LGBTQ:
LESSON: Let’s Talk About Latex
Open by stressing the importance of abstinence, the only 100% guaranteed way to prevent STDs and Teen Pregnancy. Point out the meaning of abstinence: choosing not to have vaginal, anal or oral sex.
We know that not everyone is going to choose abstinence so it’s important to talk about protecting yourself if abstinence is not your choice.
Remind the students:
Explain to the students that there are still many teens who consider that oral sex is not sex and that pregnancy or an STD won’t happen to them as they long as they practice oral sex.
Also, transmission of STDs during anal sex is another important issue. While the male condom is often commonly discussed, awareness about other forms of barrier protection remains a real problem.
Tell the class that we are going to break into teams to design a new website addressing barrier methods of protection. All material for this site has to be school-appropriate. That is, teachers throughout this school and in other schools in our community would be able to show it in their classes without problems with any of the language or imagery shown.
The teams may be divided as follows:
Sample Sources You May Find Useful to Discuss with Your Teams: (Caution: A few of these links take you to YouTube where there are a range of video. It is highly suggested that you view all links prior to suggesting them to students and download any YouTube videos of interest to show later to your students rather than sending them to YouTube directly.)
Male Condom
Check out this video from Planned Parenthood: How To Use A Condom
This commercial can be used to inspire some good ideas about condom use to prevent pregnancy: Banned Commercial - Condoms
Marvin Cartoon (again, while the stress here is on vaginal sex, the cartoon offers an alternative way to stress some important issues about condom use)
Female Condom
Questions and Answers about Female Condom: Planned Parenthood
Instructions on how to use female condom: See CondomDepot and Planned Parenthood
Video with teens describing use of female condom: See The Female Condom: Take Control of What's Inside!, and Female Condom PSA
Dental Dams
This group should be certain that their section of the site discusses how to make a dam, and how to use a dental dam for both oral and anal sex.
Teen Friendly site, Sex, Etc. explains the use of dental dams
Planned Parenthood Provides Info for teens
Sample video describing use of a dental dam on a vagina
General resource with other valuable sites to check
Presentation of the results of each team’s brainstorming to the class. You may also wish to have each team member write a short essay describing what they learned from trying to put together their part of the site, their analysis and evaluation of the material they found online to guide them and their thoughts about how effective their work would be if they were able to actually take the next step, developing it and placing it online.
LESSON: Let’s Talk About Latex
Overview
LGBTQ youth have told us that teachers presenting sexual health in their schools can be counted on to take a heteronormative approach. That is, the approach taken assumes that all relationships of a sexual nature are opposite sex relationships. These relationships are the ones that are assumed to be normal. LGBTQ youth feel excluded from the discussion and strongly feel that when the discussion focuses only on a penis penetrating a vagina, it remains irrelevant for meeting the needs of all members of a class. As one youth expressed this issue to us, “Not everyone is going to decide to have vaginal sex, and when they make other choices, they need to know how to protect themselves.”
This lesson involves students in creating their own website for a teen audience focused on barrier protection for vaginal, anal and oral sex.
LGBTQ youth have told us that teachers presenting sexual health in their schools can be counted on to take a heteronormative approach. That is, the approach taken assumes that all relationships of a sexual nature are opposite sex relationships. These relationships are the ones that are assumed to be normal. LGBTQ youth feel excluded from the discussion and strongly feel that when the discussion focuses only on a penis penetrating a vagina, it remains irrelevant for meeting the needs of all members of a class. As one youth expressed this issue to us, “Not everyone is going to decide to have vaginal sex, and when they make other choices, they need to know how to protect themselves.”
This lesson involves students in creating their own website for a teen audience focused on barrier protection for vaginal, anal and oral sex.
Level:
High School
Time: 2+ days (brainstorm and present to class)
Goal: Reinforce the importance of barrier protection for one’s sexual health.
Objectives:
Time: 1 class period
Preparation and Materials:
Time: 2+ days (brainstorm and present to class)
Goal: Reinforce the importance of barrier protection for one’s sexual health.
Objectives:
- Review correct use of male condoms
- Introduce and discuss female condoms
- Discuss importance of barrier protection for not only vaginal sex but also oral and anal sex
- Introduce and discuss the use of dental dams
Time: 1 class period
Preparation and Materials:
- Access to Internet
Procedures
Open by stressing the importance of abstinence, the only 100% guaranteed way to prevent STDs and Teen Pregnancy. Point out the meaning of abstinence: choosing not to have vaginal, anal or oral sex.
We know that not everyone is going to choose abstinence so it’s important to talk about protecting yourself if abstinence is not your choice.
Remind the students:
- When talking about having SEX, we’re talking about not only vaginal sex, but also oral and anal sex.
- STDs are transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex.
- When talking about protection, we have to talk about protection for vaginal, anal and oral sex.
Explain to the students that there are still many teens who consider that oral sex is not sex and that pregnancy or an STD won’t happen to them as they long as they practice oral sex.
Also, transmission of STDs during anal sex is another important issue. While the male condom is often commonly discussed, awareness about other forms of barrier protection remains a real problem.
Activity
Tell the class that we are going to break into teams to design a new website addressing barrier methods of protection. All material for this site has to be school-appropriate. That is, teachers throughout this school and in other schools in our community would be able to show it in their classes without problems with any of the language or imagery shown.
The teams may be divided as follows:
- Website Design Team: This team will determine the look and feel of a site
that would attract high school age teens. They will select the site name, site
address, look of the home page, site logo, etc.
- Male Condom section
- Female Condom section
- Dental Dam section
Sample Sources You May Find Useful to Discuss with Your Teams: (Caution: A few of these links take you to YouTube where there are a range of video. It is highly suggested that you view all links prior to suggesting them to students and download any YouTube videos of interest to show later to your students rather than sending them to YouTube directly.)
Male Condom
Check out this video from Planned Parenthood: How To Use A Condom
This commercial can be used to inspire some good ideas about condom use to prevent pregnancy: Banned Commercial - Condoms
Marvin Cartoon (again, while the stress here is on vaginal sex, the cartoon offers an alternative way to stress some important issues about condom use)
Female Condom
Questions and Answers about Female Condom: Planned Parenthood
Instructions on how to use female condom: See CondomDepot and Planned Parenthood
Video with teens describing use of female condom: See The Female Condom: Take Control of What's Inside!, and Female Condom PSA
Dental Dams
This group should be certain that their section of the site discusses how to make a dam, and how to use a dental dam for both oral and anal sex.
Teen Friendly site, Sex, Etc. explains the use of dental dams
Planned Parenthood Provides Info for teens
Sample video describing use of a dental dam on a vagina
General resource with other valuable sites to check
Assessment
Presentation of the results of each team’s brainstorming to the class. You may also wish to have each team member write a short essay describing what they learned from trying to put together their part of the site, their analysis and evaluation of the material they found online to guide them and their thoughts about how effective their work would be if they were able to actually take the next step, developing it and placing it online.