Sex ed helps parents communicate with teens
Changes during puberty are topic of class
Parents and their pre-teen girls routinely attend a community outreach class called Beyond Basics at Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge, LA. The class is held three times each month, and the 35 seats fill quickly. The audience response is proof that the curriculum, fostering communication between pre-teens and their parents about bodily and emotional changes in puberty, meets community needs.
"We developed the curriculum from the calls we received from members of the community," says Joey Lee, MEd, community education and family life coordinator at Woman's Hospital.
To augment Body Basics, two other platforms were developed. They are Beyond Basics for the young teen and Sex, Truth, and Consequences for the teen-ager. Curriculum for each class includes:
· Body Basics. In separate classes for girls ages 9 to 11 and boys ages 11 to 13, the physical and emotional changes that take place during puberty are explained. Girls learn about menstruation, proper hygiene, and a little about boys' puberty. Boys learn about male and female puberty.
"The boys class goes into a little more detail on the girls so they understand and know why it is important for little boys not to dig in girls' purses," explains Lee. Both classes discuss the proper terms for body parts.
· Beyond Basics. Curriculum for this class was developed based on program evaluations from the Body Basics class. As a result, more information on sexual intercourse and sexuality were added. Discussion includes unrealistic stereotypes of men and women perpetuated by advertising, friendship and the qualities friends should have, and the different ways teens can respond to peer pressure.
The first portion of the two-hour class covers communication, values, and goals. The second portion covers sexual intercourse and sexually transmitted diseases. Beyond Basics is aimed at teens 12 to 14 years old. Although curriculum is the same for both male and female students, the sexes are separated.
· Sex, Truth, and Consequences. This class is for teens ages 15 to 18 years old and is taught to a mixed audience. "We are trying to teach sexual responsibility and make them aware of the sexually transmitted diseases," explains Lee.
In addition to sexual responsibility and STDs, male and female anatomy and physiology are reviewed along with information on how to make healthy choices. At the beginning of the class, students are given a quiz about myths and realities of sex. True-and-false statements include: a woman cannot get pregnant if she has sex standing; a woman can get pregnant from a toilet seat; and taking birth control pills will prevent STDs.
Parents are not welcome at this class. "There are some things teens want to know, but they don't want their parents to know they are asking," Lee explains.
Parents are required to attend the Body Basics class with their sons or daughters and are strongly encouraged to come to the Beyond Basics class. These classes are designed to help foster discussion between parent and child. "Our goal is to give them basic information so the parent knows how to talk to the child at home and is starting to communicate," says Lee.
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