Copyright 2023 Marline E. Pearson
vi
Sex—It’s More than Bodies, Risks, and Protection
Love Notes contains an important missing piece in sexual decision-making and STI and
pregnancy prevention by addressing relationship issues. After all, sex is a relationship
issue. For example, can young people make wise sexual choices if they:
• Have never clarified what’s important to them in a partner or relationship?
• Know little about how to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy, unequal
and/or abusive relationships?
• Lack communication and negotiation skills?
• Have never defined for themself a timing and context for sex that is personally meaningful?
Young people are rarely asked to think about sex beyond the usual health paradigm of
anatomy, bio-reproduction, STIs/HIV, and risk avoidance. But sex is also about aspirations
and the heart. If young people have never considered what deepening levels of physical
intimacy mean to them (and how to discern if their partner is on the same page), then how
are they to make wise sexual decisions? Sex is not just about bodies, risks, and protection.
It’s about knowing one’s self and one’s values and knowing what one wants for any level of
involvement (from a kiss to greater physical intimacy) to mean. It’s about having a personal
sense of what a meaningful context for intimate involvement would be for themselves. It’s
also about possessing the skills and confidence to navigate this terrain.
Love Notes takes a health- and heart-based approach to sexuality and provides unique ways
to tap motivation from a positive angle. Sexual decision-making is embedded within a rich
exploration of intimacy and the development of healthy relationships. Activities guide
youth in cultivating their own North Star for their intimate lives.. They are asked to develop
goals, boundaries, and a context and pace for sexual intimacy that is responsible, protective
of their own aspirations in life, and personally meaningful. Whatever their sexual choices,
Love Notes encourages sexual ethics, i.e., that mutuality, kindness, caring about the other’s
feelings and experience, and equality are important. Young people will examine some of
the essential conversations to have to discover if partners are on the same page. This is vital
not only for meaningful consent but also for a mutually positive connection with someone.
Finally, in their private journal, participants will develop a personal plan for their
sexual choices. Medically accurate information on pregnancy, STIs, contraception, and
condoms is included. This information and decision-making challenges are reinforced
vi
Sex—It’s More than Bodies, Risks, and Protection
Love Notes contains an important missing piece in sexual decision-making and STI and
pregnancy prevention by addressing relationship issues. After all, sex is a relationship
issue. For example, can young people make wise sexual choices if they:
• Have never clarified what’s important to them in a partner or relationship?
• Know little about how to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy, unequal
and/or abusive relationships?
• Lack communication and negotiation skills?
• Have never defined for themself a timing and context for sex that is personally meaningful?
Young people are rarely asked to think about sex beyond the usual health paradigm of
anatomy, bio-reproduction, STIs/HIV, and risk avoidance. But sex is also about aspirations
and the heart. If young people have never considered what deepening levels of physical
intimacy mean to them (and how to discern if their partner is on the same page), then how
are they to make wise sexual decisions? Sex is not just about bodies, risks, and protection.
It’s about knowing one’s self and one’s values and knowing what one wants for any level of
involvement (from a kiss to greater physical intimacy) to mean. It’s about having a personal
sense of what a meaningful context for intimate involvement would be for themselves. It’s
also about possessing the skills and confidence to navigate this terrain.
Love Notes takes a health- and heart-based approach to sexuality and provides unique ways
to tap motivation from a positive angle. Sexual decision-making is embedded within a rich
exploration of intimacy and the development of healthy relationships. Activities guide
youth in cultivating their own North Star for their intimate lives.. They are asked to develop
goals, boundaries, and a context and pace for sexual intimacy that is responsible, protective
of their own aspirations in life, and personally meaningful. Whatever their sexual choices,
Love Notes encourages sexual ethics, i.e., that mutuality, kindness, caring about the other’s
feelings and experience, and equality are important. Young people will examine some of
the essential conversations to have to discover if partners are on the same page. This is vital
not only for meaningful consent but also for a mutually positive connection with someone.
Finally, in their private journal, participants will develop a personal plan for their
sexual choices. Medically accurate information on pregnancy, STIs, contraception, and
condoms is included. This information and decision-making challenges are reinforced
