1. Abstinence and Assertive Behaviour

2. To be effectively assertive you need to:
know who you are and what you want (have good self-awareness);
understand your rights, including your right to privacy and your right to protect yourself;
have respect for yourself;
have respect for others;
have good communication skills; and
be able to utilise good decision making skills.

3. Decision Making
It is important that you learn to take responsibility for your actions and your decisions, so equally it is important that you are able to make those decisions and not have them made for you.

4. Abstinence

5. Abstinence What is abstinence? Definition:
Abstinence is a deliberate decision to avoid something. People choose to abstain from many different things, such as sweets, meat, candy, tobacco products, voting, alcohol and/or other drugs, and/or sexual activities.
People define sexual abstinence in many different ways. For one person, it may mean no physical contact with potential partners—no kissing, no holding hands. For another, it may mean abstaining from one particular behavior, such as avoiding vaginal intercourse. For the purpose of this exercise, abstinence should mean having no sexual intercourse: vaginal, oral, and/or anal.

6. Why would teenagers choose sexual abstinence?
Religious beliefs risk of pregnancy
risk of STIs personal beliefs
don't want to jeopardize goals not ready for sex
want to wait until married want to wait until out of high school
relationship with parents not interested
not in love
peer pressure

7. Should you not choose abstinence it is essential that you make good decisions in order to protect yourself as far as possible from the negative potential consequences of sexual activity.
Self respect
Healthy and lasting relationship, including:
Healthy communication within the relationship
Ability to negotiate needs within the relationship
Be accurately informed
Know where to go for further information if necessary
Contraception
Always including a condom
Taking responsibility