Journeying into the past : Lesotho sexuality education curriculum history

In pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) towards zero HIV infections, global initiatives have been put in place to curb the spread of the virus, with education one of the key strategies. However, research evidence has shown that the use of education as a vaccine against HIV has not been successful in curbing new infections among young people. Lesotho, a country with one of the highest rates of HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa, also employed educational initiatives to protect its youth against HIV. Studies have shown that such initiatives have also not been very successful in reducing the levels of HIV among Basotho youth. This paper therefore presents, through a genealogical analysis, the historical and contextual underpinnings of sexuality, HIV and AIDS education in Lesotho. This is aimed at highlighting the contestations within the sexuality education curriculum and how these have shaped the structuring and delivery of sexuality education in Lesotho schools. It also aims at providing a context in which the challenges faced by Lesotho in the implementation of education as a vaccine against HIV can be understood.