D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Thinking It Through: Factors in Sexual Health Decisions

D2.4 A1.1 A1.4 A1.5 A1.6About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can describe physical, emotional, social and cognitive factors that need to be considered when making decisions related to sexual health.
I can explain terms such as gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation respectfully.
I can use a decision-making process that considers my values, my feelings, other people and accurate information.

Words to know

physical factor
Something about the body: risk of STBBIs, pregnancy, possible side effects of contraceptives, and the protection that vaccines give.

emotional factor
Feelings: love, desire, fear, readiness, self-concept, regret.

social factor
Other people and the world around you: relationships, peers, family, cultural teachings, social labelling, media.

cognitive factor
Thinking: knowledge, judgement, planning ahead, weighing consequences, understanding consent.

gender identity
A person's internal sense of being a girl or woman, a boy or man, both, neither, or somewhere along the gender spectrum. It may or may not match the sex they were assigned at birth.

gender expression
How a person shows their gender to others, for example through clothing, hairstyle, name, pronouns and behaviour.

sexual orientation
A person's sense of romantic and/or sexual attraction to others (or not feeling that attraction). Examples include heterosexual (straight), gay, lesbian, bisexual and asexual.

social labelling
Putting unfair names or labels on people, for example because of rumours about their relationships.

self-concept
How you see yourself: your identity, values and worth.

A note before you start

This lesson is part of Ontario's human development and sexual health learning for Grade 7. Some families choose to teach these topics at home in their own way. Read it with your grown-up, and remember: any question you have is a good question to ask a trusted adult.

Big decisions have many sides

Decisions about sexual health, like whether to be in a relationship, whether to delay sexual activity, or how to stay safe, are some of the most personal decisions a person makes. They involve the body, feelings, other people and thinking.

The Grade 7 curriculum asks you to understand the physical, emotional, social and cognitive factors to consider when making decisions related to sexual health. Learning to see all four sides helps you make choices that fit your values and keep you healthy and safe.

Remember from Grade 6 and earlier lessons

In Grade 6 you used a decision-making process for choices about substances, and learned about consent and challenging stereotypes. In this unit you've learned about delaying sexual activity, consent, STBBIs and prevention. Now you'll put it all together.

Factor	Examples to consider
Physical	Risk of STBBIs; risk of pregnancy; possible side effects of contraceptives; the protective value of vaccines (HPV, hepatitis B); body changes and readiness
Emotional	Love, desire and attraction; feeling ready or not; fear, excitement or worry; self-concept and self-respect; possible regret or pride
Social	Relationships and respect; pressure from partners or peers; family values and cultural or religious teachings; social labelling and rumours; gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation; media messages
Cognitive	Accurate information; knowing the law and consent; thinking ahead about consequences; making a plan; alcohol and drugs impair judgement

Four kinds of factors in sexual health decisions.

Four sides of every sexual health decision. Looking at all four helps a person choose what matches their values.

Identity and respect

Every person has a gender identity, a way of expressing their gender, and a sexual orientation. These are part of who someone is, and they deserve respect.

Some people are cisgender (their gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth). Some are transgender (it doesn't). Some are non-binary (they don't feel they are only a boy or only a girl).
People may be heterosexual (straight), gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual or describe themselves in other ways. Some people are still figuring it out, and that's okay.
Some First Nations communities use the term Two-Spirit, which has meanings rooted in their own cultures and teachings.

How these factors affect decisions: someone might worry about acceptance or social labelling, or feel they don't see themselves in the information they get. Everyone deserves accurate information, support and safety. Ontario's Human Rights Code protects people from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

About desire and feelings

As people get older, it's normal to feel attraction and desire, and to want closeness. These feelings are a healthy part of being human. But feeling something and acting on it are different. Thinking through all four factors helps a person decide when and whether to act, in a way that matches their values and keeps everyone safe and respected.

A decision-making process

Stop and name the decision.
List the choices (including waiting or saying no).
Think about all four factors: physical, emotional, social, cognitive.
Check your values and your family's and culture's teachings.
Get information and support from a trusted adult or reliable source.
Decide and act, then reflect: how did it go?

The six-step decision-making process from the tip, in order. Step 2 always includes waiting or saying no.

Worked example

Let's use the four factors

Tara, 14, has been dating Ravi for two months. Ravi has started saying, "Everyone our age is doing more than kissing." Tara likes Ravi but feels uneasy.

