OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
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MATERIALS
PRESENTATION GUIDE
This lesson is straightforward. For most presentations, you can simply go over the material found in the fact sheet. This guide provides comments on how you might present the material, suggestions for eliciting participant discussion and descriptions of supplementary material and activities you may want to use. Don't feel like you have to follow or use everything in it. You know your audience better than anyone else, you know how much time you have to make your presentation and you have your own unique ways of presenting material you're most comfortable with.
While SIT lessons generally are designed to stand alone and provide flexibility in scheduling, you may want to cover "Know the Facts of Sexual Development" before presenting this one. It provides information on sexual anatomy and development participants need to know to understand both the ways sexuality is expressed and how pregnancy occurs.
INTRODUCTION
Introduce this session by acknowledging the fact that, as teens, participants may be experiencing a variety of sexual feelings. In you've already covered the "Know the Facts of Sexual Development" material, you may want to review or summarize some of its main points. Be sure to emphasize the fact that it is normal for both sexes to begin to experience increased sexual desires, dreams, fantasies and arousal during their teen years.
SEXUAL EXPRESSION
As you begin to cover this section, be sure to make the point that people express their sexuality in a variety of ways. You can then present the information on masturbation found in the fact sheet. While participants may be uncomfortable talking about it, teens need to hear straightforward, factual information about masturbation. For many of them, masturbation is, or will be, their first and most frequent sexual outlet. Having factual information can help counter the myths and misinformation some teens have been exposed to. They need to know what masturbation is, that many members of both sexes engage in it and that it is a normal, healthy part of life that is not harmful. While emphasizing these points, don't neglect to mention the fact that some people choose not to masturbate because it doesn't seem right to them or they simply aren't interested. Try to make the point that either choice is okay.
Continue your presentation by mentioning the wide variety of ways people express their sexuality. In addition to masturbation, they include kissing, hugging, cuddling, touching and sexual intercourse with a partner. Mentioning all these methods will reenforce the idea that sexuality is far more than sexual intercourse. You can then go on to describe what happens to both males and females when they become sexually aroused and how vaginal intercourse occurs.
Conclude this section by mentioning the fact that there are other methods of sexual intercourse and present a matter-of-fact description of what occurs during both anal and oral intercourse. Once again, some participants may appear uncomfortable as you describe these sexual activities. You can be sure that most of them have heard about one or both practices, however, and that some of them may be confused. Therefore, it's very important for participants to know what both terms mean. If nothing else, it will help them interpret "safer sex" and other messages. Conclude this section by pointing out that some people feel comfortable with oral and anal sex while others do not. Encourage participants to use their own attitudes, beliefs and religious convictions as a guide.
PREGNANCY AND BIRTH
This section is designed to present some very basic facts about pregnancy and birth. You can do this in one of two ways. One option is to use the 11-minute video "Child Development: Pre-Natal to Birth." It presents an overview of all stages of development before birth. If you use it, be sure to allow time for participant questions and discussion. Another option for presenting the material is to simply go over the material from the fact sheet. As you do, explain how and where fertilization occurs. Since many teens believe it occurs in the ovaries, stress the fact that the female egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube. You can then go on and present the information on embryonic and fetal development and on labor and delivery.
QUESTIONS ABOUT PREGNANCY
Introduce this section by pointing out that it's natural for teens to have a number of questions about pregnancy and childbirth and that you're going to try to answer some of the most common ones. Continue by going over each of the seven questions and answers in the fact sheet. (Make a transparency out of Questions About Pregnancy link.) If you want to elicit audience involvement, have participants volunteer their answers before you go over the answers provided in the fact sheet.
LEARN AND PASS ON "THE FACTS OF LIFE"
Begin to conclude your presentation by pointing out that sexual expression and pregnancy are complex topics. Therefore, participants may want to obtain additional information from a credible source. Encourage them to ask their parents or medical professionals for help and information. Point out that many good books are available in libraries and bookstores. (You may want to develop a list of recommended reading. Visit your local library and bookstores and let participants know specific titles that are available.) Conclude the session by bringing in the idea of sexual integrity. Point out that continuing to educate yourself about sexuality is a sign of integrity. Encourage participants to use what they learn to educate others. Encourage them to gently correct friends when they say things about sexuality that aren't true. Point out that passing on accurate sexual information is acting responsibly and another sign of sexual integrity.
AUTHOR: Gary L. Hansen, Ph.D., Extension Specialist in Sociology, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky; and William W. Mallory, Fayette County Extension Agent for 4-H/Youth Development, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky.
