Sexuality education is delivered as a standalone subject as part of the curricula of the Health Education course in elementary and middle school, which is offered in the grades 2, 3 and 6. In high school, sexuality education is taught as a cross-curricular subject, mainly in home economics and biology courses and in the optional family education course.  

A new curriculum will be incorporated or updated to comply with the requirements of the 2022 Comprehensive Sexuality Education Act.

Sexuality education is included as a thematic area under the framework Family Planning – Sexual and Reproductive Health. This was developed on the basis of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s guidelines Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe (2010). Family Planning – Sexual and Reproductive Health is integrated as a thematic area into the Health Education curriculum for grades 2, 3 and 6. In the 2nd grade, the following themes are included: the concept of the family and its different forms; reproductive and private parts of the body; and bodily care and hygiene. In the 3rd grade the following themes are included: factors influencing the establishment of a healthy family environment; the rights and obligations of family members; the deconstruction of stereotypical gender roles; and protection from various forms of abuse. In the 6th grade, the following themes are included: protection from different forms of violence; ways of expressing sexual maturity; menstruation; the concept of gender (biological and social sex); and factors that affect family life. 

The CSE programme is developed around four main axes: i) the development and empowerment of the self; ii) the development of a safe and healthy lifestyle; iii) the creation and improvement of the social self; and iv) the development of the active citizen.

The Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth provides teaching guides for all academic subjects and education levels, including the health education, biology and home economics programmes. The Health Education curriculum website includes teaching material with activity guides for the different thematic areas. This includes support material with lesson plans and suggestions for class activities.  

The Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth and the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus have developed two teaching manuals on sexuality education for teachers, one for primary education and one for secondary education. 

The 2022 Comprehensive Sexuality Education Act outlines the provision of educational material and technical support to institutions of higher education that choose to offer sexuality education programmes to their students.

There is currently no mandatory training on sexuality education for teachers. However, the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth facilitates various teacher trainings related to topics on sexuality education, such as the deconstruction of stereotypical gender roles, puberty and the biological and physiological aspects of reproduction.  

In 2022, the Comprehensive Sexuality Education Act mandates for the implementation of in-service training programmes for teachers of public and private schools on subjects related to family planning and sexuality education. In addition, sets for the competent authority, in cooperation with the other institutions involved, provides educational material and technical support to institutions of higher education to offer sexuality education programmes to their students.

The Ministry of Health organizes and delivers educational programmes and lectures on sexuality education for primary and secondary education. Through the HIV Programme, it organizes occasional HIV awareness campaigns. 

The National Strategy for the Rights of the Child to Health (2017–2025) and the Strategy on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People by the Ministry of Health (2017–2025) include initiatives for improving adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Examples include posting information in schools and public places and establishing a hotline for inquiries about SHR and students’ rights. (No information was found regarding laws requiring schools to provide contraceptives or refer students to health clinics.) 

Young people up to the age of 18 do not have access to health care services without their parents’ consent. Adolescents do not have access to medical contraception and STI-related medical and counselling services without their parents’ consent. Condoms at kiosks and pharmacies are the only contraception available to young people aged 15 – 18, without requiring parental consent.

No systematic monitoring tool or evaluation system that monitors sexuality education in Cyprus was found.  

The 2022 Comprehensive Sexuality Education Act mandates the implementation of a monitoring system and evaluation of the provision and administration of CSE in schools by the competent authority. The Act further requires that at the end of March of each year, the competent authority submit to the House of Representatives a report detailing the results of the evaluation of the CSE programme and information about teacher training programmes that were conducted in the previous year. 

At a policy level, the Strategy on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People by the Ministry of Health (2017–2025) aims to produce more SRH research tools based on reproductive health indicators.