A dispersion slope compensating optical waveguide, such as a fiber, having a high negative dispersion slope (i.e. a dispersion slope in the range of -2 ps/nm2-km to -40ps/nm2- km) is provided. The optical ps/waveguide comprises a core region and a clad layer. The core region further comprises a first region and a second region surrounding the first region. The width of the second region is sufficient to confine electromagnetic radiation within a selected wavelength range to substantially only the core region. Thus, bending loss in the waveguide is substantially reduced. The negative dispersion slope of the dispersion slope compensating optical waveguide can be used in conjunction with a dispersion compensating optical waveguide as a dual optical waveguide to compensate both the dispersion and dispersion slope of a transmission waveguide. An optical span and an optical transmission system incorporating the dual optical waveguide is also provided.