As children grow, they start to develop relationships with people outside their families. We teach students that there are a variety of relationships and show them the characteristics of a healthy relationship such as trust, communication and understanding. Exclusive relationships - Exclusive relationships between young people involve dating or sharing special time together. This section focuses on the difference between love and infatuation in exclusive relationships. When exclusive relationships lead to intimacy, students need to make decisions about sexual involvement.
Students discuss the benefits of postponing sexual involvement and some strategies for doing that.
Postponing sexual involvement reduces the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. In relation to sexually transmitted diseases, students also understand how diseases are transmitted, the signs and symptoms, treatment and prevention. Students build on knowledge gained in grade 7 to identify the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy exclusive relationships. Students learn to define these characteristics based on their own values, beliefs and relationship experiences. Intimacy in exclusive relationships - Students will learn how relationships become more intimate in nature and decisions they need to make in these situations.