1. Chapter 12, Lesson 4 “Abstinence: A responsible Decision”
Health Curriculum Day 1
Chapter 12, Lesson 4 “Abstinence: A responsible Decision”

2. Priorities
Define the term Priorities
What are YOUR Priorities?

3. Priorities
The teen years are a time for physical, mental/emotional and social growth. Part of this growth process involves setting goals for the future and establishing priorities.
Priorities are those goals, tasks, and activities that you judge to be more important than others.
You have been raised to have certain beliefs and values- these values have helped you to determine what your “priorities” are.

4. What Priorities have you established?
Priorities are those goals, tasks, and activities that you judge to be more important than others.
Family Time
Succeeding in School
Work Towards Career
Collegiate Athletics
Sports Teams- Travel Ball
Spending time with Friends
Church/Faith

5. Abstinence
Abstinence is a deliberate decision to avoid high-risk behaviors, including sexual activity before marriage and the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.

6. Abstinence
Many of the feelings teens experience are brought on by the body’s release of chemicals. You don’t have control over the feelings caused by your hormones, but you DO have complete control over how you respond to them.
Abstinence is the only 100% sure way to eliminate health risks associated with sexual activity.
Demonstrate your ability to have self-control
Self-control is a person’s ability to use responsibility to override emotions.

7. Health Risks Unplanned Pregnancy
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)- infections spread from person to person through sexual contact.

8. A Guide to Committing to Abstinence
Establish Priorities- think about your goals, and set priorities that will help you reach them. Consider your family-values.
Set personal limits on how you express affection- Base your limits before you are in a situation where feelings may build.
Share your thoughts with your partner (or future partner)- One sign of a mature, responsible relationship is being able to communicate with your partner openly and honestly. BE SURE TO CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR LIMITS.
Talk with a trusted adult- Parents and other trusted adults are often able to suggest safe and healthful ways for you to manage your feelings.
Avoid high-pressure situations- when possible, go out on dates in a group. Stay away from unsupervised parties and secluded spots.
Do NOT use alcohol or other drugs- The use of alcohol or other drugs interferes with the ability to think clearly. It is also wise to avoid people who are using these substances.

9. Reasons to Practice Abstinence
Sexual activity has many short-term and long-term consequences. In addition to having legal consequences, teen sexual activity can seriously harm an individual’s physical, mental/emotional, and social health.

10. Legal Implications
Sex with a minor (even if both parties are minors) is against the law in many states, CA included.
The law says.... " (b) Any person who engages in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, is guilty of a misdemeanor." 
The age of consent is 18, two 17 year-old teens who engage in sexual activity are breaking the law.
People who are arrested for and convicted of breaking sexual laws go to jail. Depending on the situation, they may be identified as sex offenders- a label that will follow them for the rest of their lives. This label can harm their careers and future relationships.

11. Effects on Physical Health
Unplanned pregnancy- Think about how an unplanned pregnancy would affect your life plans- your priorities in life?
Pregnancy is one possible consequence of sexual activity. Teen pregnancy risks the health of both the teen mother and her child. Often , the body of a teen is not sufficiently mature to sustain a healthy pregnancy. This can lead to complications that threaten the lives of mother and baby.
STDs- Teens from years of age are at the greatest risk of contracting STDs. Each year, almost 4 million teens in the US contract some form of STD. If diagnosed early, many STDs can be treated and cured. However, some of these diseases have NO CURE and can have LIFELONG consequences.

12. Cooperative Learning Activity
In a small group- brainstorm the roles and responsibilities of being a parent. Write them on a paper.
Discuss how you are not (or are) prepared to adopt these roles as a teen.

13. Effects on Emotional Health
The teen years are a time of heightened emotions. This is primarily due to changing hormone levels as teens mature into adulthood. Teens are generally not prepared for the emotional commitment of a sexual relationship. Some of the feelings that may result from beginning a sexual relationship during your teen years include:
Hurt if your partner is not as committed to the relationship as you are.
Guilt associated with lying to your parents or others about your sexual activity.
Regret if the relationship results in a break-up, STD, or Pregnancy.

14. Effects on Social Health
Engaging in sexual activity may harm a teen’s relationship with parents/guardians or other family members. When teens become sexually active, they may go beyond the limits that their parents have set for them.
Unplanned pregnancy- teen parents face many challenges such as:
Financial support for their child
Emotional support for their child
Placing plans for college or job training on hold.
Losing friends
Finishing High School

15. Lesson Review Answer the following questions using your notes.
What is abstinence?
Discuss the legal implications of sexual activity as it relates to minors.
What are effective ways to avoid being pressured into sexual activity?
Write a paragraph describing the importance and benefits of abstinence as it relates to emotional and social health.
How can practicing abstinence benefit a teen’s self-image? Explain your answer.

16. Chapter 25 “Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/AIDS
Lesson 1: The Risks of STIs

17. Effectiveness Rates of Contraceptive Methods in Preventing Pregnancy and STDs
Type of Contraceptive
Pregnancy
STDs
Abstinence
100%
Abstinence is the best protection against STDs
Birth Control Pill
95%
No protection against most STDs. Some protection from pelvic inflammatory disease.
Condom
85%
Latex condoms provide a reduction in the risk of some STDs.
Diaphragm
84%
No protection against STDs
Cervical Cap
Spermicide
74%

18. STDs vs. STIs STDs- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
STIs- Sexually Transmitted Infections
…are infectious diseases spread from person to person through sexual contact.
For an infection to occur, a person must have sexual contact with someone who is infected with an STD. It’s also possible that one person will show symptoms of the disease, while the other will not. A person can have an infection, pass the infection to others, without necessarily having the disease.

19. High-Risk Behavior and STDs
Teens who are sexually active are likely to participate in one or more of the following high-risk behaviors.
Being sexually active with more than one person… including having a series of relationships with one person at a time.
Engaging in unprotected sex. Abstinence from sexual activity is the only method that is 100% effective in preventing STDs.
Selecting high-risk partners. (drug abuse or sexual activity)
Using alcohol and other drugs. Alcohol and drug use can lower inhibitions.

20. Cooperative Learning Activity
Imagine this scenario: You and a date go to a party. You become aware that several people at the party are using drugs. Your date says “I’ve always wanted to try that stuff… it would be fun to do it together.” With a partner, list refusal skills you would use in this situation.

21. The Consequences of STDs
STDs are serious infections that can dramatically change the course of a person’s life. Most people are unaware of the consequences of STDs.
Some STDs are incurable. The pathogens that cause these STDs cannot be eliminated from the body by medical treatment, such as antibiotics. The viruses that cause genital herpes and AIDS, for example, remain in the body for life.
Some STDs cause cancer. The hepatitis B virus can cause cancer of the liver. The human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cancer of the cervix. These STDs also cannot be cured and may last a lifetime.

22. Consequences of STDs
Some STDs can cause complications that affect the ability to reproduce. Females can develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which damages reproductive organs and can cause sterility.
Some STDs can be passed from an infected female to her child before, during, or after birth. STDs can damage the bones, nervous system, and brain of a fetus. Premature births can result, and infants infected with STDs at delivery may become blind or develop pneumonia and some may die.

23. Lesson Review
Identify 3 reasons why teens are at high risk for getting an STD.
Explain the relationship between alcohol and other drugs and substances used by adolescents and the role these substances play in unsafe situations such as HIV/STDs.
How are refusal skills related to STD prevention?
Analyze, discuss and communicate the importance and benefits of abstinence as it relates to the prevention of STDs.
Explain and discuss why abstinence from sexual activity is the only method that is 100 % effective in preventing STDs.