delay is

Delay is

1. Supporting young people to make choices about sex that feel right for them and helping them to decide when they are really ready

2. Giving young people the skills to say ‘no’ to pressure they come under to have sex e.g. from peers, boy/girlfriends, the media and cultural assumptions

3. Ensuring all young people have access to excellent SRE which offers them space to grow in emotional awareness and self-esteem, in understanding themselves and others as well as the more ‘mechanical’ issues such as how to use condoms properly, contraception and accessing services and support

4. Giving young people friendship skills so they can meet many of their social and emotional needs through friends rather than looking to sex to deliver this

5. Balancing messages that it’s fine to delay sex till it’s a positive decision with good, accurate information and the skills to negotiate sex when they do choose to take this step – and being positive about intimacy, sex & pleasure

6. Discussing with young people what makes a good relationship and how to explore non-sexual ways of being intimate and close to someone

7. Understanding that many young people we work with won’t be having sex – in fact the majority under 16 won’t – and some won’t be happy with the sex they are having, and making this clear in how we work with them

8. Being clear that this is relevant to all young people – heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and those questioning their sexuality

9. Giving the message that sex isn’t a treadmill – you can get off. Just because you’ve already had sex doesn’t mean you have to go on – you can take time out for yourself and stop for a while till you know you’re ready

10. AND ….alongside all of this providing excellent high-quality sexual health services and support which enable young people to access condoms, contraception, emergency contraception, abortion and support for choices about sexuality – as well as a place to talk about relationships, sex and sexuality and to get support for saying ‘no’ to unwanted sex

 

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