What is Sexual Health Essentials?
An online sexual health teaching resource created by doctors:
- Fully up-to-date and ready for you to teach
- In line with the Sept 2026 RSHE curriculum
- Designed by doctors
- Helps you teach difficult topics such as penile and vulval health, STIs, menstrual health, sexual consent and contraception
The resource is split into two courses:
- Core Sexual Health Facts – for students in Year 9 upwards (age +13) and contains 5 lessons.
- Contraception Choices – for students in Year 11 upwards (age +15) and contains 3 lessons.
Note: These are suggested age brackets only.
Schools can choose to teach some lessons earlier or later depending on the needs of the pupils. If so – check lessons are still age appropriate.
Each lesson contains:
- A teacher preparation area including:
- the lesson plan
- a list of any additional resources and downloads needed
- keywords for the lesson
- A short video by Dr Sutton and Dr Foljambe from You Before Two
- Online teaching slides
- Both an initial and end-point assessment
Most lessons contain further help such as extension activities and sources of support.
Outline of courses and lesson content
Core Sexual Health Facts
5 lessons designed for Year 9 upwards (age +13)
- Lesson 1: Penis pressure
- Lesson Objectives:
- How to maintain penile health and hygiene
- How condoms are used
- How pressures and myths can affect a person’s feelings and expectations around sex
- Students will be able to:
- Describe features of penile health and the hygiene practices that support this
- Describe or demonstrate safe use of a condom
- Analyse why someone may experience ‘performance pressure’ and explain how this may affect them
- Lesson Objectives:
- Lesson 2: Vulval vexations
- Lesson Objectives:
- The anatomy of the vulva and vagina
- How a person can maintain vulval hygiene
- How to notice when someone may need to seek medical advice about vulval health
- Students will be able to:
- Explain the difference between the vulva and vagina
- Describe the normal variations of vulvas
- Describe vaginal discharge
- Describe the pressures that a person might experience to alter the appearance of the vulva through hair removal
- Explain when a person may need to seek support about vulval health
- Lesson Objectives:
- Lesson 3: Period dramas
- Lesson Objectives:
- What periods are
- Factors that affect menstrual product choices
- Students will be able to:
- Explain what a period is
- Evaluate a range of factors that affect choices about which menstrual products to use
- Lesson Objectives:
- Lesson 4: Sexual health check
- Lesson Objectives:
- The importance of a sexual health check
- How people can seek help to access testing and treatment
- Students will be able to:
- Describe what happens during a check-up at a sexual health clinic
- Know when it is advisable to get a check
- Name some common STIs that are tested for in a sexual health check and describe how these STIs are checked for
- Describe how some STIs are treated, including HIV
- Lesson Objectives:
- Lesson 5: Consent
- Lesson Objectives:
- How consent can be communicated
- The law in relation to consent
- Students will be able to:
- Explain what sexual consent is
- Identify when consent has been given, not given or withdrawn
- Lesson Objectives:
You may wish to adapt these lessons for students up to year 12 and 13 where you can explore more complex themes.
For example, for the ‘Penis pressure’ and ‘Vulval vexations’ lessons; this learning can be accompanied by further lessons on media influence, including the influence of pornography for older age groups, as well as further lessons on self-examination and screening for late secondary students.
Contraception Choices
3 lessons designed for year 11 upwards (age +15)
- Lesson 1: Introduction to contraception
- Lesson Objectives:
- The types of contraception available, including emergency contraception
- How to use contraception effectively
- Students will be able to:
- Explain why contraception is used
- Describe different types of contraception
- Identify strategies to help someone use contraceptives effectively
- Lesson Objectives:
- Lesson 2: Exploring the options
- Lesson Objectives:
- The types of contraception available, including contraceptive pills and LARCs
- Advantages and disadvantages of different types of contraception
- How to use contraception effectively
- Students will be able to:
- Describe different types of contraception, including contraceptive pills and LARCs
- Compare different types of contraception
- Identify strategies to help someone use contraceptives effectively
- Lesson Objectives:
- Lesson 3: Making the choice
- Lesson Objectives:
- The factors that can influence choices about contraception
- Emergency contraception options
- How to overcome concerns about accessing sexual health services
- Students will be able to:
- Describe some of the factors that may affect the type of contraception that is most suitable for someone
- Describe types of emergency contraception and why someone may need to use these
- Identify some concerns about accessing sexual health services and strategies for overcoming these
- Lesson Objectives:
Helping you and your class feel comfortable with these lessons
For you:
- It is important to feel confident teaching these lessons. The films and lesson plans have been devised so that teachers do not require any specialised experience in this area of RSHE / PSHE in order to teach these lessons well
- To help build confidence before the lesson you should watch all the films prior to teaching the lessons
- You should look at the lesson plans and student factsheets ahead of the lessons.