Physical: sexual activity could bring risks of STBBIs and pregnancy.
Emotional: Tara likes Ravi, and also feels uneasy. That feeling is information. She's not ready.
Social: pressure from Ravi; "everyone is doing it" is not true (many teens choose to wait); her family's values; fear of rumours.
Cognitive: she knows consent must be freely given; pressure means it isn't. She can plan what to say.
Decide: Tara tells Ravi, "I'm not ready, and I need you to stop pressuring me." If he doesn't respect it, that's a red flag about the relationship. She talks to a trusted adult.

Looking at all four factors helped Tara trust her feelings, recognize pressure and make a choice that matches her values.

Worked example

Let's respond to social labelling

A rumour spreads that a Grade 8 girl "hooked up" with someone, and people start calling her names. A boy who is rumoured to have done the same thing is praised.

Name it: social labelling and a double standard: girls and boys are judged differently for the same rumour.
Impact: the girl may feel ashamed, isolated and unsafe; her self-concept can be hurt. Rumours may not even be true.
Respond: don't repeat or share it; say, "That's a rumour, and calling people names isn't okay"; support her; tell an adult if it continues.

Labels hurt everyone they're aimed at. Refusing to spread them is a social factor you control.

Hands-on activity

Four-factor decision map

You need: paper and a pencil.

Divide a page into four boxes: Physical, Emotional, Social, Cognitive.
Choose a decision. It can be a sexual health decision from the lesson, or an everyday one like "Should I join a new friend group?" or "Should I go to a party where there might be alcohol?"
Fill each box with at least two things to consider.
At the bottom, write your decision and which value guided it.
Share it with your grown-up. Ask: "What would you add?"

What to look for: at least two ideas in each box and a decision clearly linked to a value.

Your turn

Name the four kinds of factors in sexual health decisions.

Give one physical factor.

Give one emotional factor.

Give one social factor.

Give one cognitive factor.

What is gender identity?

What is sexual orientation?

More practice: warm-up

Sort: "I'm worried I'll regret it."

Sort: "My religion teaches waiting until marriage."

Sort: "I know the HPV vaccine protects against some cancers."

Sort: "Alcohol at a party could affect my judgement."

What is gender expression?

More practice: on your own

Why is "everyone is doing it" usually not true, and why does it matter?

How can social labelling affect a person's self-concept?

Explain why alcohol and drugs are a cognitive factor in sexual health decisions.

How might worry about acceptance affect a teen who is questioning their sexual orientation?

What's the difference between feeling desire and acting on it?

Challenge

Choose one example from each factor (physical, emotional, social, cognitive) and explain how it could lead someone to delay sexual activity.

Explain how a partner who respects you would respond if you said "I'm not ready", and what it means if they don't.

Why does the curriculum include gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation as factors in sexual health decisions?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a physical factor in sexual health decisions?

"My family's cultural teachings say to wait" is mainly which factor?

Which is a cognitive factor?

Gender identity means...

Social labelling is...

A partner keeps pressuring you after you say "I'm not ready." This is...

Which statement is true?

For parents and teachers

About this content: This lesson is part of Ontario's human development and sexual health expectations for Grade 7 (D1.3, D1.4, D1.5, D2.4 and D3.3). In Ontario, parents may request that their child be exempted (opted out) of human development and sexual health instruction at school; ask your school about its process. If your family has opted out, you may skip this lesson at home too, or teach the topic in your own way and in line with your family's values. The lesson follows the Grade 7 curriculum wording and stays factual; it does not describe sexual activities.

Big idea: This lesson covers the Grade 7 expectation to demonstrate an understanding of physical, emotional, social, and cognitive factors that need to be considered when making decisions related to sexual health (for example, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections [STBBIs], possible side effects of contraceptives, pregnancy, protective value of vaccinations, social labelling, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, self-concept issues, relationships, love, respect, desire, pleasure, cultural teachings) (D2.4). The curriculum's examples include pleasure; this lesson acknowledges attraction and desire as normal feelings in age-appropriate terms. It builds emotional skills (A1.1), relationships (A1.4), identity (A1.5) and decision making (A1.6).

How to help at home:

Share your family's values and cultural or religious teachings, and explain them.
Use the four-factor map for everyday decisions too.
Talk about respect for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations; children who are questioning do best with family acceptance.

Common difficulties: mixing up gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation; thinking "everyone is doing it"; seeing only one factor (usually social pressure). Some decisions fit more than one factor; accept answers with good reasons.