Discuss As a Group - Why Young People Have Sex? Record on Flip Chart

Delay Activities

Introduction Discuss as a group - Why young people have sex? Record on flip chart

Pressure cooker Write up the two scenarios separately on flip chart paper. Read the Jen scenario to the group;

‘Jen is 15, she comes to the youth clinic to get the pill. Her boyfriend is 15, who she’s been going out with for 3 weeks has told her he’ll have to find someone else if she won’t have sex.’

Ask the group to consider individually the following (don’t share with the wider group at this stage).

 What is Jen feeling?  Thinking?  Wondering?  Anxious about?

Invite the group to stand up and form 2 lines facing each other. Explain that the trainer will take on the role of Jen and that participants will be her thoughts and feelings. The trainer will walk slowly between the 2 lines (and back), each person individually will say something about what they think Jen is feeling, thinking wondering or anxious about. Ask them to say this in the first person e.g. I feel worried that I might lose my boyfriend.

Feedback  How did that feel?  What were Jen’s main concerns?  Any mention of pleasure/desire to have sex or just to keep her boyfriend  Any mention of her own needs, rights, or just those of others.

Introduce the Darren scenario and repeat the format.:

‘Darren is 15. All of his friends say they’ve had sex and he’s tired of being called a poof. So, he’s going to shag a girl before he’s 16 next month.’

 What is Darren feeling?  Thinking?  Wondering?  Anxious about?

Feedback  How many pressures is Darren feeling to prove his masculinity  The fact that a major motivator is wanting to be able to tell his friends  His strong sense of feeling under enormous pressure to perform  This is accompanied by his being in the grip of fears that he may not be able to  Again there may be little reference to his thoughts and feelings to love desire, intimacy or pleasure  It’s possible that Jen and Darren are a couple ………