Preparing for Grade 6 Sexual Health Education

Transcription

1 Preparing for Grade 6 Sexual Health Education Dear Parent/Guardian: Grade 6 students will be receiving 4 hours of instruction from one of our district Sexual Health Education teachers soon. The classroom teacher will be present during the lessons and can answer questions you may have about the lessons. The following are the topics for Sexual Health Education in grade 6. Please use the questions that follow to help prepare your child for their upcoming sexual health education lessons. Please note that the following letter outlines the main information covered, but other topics relating to the lesson may be discussed in an age appropriate manner in response to questions asked by students in class. Grade 6 Topics: Communicable diseases including sexually transmitted infections and prevention. Physical, social and emotional changes during puberty. Male and female reproductive systems and their functions. Conception and pregnancy. Learning about and having respect for differences between individuals. Boundaries and personal safety, how to say no. Discussion questions to talk about with your child before they come to sexual health lessons: What is the difference between communicable and non-communicable diseases? Communicable diseases (ex. Flu) can be spread or contracted from person to person or from contact with infected items while non-communicable diseases are not transmittable between people (ex. Heart disease). What are some ways that diseases can be spread? Communicable diseases can be spread through things like: sneezes or coughs, skin to skin contact, sharing items like brushes, makeup or razors, eating without washing hands, kissing, blood to blood contact, and sexual contact among others. What can a person do to prevent themselves from contracting diseases or passing it onto others? A person could maintain a healthy lifestyle, get vaccines, avoid contact with blood, cover nose/mouth when sneezing/coughing, avoid dirty needles, abstain from sexual contact, avoid contaminated items(ex. needles and condoms), and not share drinks.

2 How are you the same as others around you? How are you different? You will notice that other people your age will go through puberty at different rates. Other people will also have different thoughts and feelings about puberty as they grow up and that's ok. Ask your child how they feel about puberty. When does a person begin to go through puberty? Male bodies start between 9-17 years while female bodies start between 8-16 years. Genetics- How old biological parents were when they began puberty can sometimes indicate when their children will go through puberty. Individual Differences Activity level/diet/stress relates to body fat so female bodies that are more active and have low % body fat, may tend to go through puberty later than others who have a higher % body fat. What changes do only male bodies go through? They get wider shoulders and chest, a deeper voice, facial hair, and also the penis and testicles grow larger. Erections occur more often as a result of hormones. Erections happen when blood flows into the penis causing it to become hard and stand out and away from the body. They happen spontaneously for no apparent reason and also due to attractions to others as they get older. Testicles start to produce sperm and male bodies will eventually be able to ejaculate. An ejaculation happens when an involuntary set of muscular contractions pushes out about a tablespoon of fluid called semen from the erect penis while asleep. Urination and ejaculation cannot happen at the same time. How does the male reproductive system work? Talk about the main parts (penis, testicles, scrotum, foreskin) of the male reproductive system. Talk about the difference between a circumcised and uncircumcised penis. This may also be an important time to talk about reasons for your child being circumcised or not. The purpose of the sperm cell is to pass on the father's genetic information when a baby is formed. This happens when the sperm from the male fertilizes the egg from the female. What changes do only female bodies go through? Female bodies will get larger breasts, wider hips, vaginal discharge, start releasing eggs (ovulation), and get a period (menstruate). Mention that periods often start about 2 years after they have breast development, hair growth in their underarms and genital area and have a whitish vaginal discharge that is noticeable in their underwear. Some people use panty-liners to absorb this discharge if it is heavy. How does the female reproductive system work? Talk about the main parts of the female reproductive system (vulva, vagina, uterus, ovaries). Once female hormones are released, the ovaries start to release mature eggs (0vulation). The egg travels through the fallopian tube to the uterus. The lining of the uterus becomes thick with blood to eventually be able to nourish a fertilized egg. If the egg doesn t

3 get fertilized by the sperm while in the fallopian tube, the blood and tissue in the uterus is not needed because there is no pregnancy, it exits the female s body through the vagina. This is called menstruation and looks like blood. Explain how this happens approximately monthly until they are about 50 years old. How to keep track of periods. What if a period happens at school? Periods last for 3-7 days and occur once every 28 days or so. It s not unusual to get a first period and then not get another again for a few months. Marking the first day of a period on a calendar can help to predict when future periods may begin (about 28 days later). If at school, the office has supplies or they can be carried in a school bag. If you have not yet, this would be a good time to talk to your child about pads and purchase some size appropriate ones. With females, discuss the use of panty-liners, pads, and tampons. We suggest to students that they should discuss with parents what to use for protection. Ask them what might happen if a tampon is left in the vagina for too long(toxic shock syndrome). Please talk about frequency of changing pads(2-6 hours)/tampons(max 6 hours) as well as how they are used and discarded. What do you know about conception and pregnancy? Talk about how it takes a sperm cell from the male body and an egg cell from the female body to create a pregnancy. Sexual intercourse is normally required in order for this to take place. Talk about your experiences with pregnancy. What are personal boundaries? Why is it important to have them? Boundaries are our own rules about what is ok and not ok for ourselves. Boundaries help us to stay safe. Learning what your personal boundaries are and saying "no" to stay within them is a way to stay healthy as kids go through puberty. Think of some ways you can say "no." Think of and discuss safety in situations that may be cause for concern such as being approached by strangers, meeting people online and being aware of uncomfortable situations that "just don't feel right". Teach kids to listen to their instincts and talk to a safe adult about it. Things to talk about with your child after their sexual health lessons: How did your sexual health education lessons go? Do you have any questions you would like to ask me? Is there anything you need in order to be ready for this thing called puberty? How can I help with that? How are you feeling about puberty? Do you have someone who is a safe adult for you?

4 The following resources may be helpful: Webpages: sd23.bc.ca/programsservices/sexualhealtheducation kidshealth.org teachingsexualhealth.ca Books: Am I Weird or Is This Normal? Marlin S, Potash and Laura Potash Fruitman: Fireside, The Boy's Body Book Kelli Dunham: Applesauce Press, The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls, Valerie Schaefer: American Girl Publishing, *The American Girl Series for girls' aged 8 and up, offer valuable support and guidance on a range of emotional and academic issues associated with growing up. The Guy Book: An Owner's Manual Mavis Jukes: Crown Books for Young Readers, It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up and Sexual Health Robie H. Harris: Candlewick Press, The Looks Book: A Whole New Approach to Beauty, Body Image and Style Esther Drill: Penguin Paperbacks, Let's Talk About Sex Robie H. Harris: Walker Books, My Body, My Self for Boys Lynda Madaras and Area Madaras: Newmarket Press, My Body, My Self for Girls Lynda Madaras and Area Madaras: Newmarket Press, Puberty Boy Geoff Price: Allen & Unwin, Puberty Girl Shushann Movsessian: Allen & Unwin Thank-you for preparing your child for their sexual health lessons. The Sexual Health Team Jenny Rabinovitch, Leanne Woodrow and Nicole Weremy

5 Sexual Health Education Central Okanagan Public Schools Opting for Alternate Means of Instruction Only return the bottom of this page if your child will NOT be participating in the Sexual Health Education lessons at your school. If you DO NOT wish your child to receive this program and will instead be covering it at home please return the bottom portion of this letter as soon as possible so that your child's teacher is aware. Please contact your classroom teacher if you have any further questions. My child WILL NOT be receiving sexual health education offered through Central Okanagan Public Schools. Instead, I am opting to cover this content with my child at home. Please return this portion to your teacher. Child s name (please print) Grade Parent s name (please print) Parent signature: