Empowering Youth: How Get Real Works

Get Real Objectives

Get Real views sexuality in the context of relationships, and focuses on social skills as a key component of making responsible and healthy decisions. As a result of participating in the Get Real program, students will be able to:

• Connect self-awareness to responsible decision-making
• Name reasons why abstinence, or delaying sex, is the safest and healthiest choice for youth their age
• Increase opportunities for conversations with parents/guardians or other trusted adults about their personal, family and community beliefs about sexual health
• Describe consequences of sexual activity and ways to reduce the risk of negative consequences
• Apply a decision-making model to real-life situations
• Demonstrate assertive communication and refusal skills for delaying sexual intercourse and avoiding unprotected sexual activity

Four premises are built in to the curriculum:

1. Sexual health is an integral part of health education
2. Parents/guardians and other trusted adults are the students' primary sexuality educators
3. Consensual (or voluntary) sexual behavior occurs in the context of relationships, therefore relationship skills are key elements of a comprehensive sex education curriculum
4. While abstinence from sex is the healthiest choice for avoiding sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy, adolescents need to have a comprehensive understanding of sexual health, sexuality, and protection methods, which they will need when they become sexually active