Relationships & Sex

An increasingly popular aspect of our educational work is our Sex and Relationships conferences and talks.  In our experience, there remains a great deal of confusion about these subjects, and young people receive a barrage of dangerous conflicting messages from their peers, from their elders and from the media.  They face challenges and threats that young people a generation ago did not, in general, need to worry about; not just an epidemic of STIs, but an ever more sexualised culture in which a person's worth as an individual is increasingly linked to their perceived sexual desirability.

What LIFE tries to do is help teenagers to navigate the maze of adolescent sexuality with integrity, self-respect and courage.  We suggest a profoundly counter-cultural sexual ethic, by putting forward a different vision of sexual relationships:

• We let young people know the facts: that sex is an intimate and personal experience which should be respected and valued.  Premature, careless or casual sex can lead not only to STIs and unplanned pregnancy, but can also be a source of regret, sadness and resentment in the long-term. 
• Therefore, we help young people to understand that we are most likely to find sexual satisfaction in a committed, stable, long-term relationship, and promote the message of saved sex.
• We reiterate to young people that not everyone is having sex; that you can say “no”.  We find that this message is particularly welcome, especially with young women and girls. 
• Young people are encouraged to expect permanence, fidelity and trust in their sexual relationships. 
• Our conferences aim to stimulate debate about what we look for in a relationship    
• We stress the value of commitment and point out - in a scientific and factual way - the personal, emotional and medical repercussions of premature sexual activity.
• We give young people full and frank information; about STIs, about sex, about how their bodies work.  (We are constantly shocked by how little pupils, especially girls, know about their own reproductive systems!)