Five years ago the Calgary Sexual Health Centre noticed a strange phenomenon in its statistics.
Teen pregnancies had dropped, but sexually transmitted diseases were on the rise. Also increasing were domestic and sexual violence rates, bullying, and the spread of disturbing cultural messages about masculinity in the media and society.
CSHC staff also knew that most sexual health services in existence were targeted toward women. That’s when the light bulb came on—boys were being left out of the conversation.
Enter the WiseGuyz program, launched by the CSHC to educate junior high boys on sexual health, positive relationships, gender issues, and human rights. It is the first of its kind in Canada.
Our hope is that the boys will become agents of social change.
