Today's lesson will concern aspects of sexual health and sexual relationships.

It might be a lesson that you feel more comfortable with a trusted adult nearby while you complete it, or with someone available to help answer any questions or for you to discuss aspects that may be sensitive to you.

So please ensure that you have your exercise book or a piece of paper at hand and a pen, something to write with, so that you can complete today's lesson.

Go and grab those things now, if you haven't got them.

So, during today's lesson, you will have started by completing today's introduction quiz, which I hope you've already done, and at the end, I will direct you toward our exit quiz.

The learning in between those quizzes is going to involve looking at the positives of intimate relationships, potential negatives of intimate relationships, first experiences and future sexual health.

There's a link between those two, which we're going to explain later on.

And that brings us to our keywords.

So sexual health.

That term sexual health, it's about enjoying safe and happy sexual experiences without yourself or others suffering emotional or physical harm or coercion.

We talked about coercion last lesson, where people feel forced or threatened into acting in a certain way or taking part in certain actions, whether that be sex or other things through being forced or threatened.

We're going to talk about physical, emotional, mental, and reproductive health as aspects of one's overall sexual health.

So sometimes people might presume sexual health is only about sexually transmitted infections, which they're often referred to as STIs, as I will call them in today's lesson.

They are infections that can cause physical issues, for example.

Well, sexual health is about more than that.

It is about different aspects of health.

It's about avoiding harm as well and coercion.

So all of the things together, all the different kinds of aspects of sexual health come together, really, and that's the message I want to get across to you today.

Sexual health doesn't simply mean sexually transmitted infections, although of course we do need to talk about those, 'cause it's really important you understand what they are and what problems they can cause for you, and what you would need to do if you thought you had a sexually transmitted infection.

So sexual health refers only to physical health and whether someone has an STI or not.

Is that true or false? Please point to the correct answer now.

It is of course false, because physical, mental, emotional and reproductive health, which is our ability to produce children, to get pregnant, or to make somebody pregnant, are aspects of one's overall sexual health.

Lots of different aspects of health come into the bracket of sexual health, and that's the key message I want you to take from the first part of today's lesson.

So let's recall and think back to last lesson, where we talked about sexual pressure within a healthy relationship.

What type of behaviours would be classed as sexual pressure within a healthy relationship? Please think back and try and identify some behaviours that can be classed as sexual pressure, so that we can refresh our memories from last lesson.

Jot your answers down now and pause the video.

Thank you.

Wonderful to have you back.

Let's remind ourselves of what you would expect in a respectful relationship where there is no sexual pressure.

Somebody shouldn't be using positives to pressure someone into having sex.

They shouldn't be saying, "Oh, you'll really enjoy it.

It will be amazing," in order to convince and pressure and manipulate someone into sex.

There should be no threats of any kind.

Now, obviously, a threat to end the relationship if the partner refused to take part in sexual activity or bullying or manipulation of any kind are all forms of sexual pressure.

And in fact, if those threats or bullying become forceful with a potential to cause real harm, that becomes coercion, which is a more extreme form of pressure, and in many cases would be considered illegal.

We can never assume consent.

It's always necessary to be absolutely clear that the other person is fully willing to take part in whichever sexual activity it is that you are asking them to be part of and to be involved in.

We can't assume it.

We need to get that definite yes, and sometimes what people might be saying might not match the behaviour.

We need to watch out for how people might be feeling pressurised but scared to say so.

We shouldn't expect somebody to have sex just because they've had sex before, and equally, if you've consented to one type of sexual activity does not mean consent has been given for other types.

So these are the aspects of sexual pressure that we explored last lesson, and it relates very much to today's lesson, where we're exploring sexual health, because in a relationship where there is pressure, sexual pressure, that might take its toll on somebody's mental or emotional health, which, as we've already discussed, all comes under the remit of sexual health when we're considering that.

So someone's sexual health is not going to be positive should pressure be in existence.

So there's real links between last lesson and this lesson, which I wanted you to be aware of.

So what are the positives of intimate relationships? We've been looking at the negatives quite a bit, looking at potential for pressure, et cetera, but let's just remind ourselves of the positives here, because the positives of intimate relationships will affect our sexual health and will lead to our sexual health being positive.

So it's really important we reflect on what a positive intimate relationship actually is.

So sex can play a role in a loving romantic relationship between adults, and choices people make about sex can positively affect their physical, emotional, mental, sexual, reproductive health.

So sex can be a really positive thing in the right circumstances.

It can lead to those feelings of intimacy, okay, and might make people feel more fulfilled in their life.

It can lead to physical pleasure for both partners, and sex can lead, of course, to a wanted pregnancy, which may be fulfilling.

It may be something that really excites a couple who wants to start a family.

So lots of pleasures and positives there in all sorts of ways from intimate relationships.

However, I want you to now reflect on which of these options is not a positive aspect of intimate relationships.

A wanted pregnancy, physical pleasure, feeling of intimacy, or regretting having sex.

So one of these is not positive.

Can you please point to the answer that is not a positive aspect of intimate relationships now? So let's see if you're correct.

