Sexual Health
2. Individual freedom, legal security and self-determination
2.3. Knowledge about our body
Photo: Jørn Grønlund
Knowing our body is an essential step towards building a healthy relationship to others and ourselves. Thus, it is important that every child and young person learns something about their own sexuality such as body functions or bodily identity. (14, 15).
Knowledge about the body and sexuality for PWID must be customized to their individual functioning. Knowledge about their own body and sexuality may improve their quality of life and prevent the occurrence of future, challenging behaviour. For that to happen, both teachers and parents must be thoughtful and coordinate their efforts to offer the most appropriate pedagogical approach.
It is important to provide follow-ups in every developmental phase. Often PWID need repetitively sessions. There are several standards in guidelines for sexual education you may useful to find the right 'level' to start a conversations with your child/sibling/client. Take a look at chapter 2.4 or find it in this webpage: https://www.bzga-whocc.de/en/publications/standards-in-sexuality-education/ (15).
Activities to support PWID building knowledge about their body:
Let them get to know their own body by looking at themselves (outer identity). Take pictures and also let them take pictures of their own body: their back, face (different profiles), hands and feet. Take pictures from above and below the body. Look at the pictures together. What do the pictures show? Look at pictures from earlier on: e.g. when they were two, five or thirteen years old. Compare pictures from different ages and talk about changes. Talk about how the body develops.
Look at each other in the mirror, talk about what both of you may see; when you are standing in different ways; where is the back, stomach and body sides. Talk about how they feel when they are running or when they are lying on their back in grass.
Tell your child/sibling/client that it is okay to explore every part of their body when they are alone or together with their boyfriend/girlfriend in a private room.
ACTIVITIES:
Look at the video and find out when it is the right time for you and your child/sibling/client to talk about body, identity and sexuality.Case: When should you talk about body, identity and sexuality?