Issues We Notice

Here are some of the issues we notice when working with young people at risk around sexual health:

• Homophobia
• Hyper Gender Behaviour
• Coercion
• Lack of knowledge of sex/bodies
• No opportunities to talk about pleasure
• Communication about sexuality
• Isolation
• High Rates of STIs
• Depression
• Medications and how they effect sexual health
• Abuse 
• Unplanned Pregnancy
• Sex for favours
• Violence
• Abuse
• Not Accessing Services
• WORKERS ATTITUDES
• CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THIS STUFF WITH SOMEONE WHO KNOWS

Positive Sex and Relationships are a skill

Positive Sexual Health and Relationships require  knowledge

Maintaining Positive Sexual Health is an Attitude

I was always taught in my VET training that skills+knowledge+attitude= competency.

Well how about we as a country start looking at Sexual health in the same way we look at other skills and fields of knowledge. Lets provide opportunities for young people to develop competencies in these areas, lets teach the skills, lets extend the knowledge. Maybe if we do this we wont have to make such a long negative list of issues. Wouldn't it be nice to have the following as our list of issues:

Good orgasms

Happy relationships

Great communication around sex and sexuality

Acceptance of Diversity

Feelings of inclusiveness

Challenging damaging gender roles

I'm not dreaming here: This IS possible