Regretting having sex.

Of course, that isn't a positive aspect of an intimate relationship.

The other examples on the screen there are all potential positives having intimate relationships, but having sex and regretting it afterwards for whatever reason certainly wouldn't a positive experience.

So we want to avoid those potential negatives of intimate relationships.

So in order to learn about what the potential positives and negatives of intimate relationships are in a little bit more depth, there's a table here with six phrases, but I want you to organise them into two lists, please.

List one will be a list of the potential positives of intimate relationships, and list two, the potential negatives.

So please, on your piece of paper or your exercise book, write out your two lists from the table that is on-screen.

See as an extra challenge if you can add any more to your lists.

Pause the video to do that now.

Thank you for re-joining me.

Let's have a look at your two lists and see if they align with mine.

So the potential positives of intimate relationships.

Feeling of intimacy, a wanted pregnancy, and physical pleasure for both partners.

They're the potential positives of intimate relationships, and you may have identified more, but the potential negatives are getting a sexually transmitted infection, also known as an STI, an unplanned pregnancy, or feelings of regret.

First experiences of sexual intimate relationships have a definite and direct link on future sexual health.

So think about this topic.

I'd like us to consider this scenario.

Here, we've got Joseph, and when Joseph wanted to have sex with his boyfriend for the first time, he did not want to put pressure on him, and he used the above statement.

"I really care about you, and I think I'd like us to have sex, but only when you feel ready.

What do you think?" So how do you think Joseph's approach to discussing sex might link to positive sexual health? Now, as you're considering this, do you remember that the legal age of sexual consent is 16 in both same sex and opposite sex relationships? Press pause, jot some notes down, and when you're ready, press play.

Okay, so you may have considered some of the following in your response to the scenario about Joseph, and about the statement that he used when discussing wanting to have sex the first time with his boyfriend.

So there is a link between future sexual health and someone's first sexual experience, and evidence suggests that future sexual health is better if the following applies to a person's first experience of sex.

Willingness of both partners to have sex, that they both are able to and do consent, not reacting to peer pressure, and not being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, using reliable contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies and using reliable protection against STIs.

So you may have included some of those ideas in your answer to the previous task, particularly about not putting pressure on his partner.

Joseph really wanted to make sure that he was comfortable.

But those four bullet points are applicable to both heterosexual, opposite sex relationships, and also same sex relationships, apart from their using contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

So let's have a look at our scenario here.

Izzy and John had been in a relationship for some time and are now both 16.

John's felt unready for sex for some time, but this has changed over time for him.

So we're going to have a look at what John says here.

Now, you might remember we've met Izzy and John in previous lessons in this unit, and in previous lessons, if you've completed them, you might remember that John was not ready for sex, but through the healthy relationship he had with Izzy and the healthy communication, she was happy to wait until he was ready.

So let's listen to what John says now that their relationship has become a sexual relationship.

"I'm so glad I waited until I felt emotionally ready for sex.

I really care about Izzy, and she was really patient with me, made sure I was comfortable.

Lots of my friends have had sex and were making fun of me because I hadn't.

I'm glad I ignored them.

Myself and Izzy purchased condoms together so we were prepared and safe.

Condoms will help protect us from pregnancy.

I know we aren't ready for that yet!" So.

I'd like you to explain why John's first sexual experience can be seen as positive.

Can you please pause the video to write your explanation down, and then press play when you've written your explanation, your response to what John has said, and then we can talk through to see if your answer matches mine.

Please pause the video now Thank you so much.

Let's have a look at a potential explanation that might match your explanation, at least in part, if not wholly.

So John's first sexual experience was positive because he and Izzy waited until he was ready.

They ignored the peer pressure.

This meant he was less likely to suffer negative emotions and regret afterwards.

Izzy and John also used a condom, helping to protect their mental and physical health, because obviously, the condom is going to help protect against STIs, and although that's unlikely because this was that first time together, it's still really important to be aware that to be fully safe and protected from STIs, a condom should always be worn, if you're unsure in any capacity.

And his mental health is going to be protected, because he's not ready to have a baby, and using a condom is going to protect against all unwanted pregnancy.

And that's really, really important that, for all of these reasons, we can identify that John's first sexual experience was positive.

They were prepared.

They discussed it.

They ignored peer pressure.

There was patience involved and healthy communication, and that all resulted in his first sexual experience being really positive, so in the future, whether with Izzy or with future partners, it's likely that John's sexual health in the future is going to be healthy, too.

And we can make that prediction based on research that links first sexual experiences to people's future sexual health.

So, final reflection today.

What is the most important thing people can do to protect their sexual health? I would like you at the end of this video to write that down, and I would like you to keep that more importantly in your brain going forward, so that when you have sexual relationships in the future, if you choose to do so, you can keep in your mind knowledge of what the most important thing is you need to do to protect yourself to ensure that your sexual health remains positive in your future.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

I really hope that I'm going to see you again in our next lesson on intimate relationships, positivity, and health.

Please don't forget to complete today's exit quiz.

Thank you.

Goodbye.