Choosing the Best

Dear Teacher/Facilitator of Choosing the Best LIFE,

In December of 2012, there were some slight revisions made to the Choosing the Best LIFE Leader Guide. If your Leader Guide was purchased prior to this date, please incorporate these revisions into your teaching.

1) Added renewed virginity reference at bottom of p. 9 as follows:

SAY: Please remember that even if you’ve already had sex, you can still choose to stop. This “renewed virginity” is a wonderful option to help you move forward in a positive, new direction that will help protect your health and future. We’ll discuss this further in Chapter Six.

2) Added child sexual abuse section at the top of page 14 as follows:

SAY: In addition to date rape, another significant problem is child sexual abuse. In most states, the legal definition of child sexual abuse is an act of a person—adult or child—who forces, coerces, or threatens a child to have any form of sexual contact or to engage in any type of sexual activity at the perpetrator’s direction.

There are several ways to get help:

1. Tell your parent(s) or guardian.
2. Tell your teacher or school counselor.
3. Tell a friend who will go with you to an adult you trust.

Remember: It’s NEVER your fault.

NOTE TO LEADER: Learn the signs and symptoms of abuse. Find out what crisis counseling services are offered by your school or county.

3) Added renewed virginity reference at the bottom of p. 24 as follows:

SAY: Please remember that even if you’ve already had sex, you can still benefit by making a healthier choice from this day forward, by choosing to stop having sex, or “renewed virginity.”

4) Added reference to new contraceptive addendum on page 30; added new contraceptive addendum on page 65. Specifically, on page 30, during the discussion of contraception, the following is stated:

Teacher’s Note: A brief definition of each contraceptive method is provided on page 65 (as an appendix). You may choose to incorporate these definitions as you conduct the activity, or use them as a reference to answer any related questions.

Contraceptive Method	Definition
Spermicidal foam	Spermicides, which can come in a foam, gel, cream, film, suppository, or tablet form, contain a chemical that kills sperm. They are placed inside the vagina before sex.
Rhythm (calendar)	The rhythm method, also called the calendar method or fertility awareness, refers to avoiding sex on days of the month when a female is fertile (i.e., can conceive/become pregnant), based on tracking the female’s menstrual history and other indicators.
Male condom	Worn by the man, a male condom prevents sperm from getting into a woman’s body.
Diaphragm	The diaphragm is shaped like a shallow cup and is placed inside the vagina to cover the cervix to block sperm.
Oral – The pill	The most common type of birth control pill (taken orally) uses the hormones estrogen and progestin to prevent the female from releasing an egg (ovulating). Some birth control pills use only progestin, and are sometimes called “mini-pills.”
Depo-Provera (Long-acting Progestin)	A hormonal (progestin) injection that helps prevent the female from releasing an egg (ovulating). Lasts approximately 3 months.
IUD	An IUD is a small device that is shaped in the form of a “T”. A doctor places it inside the female’s uterus to inhibit the fertilization of the egg.

5) Added renewed virginity reference at the end of the activity on p. 37 as follows:

SAY: Please remember that even if you’ve already had sex, you can still choose to stop. This “renewed virginity” is a wonderful option to help you move forward in a positive, new direction that will help protect your health and future. We’ll discuss this further in the next chapter.