An Overview of Human

Sexuality
Center for Development of Human Services
Institute for Community Health Promotion
SUNY Buffalo State

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

Center for Development of Human Services
Institute for Community Health Promotion
SUNY Buffalo State
_______________________________________
Acknowledgement
This material was developed by the Center for Development of Human Services
(CDHS), Institute for Community Health Promotion, SUNY Buffalo State under
a training and administrative services agreement with the New York State
Office of Children and Family Services.
Disclaimer
While every effort has been made to provide accurate and complete
information, the Office of Children and Family Services and the State of New
York assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information
provided herein and make no representations or warranties about the suitability
of the information contained here for any purpose. All information and
documents are provided “as is,” without a warranty of any kind.
For information about this and other training programs, please visit:
http://cdhs.buffalostate.edu

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

 Introductions
• Name
• Where you live
• Length of time fostering
• One expectation of training

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Objectives
• Define sexuality
• Identify normal patterns of development
• Describe motivations of sexually active teens
• Define sexual responsibility
• Promote child’s healthy sexual development
• Assess media messages to youth
• Identify and dispel common myths about sex
• List major methods of contraception

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Take a Stand –
Agree or Disagree…
• Men and women are different in their
feelings and desires
• Women should stay home to care for
children
• Parents should share feelings about their
sexuality
• Girls should not ask boys out
• Sex should be reserved for marriage

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

Agree or Disagree – con’t
• Birth control is the woman’s responsibility
• Teens should be scared into abstinence by
seeing those dying of AIDS
• Masturbation is healthy and natural
• Either sex should feel free to initiate
sexual acts

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 My Parents Told Me..
1. Identify recorders • Money
and reporters • Friendship
2. Break into small • Love
groups • Relationships
3. Identify your • Being Gay/Lesbian
parents’ message
about each topic • Marriage
4. Do you agree or • Sex
disagree with their • Masturbation
message? • Being a Man/Woman

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Approaches to Convey
Message

• Telling/Moralizing

• Modeling

• Clarifying Values

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Small Group Activity
1. Share message you want • Money
to convey about topic
• Friendship
2. Identify approach you’d • Love
use: • Relationships
– Telling/Moralizing
• Being Gay/Lesbian
– Modeling
– Clarifying values • Marriage
• Sex
• Masturbation
• Being a Man/Woman

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Human Sexuality
• Is a function of the total personality
• Is universal and connected to all developmental
areas
• Includes biological processes
• Includes self-concept
• Expressed in interactions with either sex
• Includes sexual orientation
• Is powerfully influenced by religion, culture,
family and friends

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 SEX
• Biological qualities particular to the
male and female
• Encompasses the biological processes
associated with reproduction
• Entails behavior specific to sexual
relations

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 LGBTQ and more
Definitions

• Sexual orientation • Gay

• Gender identity • Bisexual
• Gender expression • Transgender
• Lesbian • Questioning

A Straight Guide to
LGTB Americans
www.hrc.org

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

Sexual Development

• Physical
• Emotional
• Mental
• Social
• Moral

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Life Cycle of Sexuality

• Birth to 3 years
• 4 – 8 years
• 9 – 12 years
• 13 – 18 years

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Teenage Sexuality
• On average, teens begin intercourse at 16
• By 19, 20% males and 33% females haven’t had
sexual intercourse
• 40% of 14 yr olds will be pregnant by 19
• 50% of sexually active teens don’t use birth
control; most wait 6 months for RX
• 50% pregnancies occur w/in first 6 mos.
• 96% teen moms keep their babies

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Youth Sexuality and
Parental Response

• Define the behavior/situation

• Identify your feelings
• Clarify your values
• Define problem in terms of its
effects on the youth’s development
and its consequences for others

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

Reasons People Have Sex:
• For fun • Out of attraction
• Out of love • Out of fear
• To have a baby • For revenge
• Out of curiosity • To be touched
• For money
• To prove adulthood
• For attention
• To prove fe/maleness
• To feel loved
• To show control • Due to peer pressure

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Is what’s good for the goose
good for the gander ?

• How is sex the same/different for teens

and adults?
• In what ways is sex satisfying to teens?
• In what ways is sex unsatisfying to teens?
• What motivates teens to have sex when
its not satisfying?

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 I can’t get no
satisfaction…
• Partners can be selfish
• Sex can be scary
• Sex can be painful
• Teens may feel guilt, shame if its at
odds with belief system
• Sex doesn’t guarantee satisfaction

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Foster Parent’s Role in Child’s
Healthy Sexual Development

• Promote child’s overall development

• Build child’s self-esteem
• Establish and maintain child’s connections
• Create climate for openly communicating
about sexual matters

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

 SEX is all around us…
• TV • Movies
• MTV • CD covers
• Popular songs • Posters
• Magazines • Books
• Billboards • Telephone 900 #’s
• Commercials • Internet porn
• Sexting

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Questions Kids Ask
• Identify your feelings/values
• Identify questions that you cannot
answer
• Identify resources for gathering
needed information

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Dispelling the Myths
• Be open to communicating about sex
• Discuss and model your values
• Respond to youth’s emotional needs
• Provide accurate and concrete
information: e.g., reproduction,
contraception, pregnancy, parenthood
and STDs

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

 Contraception
• Birth control pills • Natural family
• Condoms planning
• Contraceptive • Withdrawal
foam/jelly • Abstinence
• Diaphragm • Norplant
• IUD • Cervical cap
• Contraceptive • Deprovera shot
sponge • The patch

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

Factors that Affect Teen’s
Use of Contraceptives

• Psychological factors
• Motivational factors
• Values

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services

Understanding the complexity of
sexual development helps the
foster parent guide sexual
decision-making and sexual
responsibility.

© 2014 New York State Office of Children and Family Services