The Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN) is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization that was formed in 1964.
SIECCAN works with educators, health professionals, community organizations, governments, and other partners to promote the sexual and reproductive health of Canadians.
A core objective of SIECCAN is to increase the capacity of educators and institutions that deliver education and healthcare to Canadians to provide comprehensive sexual health education.
Our Priorities
Current key priorities for SIECCAN include the development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive sexual health education focused on:
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Marginalized youth including those with disabilities, diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, and ethno-cultural minority youth;
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The prevention of sexual and gender-based violence;
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Media literacy and technology;
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Prevention of sexually transmitted infections.
The development of
evidence-based sexual health education resource materials to support
educators, health professionals, parents/caregivers and communities
to provide accurate and effective
high-quality sexual health education
is a high priority for SIECCAN.
Our Work
SIECCAN develops and disseminates comprehensive sexual health education resources for educators, health professionals, and the public; conducts research on sexual health; and publishes the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality (CJHS).
Who We Are
We are an interdisciplinary team of sexual health educators, researchers, and resource developers specializing in policy consultation and the development of evidence-based sexual health education materials.
Alex McKay, PhD
Executive Director
Alex joined SIECCAN in 1989 as a Research Assistant. Since 2016, he has been Executive Director and Managing Editor of SIECCAN’s Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality.
(he/him)
Jocelyn Wentland, PhD
Director of Operations
Jocelyn joined SIECCAN in 2015 as a Research Associate. Jocelyn examined women's sexuality and definitions of casual sex relationships in her graduate research. Jocelyn oversees SIECCAN's various projects.
(she/her)
Jessica Wood, PhD
Research and Project Development Lead
Jessica joined SIECCAN in 2018 as a Research Specialist. Jessica conducts research and develops sexual health education resources for educators and policy makers. Her research has focused on the sexual health of youth, women, LGBTQ+ people, and people in multi-partner relationships.
(she/her)
Yi Wen Shao, MPH
Disability Sexual Health Promotion Specialist (on leave)
Yi Wen joined SIECCAN in 2022 as a Project Coordinator. Yi Wen completed her graduate studies in public health with a focus on social and behavioural health sciences (health promotion). She oversees SIECCAN's Enhancing Effective Sexual Health Promotion with Autistic and Disabled Youth project.
(she/her)
Ada Madubueze, MSc
Gender-Based Violence Sexual Health Promotion Specialist (on leave)
Ada joined SIECCAN in 2022 as a Project Coordinator. She has a graduate degree in epidemiology with a research focus on perinatal, sexual, and reproductive health. She oversees SIECCAN's GBV Prevention within Sexual Health Education Project.
(she/her)
Sophia Greene, MA
Sexual Health Education Coordinator
Sophia joined SIECCAN in 2022 and works as the Sexual Health Education Coordinator. They are coordinating the Boys and Consent project and work across all other projects. Sophia is a certified sexual health educator and their graduate research focused on embodied resistance to patriarchy and colonialism.
(they/she)
Arlette Ibrahim, MPH
Project Coordinator
Arlette joined SIECCAN in 2024 as a Project Coordinator. She completed graduate studies in public health with a focus in global health, particularly concerning menstrual hygiene management. Arlette is a part of the Newcomer Health and Autistic youth, Boys and Consent projects.
(she/her)
Madison Giles, PhD
Project Manager
Madison joined SIECCAN in 2024 as a Project Manager. Madison's research focuses on sexual health equity for groups who experience marginalization, including disabled, 2SLGBTQIA+, and Indigenous youth. Madison oversees SIECCAN’s Enhancing Effective Sexual Health Promotion with Autistic and Disabled Youth and Gender-Based Violence Prevention within Sexual Health Education projects.
(she/her)
Stephen Holzapfel, MD CCFP FCFP
Medical Director, Sexual Medicine Counselling Unit/Department of Family & Community Medicine/Women’s College Hospital
Associate Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine and Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Chair
Josephine Pui-Hing Wong, RN, PhD
Professor, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Faculty of Community Services, Toronto Metropolitan University
Cross Appointment, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Adjunct, Graduate Program in Environmental Studies, York University
Toronto Metropolitan Center for Immigration and Settlement, Toronto, ON
Treasurer
Ann Barrett
Sexual Health Educator (Retired), Toronto Public Health, Toronto, ON
Director
Lori A. Brotto, PhD, R Psych
Professor, Faculty of Medicine | Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Executive Director, Women’s Health Research Institute | Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health/The University of British Columbia | Diamond Health Care Centre, Vancouver, BC
Director
E. Sandra Byers, Ph.D., L. Psyc., FRSC
Professor Emerita, Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
Executive Director, Council of Canadian Departments of Psychology
Director
William A. Fisher, PhD, FCAHS
Distinguished Professor Emeritus/Adjunct Research Professor, Department of Psychology
Adjunct Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Western University, London, ON
Director
Yonah Krakowski, MD, FRCSC
Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
Transition Related Surgical Program, Women’s College Hospital Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON
Director
Rob McEwan
Senior Vice President, Argyle Public Relationships, Toronto, ON
Director
Eugene Nam
Patient Engagement Lead, HIV Medical Affairs, Gilead Sciences, Toronto, ON
Director
Uzma Rehman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
Director
Our Expertise
Sexual health education/promotion
Sexual health education/promotion content and resource development for professional, student, and public audiences
Research design, implementation, and results dissemination
Sexual health policy development
Our Partnerships and Collaborations
We are committed to building on existing partnerships and establishing new partnerships and collaborations based on shared objectives.
Our Principles
SIECCAN developed Core Principles of Comprehensive Sexual Health Education (page 22 of the Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education) that reflect our organizational values and inform our work.
The Core Principles state that comprehensive sexual health education:
Is accessible to all people inclusive of age, race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, STI status, geographic location, socio-economic status, cultural or religious background, ability, or housing status.
Promotes gender equality and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence.
Promotes human rights including autonomous decision-making and respect for the rights of others.