- Refer to your school RSHE / PSHE policies and check that the lessons align with those policies
For your class:
The 6 ground rules below are cited at the top of each lesson plan. They are there to protect both you and students from unnecessary emotional discomfort when teaching these subjects.
- Listen to and respect each other
- One person speaking at a time
- Openness but no personal stories
- No such thing as a silly question
- During discussions we have the right to pass
- We won’t laugh at, judge, or make assumptions about anyone else in the group
Sources of Support
- Within the lesson plans and student factsheets we make it clear which organisation links are useful for teachers and those that are useful to students.
- The teacher links do not feature on the student factsheets or within the films. They are cited within the lesson plans as ‘teacher information links only’ to support teacher educational needs or curiosity around a specific subject.
- This is mainly done because a number of the links more adult/assume a certain level of previous sexual experience
Help when talking with parents and guardians about sex education
- As well as showing parents materials at any school open events please invite parents to visit our free to access parents page
- Here they can see example resources with age appropriate videos as well as FAQs on RSHE, a list of lessons and learning outcomes.
How Sexual Health Essentials follows the National Curriculum for secondary schools
All of the Sexual Health Essentials lessons support mandatory topics for RSHE in the National Curriculum.
Below, we highlight the relevant Department for Education guidance for “Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education (for introduction 1 September 2026)”:
Secondary relationships and sex education curriculum content
Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health (page 19)
“1.That sex, for people who feel ready and are over the age of consent, can and should be enjoyable and positive.”
“2. The law about the age of consent, that they have a choice about whether to have sex, that many young people wait until they are older, and that people of all ages can enjoy intimate and romantic relationships without sex.”
“3. Sexual consent and their capacity to give, withhold or remove consent at any time, even if initially given, as well as the considerations that people might take into account prior to sexual activity, e.g. the law, faith and family values. That kindness and care for others require more than just consent.”
“5. That some sexual behaviours can be harmful.”
“6. The facts about the full range of contraceptive choices, efficacy and options available, including male and female condoms, and signposting towards medically accurate online information about sexual and reproductive health to support contraceptive decision-making.”
“7. That there are choices in relation to pregnancy. Pupils should be given medically and legally accurate and impartial information on all options, including keeping the baby, adoption, abortion and where to get further help.”
“8. How the different sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, are transmitted. How risk can be reduced through safer sex (including through condom use). The use and availability of the HIV prevention drugs Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and how and where to access them. The importance of, and facts about, regular testing and the role of stigma”
“9. The prevalence of STIs, the short and long term impact they can have on those who contract them and key facts about treatment.”
“10. How the use of alcohol and drugs can lead people to take risks in their sexual behaviour.”
Respectful relationships (page 14)
“8. The role of consent, including in romantic and sexual relationships. Pupils should understand that ethical behaviour goes beyond consent and involves kindness, care, attention to the needs and vulnerabilities of the other person, as well as an awareness of power dynamics. Pupils should understand that just because someone says yes to doing something, that doesn’t automatically make it ethically ok.”
Online safety and awareness (page 16)
“11. That pornography, and other online content, often presents a distorted picture of people and their sexual behaviours and can negatively affect how people behave towards sexual partners.”
Being Safe (page 17)
“1. How to recognise, respect and communicate consent and boundaries in relationships, including in early romantic relationships (in all contexts, including online) and early sexual relationships that might involve kissing or touching. That kindness and care for others requires more than just consent.”
“2. That there are a range of strategies for identifying, resisting and understanding pressure in relationships from peers or others, including sexual pressure, and how to avoid putting pressure on others.”
Secondary health and wellbeing curriculum content
Developing bodies (page 31)
“3. About menstrual and gynaecological health”
Queries and feedback
If you have any questions or feedback please do not hesitate to contact us at fpadirect@fpa.org.uk
In the meantime, good luck and thank you for teaching your students these important topics!
