Abstinence and Contraception

Overview

This lesson focuses on learning about abstinence as the only 100 percent effective way to not get pregnant and to not contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Understanding how contraceptives work to prevent pregnancy and the transmission of STDs will also be discussed.

Learning Targets

  • Assess the advantages and disadvantages of choosing abstinence or a contraceptive.
  • Describe how safer sex is a component of contraception.
  • Differentiate between the four categories of contraceptives and provide at least two examples from each category.
  • Explain why you would or would not use an emergency contraceptive.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the journal question on the board or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use.

For the Content Focus: Project the Abstinence and Contraception PowerPoint slides. Make copies of the Note-Taking Guide.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Abstinence and Contraception Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Decision-Making.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: List as many types of contraceptives as you can.
    • Option: Write or project the question and have students respond in their journals as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to complete the Abstinence and Contraception Vocabulary Review Worksheet.
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Abstinence and Contraception Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quiz and use it alongside a posttest to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Lesson Focus: Decision Making

  1. Provide each student with a copy of the Abstinence and Contraception Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet.
  2. As students become involved in relationships, they may move from dating to being sexually active. Students learned there are multiple contraceptives available with varying success rates in preventing STDs and pregnancy. Using the decision-making skill cues, students will decide whether using contraceptives or being abstinent is the better choice for them.
  3. Once a decision has been made between using contraceptives or being abstinent, students will explain why they chose what they did and include how to safely and effectively use the contraceptives or abstinence to prevent STDs and an unintended pregnancy.
  4. Option: Have students work individually to complete the worksheet.
    Option: Assign students to work with partners to complete the worksheet.
  5. Ask students to turn in their completed worksheets. Review worksheets to gauge student understanding and comprehension.

Challenge Activity

Have students needing additional challenge work on the following critical thinking task:

You learned in this lesson that emergency contraception is a safe way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected vaginal sex, a possible failure or incorrect use of contraceptives, or rape.

For students with ovaries: If you were in a situation in which you needed to consider the use of an emergency contraception, would you use one? Explain why you would or would not consider using an emergency contraception.

For students with testicles: If your partner were in a situation in which they needed to consider using an emergency contraception, would you advocate for them to do so? Explain why you would or would not advocate for the use of an emergency contraception by your partner.

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you...

  • Assess the advantages and disadvantages of choosing abstinence or a contraceptive?

    The advantages of choosing abstinence are that there are no medical side effects, it is free, it can be used at any time, and is 100 percent effective in protecting against pregnancy and STDs. The disadvantages of choosing abstinence are that it may be difficult to stay abstinent, they may be pressured by their partner, and they may think other teens are having sex and don’t want to be different.

    The advantages of choosing contraceptives, based on the contraceptive chosen, may include preventing pregnancy and STDs so students feel they can be sexually active. The disadvantages of choosing contraceptives, based on the contraceptive chosen, may include having to see a doctor, having to buy the contraceptives, using them properly every time, and they are not completely effective in preventing pregnancy or STDs and may not prevent STDs at all depending on the contraceptive being used.

  • Describe how safer sex is a component of contraception?

    Safer sex is sex with contraceptives such as an external latex condom; an internal condom; dental dams; gloves or a finger sleeve.

  • Differentiate between the four categories of contraceptives and provide at least two examples from each category?

    There are four primary categories of contraceptives: barrier (condom—external and internal, diaphragm, cervical cap, sponge, spermicide), hormonal (birth control pill, patch, Depo-Provera shot, intrauterine device [IUD]), natural (abstinence, fertility awareness method [FAM], withdrawal), and permanent (tubal ligation, vasectomy).

  • Explain why you would or would not use an emergency contraceptive?

    Emergency contraceptives are used to prevent pregnancy, not STDs.

    People choose to use an emergency contraceptive after unprotected vaginal sex, a failure or improper use of a contraceptive, and rape. Emergency contraceptives may be used in these instances for several reasons, including personal values, not being ready to have a baby, embarrassment by what happened, and being traumatized by being raped and inability go through with a pregnancy.

    Emergency contraceptives may not be used due to religious beliefs, personal values, and the misconception that the emergency contraception ends a pregnancy, which it does not. It only prevents a pregnancy from happening.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

Take It Home

Talk to a trusted adult about contraceptives. Ask them where you could get contraceptives, when you should use contraceptives, what the best contraceptive is, and the advantages and disadvantages of the contraceptives they suggest. Compare the information you get from the trusted adult with the information in the chart in this lesson.