Thank you for joining me.

This is lesson one of three in a unit all about reproductive health, including alcohol and drugs.

Today's lesson focuses on sex and the impact of alcohol and drugs.

Before embarking on today's lesson, please remember that buying alcohol is illegal under the age of 18, and selling or asking somebody to buy for you alcohol before you're 18 is also illegal.

It's also important to note that most drugs that we might think of when talking about drug taking in the context of today's lesson are also illegal.

There are other units within the Oak suite of lessons on RSHE that will talk in more detail about addiction, about alcohol drinking and abuse, and also about different drugs and their effects and impact, and the legal ramifications associated with those drugs.

My name is Mrs. O'Neill, let's get started.

So, this lesson does deal with aspects of sex and drugs.

So, if those topics are sensitive to you, you might wish to consult with a trusted adult before completing the lesson or have a trusted adult nearby.

In today's lesson, you will need an exercise book and a pen or a pencil, something to write with.

Our agenda for today is as follows, hopefully, you've already completed today's introduction quiz.

We're going to go on to talk about the impact of drugs and alcohol on decision-making.

We're then are going to discuss some issues around consent.

We're going to talk about the risks, both emotional and physical associated with alcohol, drugs and sex.

And then I will direct you to our exit quiz.

So, our key words for today are as follows, risky behaviour, taken as a key term that involves activities that have the potential to be harmful or dangerous.

Inhibitions.

Inhibitions are feelings of embarrassment or a lack of confidence, and they can become lowered under the influence of drink or drugs.

So, you may have heard the term lowered inhibitions or I lost my inhibitions.

And pressure.

In this context, it's about the persuasion and the possible forcing of somebody to behave in a certain way.

So, based on those key terms, what I'd like you to do in a moment is pause the video.

There are three symbols images on the board that I would like you to have a look at now.

And I would like you to match up the correct image or symbol with the correct key term.

So, we have risky behaviour, pressure and inhibitions.

So, which image symbolises which key word? Please pause the video, match those up, jotting down your answers on your piece of paper or your exercise book and press play when you're ready to resume.

Thank you.

Wonderful.

Hopefully, you've now had a chance to match up the key terms with what you think are the correct images or symbols.

Let's see if you're correct.

So, first of all, our middle image that represents the idea of risky behaviour.

We've got a silhouette there of somebody jumping from what looks like one cliff to another over a gaping hole, something that definitely looks like it would be taking an excessive amount of risk, to risky behaviour.

Pressure.

What matches that speak bubble, I promise you will enjoy it.

Perhaps some words that could be used in excessive persuasion perhaps.

And we have somebody who looks quite shy or embarrassed or lacks confidence.

So, that matches our key term inhibitions.

So, let's now look at the impact of alcohol and drugs on decision-making.

Alcohol and drugs make it harder to make good decisions, and that includes decisions about sex.

That's because drugs and alcohol can cloud thinking.

They can make thinking clearly difficult.

Inhibitions are lowered for somebody who has drank alcohol or taken drugs and it can lead to risky behaviour.

Alcohol changes brain chemistry as the drugs, and it changes the way people think and feel.

And therefore, this influence is how people act.

So ,reflecting on the information that we've just gone through, I would like you to now look at the screen and to the four options that you can see.

Which option is not a consequence of alcohol or drug taking? Is it clouds thinking, changes brain chemistry, improving memory or influencing how people think and act.

So, one of those options is not a consequence of alcohol and drugs.

Please point to the correct answer now.

So, see if you're correct.

It's improving memory.

Taking alcohol or drugs does not improve memory.

I will as in a side point say, obviously, somebody who does have memory issues, if they are prescribed specific drugs as medicine for those memory issues and that prescription from a doctor that would be a separate case.

Of course, generally speaking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs does not improve memory.

So, I would like you to pause the video and I'd like you in your own words, reflecting on what we've learned to try and explain why alcohol and drugs have an impact on decision-making.

Please pause the video, jot down your answer and press play when you're ready to continue.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Let's have a look at some answers.

Did you answer include the following points, making it harder to make good decisions, including about sex.

Clouding thinking, lowering inhibitions and leading to risky behaviour.

Changes to brain chemistry and to the way people think and feel and influencing how people act.

Well done if you've got some of those in your answer.

So, let's talk about some issues of consent around drugs, alcohol and sex.

If somebody is incapacitated by drugs or alcohol, so that means they have taken drugs or drank alcohol to the extent that their brain chemistry is altered, that they cannot think in the clear way that they might normally think and that their behaviour may be affected by that.

Then they just cannot consent to sex.

Even if they might be saying that they consent, the effect of the drugs and alcohol on their body, means that that consent is not valid.

For sex, clear, voluntary, coherent and ongoing consent must be given by all participants.

If someone is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it may actually also lead them to pressurise someone to behave in a way that they wouldn't pressurise them and they would never think of pressurising that person in such a way, if they were sober.

But we can't use being under the of drugs or alcohol as an excuse for such behaviour.

So, drugs and alcohol have no impact on matters of consent.

Is that true or is that false? Please point to the screen now, pointing at the correct answer.

Well done if you said it was false.

Alcohol and drug taking can incapacitate people meaning they cannot consent.

In addition, it can also lead to some people pressurising others in ways they wouldn't when sober, although, of course, alcohol and drugs should never excuse such behaviour.

In your own words, I'd like you to explain how drugs and alcohol can impact on matters of consent.

Please pause the video to do that now.

Press play when you're ready to resume.

Thank you.

