Originally published in TEACH Magazine, May/June 2003 Issue
By Sabrina Mehra
For today’s sexually active adolescent, the consequences of poor decisions are potentially life altering. Risk taking behaviours and unhealthy habits can lead to unwanted pregnancy, long-term emotional complications, and sexually transmitted diseases, some of which are fatal. Theoretically, educators have the power to provide their students with the information and critical thinking tools necessary to make healthy choices where sexual activities are concerned.
“Young people are constantly faced with important choices that must be made, and if one adopts unhealthy habits, it can have very severe consequences later in life,” says Dr. Tom Wong, Director of the Division of Sexual Health Promotion and STD Prevention and Control at Health Canada. “Teachers have a golden opportunity to facilitate some very important dialogue on the subject of sexuality,” says Wong.
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