So, again, you may have mentioned that drugs and alcohol incapacitate people, that consent must be freely given and alcohol and drugs make that situation really tricky for someone to give that consent freely when their brain has been clouded, their thinking has been clouded, their brain chemistry has changed.

And also people may pressurise others in a way that they wouldn't if sober went under the influence of drink or alcohol.

Well, that drink and alcohol and drugs just cannot excuse such behaviour.

Let's talk about the risks both emotional and physical of alcohol, drugs and sex.

We've already talked about risky behaviours.

Alcohol and drugs can lead to risky behaviours.

Examples of risky behaviour might be doing things you wouldn't choose to do when sober.

Doing things you or a partner don't remember or unprotected sex.

Risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, of course, are much higher if sex is undertaken without protection, namely without a barrier methods, such as a condom.

I'd like you to think about someone who's under the influence of drugs or alcohol, which of the following would be classed as risky behaviours and which would be the effects of the risky behaviours.

So, you're categorising the risky behaviour and the effects of the risky behaviour.

I'd like you to pause the video, think about each of the characteristics you see on the screen, categorise it as a risky behaviour or an effect of the risky behaviour.

And when you've done that, for all of the features you see on the screen, press play and resume the video.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for rejoining me, I really hope that you've had a chance to think about the characteristics you see on the screen and have been able to categorise them as a risky behaviour or has an effect of that risky behaviour.

This is a tricky activity, so don't worry if you struggled but let's have a look at the answers.

So, unprotected sex, a risky behaviour.

A physical injury, an effect.

Relationship problems would be an effect.

Painful emotions, an affect.

A dangerous or violent activity, is risky behaviour.

Anxiety, an effect.

Putting sexual pressure on others, is risky behaviour.

Regret is an effect.

Paranoia, an effect.

Memory loss, an effect.

And pressurising others to drink alcohol or being unfaithful to a partner are about risky behaviours.

So, this activity hopefully gives you an idea of some of the examples of the risky behaviours people may carry out if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol that relate to sex.

And it also gives you an idea of what some of the consequences or effects of such risky behaviour might be.

Let's take a look at this scenario.

This is Nicky.

He's in six form and last night he enjoyed an 18th birthday party with friends.

Nicky drank several beers very quickly and had lots of champagne, which he'd never drunk before.

And he woke this morning at a friend's house with no memory of how he got there.

He has a bad cut on his knee.

Nicky can't remember large parts of the evening.

His friend tells him that they enjoyed kissing in the previous night and that's a shock for Nicky, who already has a partner that he's committed to.

He doesn't remember kissing anybody.

So, I'd like you to think about the possible effects and possible impact of Nicky's alcohol drinking on this occasion.

Can you please pause the video, make a list of some of the effects of Nicky's alcohol drinking.

Pause the video to do that now.

Press play when you've done that.

Thank you.

Wonderful.

Thank you so much for giving that a go 'cause this is a tricky task.

Let's have a look at some potential answers.

So, some effects and the possible impact of Nickyi's alcohol drinking on this occasion.

Memory loss, we saw that in the scenario, embarrassment, poor decision-making, living with the consequences of that.

He might have possible relationship problems with his partner if they were to find out or Nicky wants to come up front about the fact that he has kissed somebody.

Regret, physical injury, he already has a cut on his knee, he doesn't remember how that occurred.

And emotional pain and worry associated with all of these issues.

Let's just take this scenario a little bit further with a little bit more challenge.

Next time Nicky attends a party or celebration where alcohol is involved, how might he prevent the same issues being repeated? Jot down some ideas now just for a moment.

Okay, did you come up with any ideas of how Nicky may prevent the same issues being repeated? Ideas I've got are that, you know, he might decide just not to drink alcohol.

He may decide it's too risky and he doesn't want to drink alcohol at all.

And that would be perfectly reasonable choice for Nicky to make.

And hopefully, his friends would support that decision.

He might before the next event or party or outing where alcohol's involved, educate himself a bit more about the effects of alcohol.

He might choose to drink alcohol but to drink sensibly in moderation.

He might consider the friendship group that he's out celebrating with, perhaps identify a buddy and that they have promised to look after each other.

This is not an exhausted list.

There were all the things, perhaps that you've come with, other ideas, but it just perhaps important to take the message of being mindful before going out and drinking and acting in a way that you're not used to acting.

This is not a full exhaustive list.

This list is just merely some ideas of things that people might want to undertake in order to prevent similar occurrences to Nicky's previous experience that we read about.

Some preventative measures that might lead to less risky behaviour and less worrying consequences, going forward.

Now, if any of these issues around sex, drugs, alcohol, are concerning for you, please do speak to a trusted adult.

You might want to speak to your health professional like a school nurse, a GP or visit a sexual health clinic for advice.

There are also organisations such as Talk to Frank who can give help for drugs and alcohol in terms of advice about drugs and alcohol or Brook who you'll find online, he can help with issues around sexual health.

As a final reflection today, please remember the link between alcohol, drugs and potentially risky behaviours, including sexual.

And think about the negative impact both physically and emotionally that drinking alcohol or taking drugs may have, especially, in relation to sex.

Thinking about these issues before an occasion occurs where someone is perhaps under the influence of alcohol and finds himself in a situation that is risky, might prevent that situation leading to painful emotions and regret.

It's definitely worth thinking about first.

Thank you so much for joining me in today's lesson.

Please don't forget to complete our exit quiz.

And I look forward to joining you in the next lesson of this unit.

Thank you, goodbye!.