Unit 13, Task 1 Resub
P1, P2, P3, M1, D1
,This assignment will describe how sexually transmitted infections could affect the health of an
individual, and how they can be treated. I am also going to summarise ways in which an individual is
protected against unlawful and harmful intercourse. I am going to explore a range of methods of
contraception individuals can use to prevent pregnancy. Furthermore, I will analyse approaches that
could be taken to promote sexual health. Finally, I will evaluate the effectiveness of legislation in
protecting the individual against unlawful and harmful intercourse.
P1- Describe how sexually transmitted infections could affect the health and wellbeing of the
individual
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines sexual health as a state of physical, mental and social
wellbeing in relation to sexuality. It requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual
relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of
coercion, discrimination and violence.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016) An STI is a sexually transmitted
infection. An STI can be caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses, fungus or yeast, that can be passed
through having unprotected sex or sexual contact. Gonorrheoa is a bacterial infection caused by having
unprotected sex. Gonorrhoea’s typical symptoms are thick green or yellow discharge from a woman’s
vagina or a man’s penis. Individual’s may have pain when urinating, and often women experience
bleeding between their periods. In the long-term gonorrhoea may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease,
which is an infection that a woman experiences that affects her upper genital tract. In pregnant women,
it may cause an ectopic pregnancy, which is where the egg grows in the fallopian tubes, instead of the
womb. Therefore, this results in a miscarriage. Some people may become infertile due to gonorrhoea, if
treatment is not accessed early enough. In serious cases, which is rare, gonorrhoea may lead to sepsis,
which is life threatening. Women can be tested for gonorrhoea by having a swab on the vagina or cervix,
whereas men can be tested by providing a urine sample or a swab of the penis. Gonorrheoa can be
treated by antibiotics that are usually given through an injection, followed by a tablet antibiotic.
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is transmitted to others through having unprotected sex. It’s not as
common as some sexually transmitted infections but if it’s not treated it can cause very serious health
problems. It’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms and to get tested if you might have
been at risk. Unborn babies can also catch this infection if their mother has it. Syphilis develops in
stages. Symptoms of syphilis may be small ulcers that usually appear in the genital area, anus area, and
may also appear in other areas, for example the mouth. “The primary symptom of syphilis is a painless,
infectious sore on the genitals.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016) Later symptoms of the condition, these
occur during the secondary stages of syphilis, include flu-like symptoms. A red rash that is blotchy can
appear anywhere on the body, but they more often appear on the palms of the hands or soles of the
feet. Swollen glands, and occasionally, patchy hair loss can occur. Tertiary symptoms are the last
symptoms to occur and are also the most serious. They occur years later after the original infection, if it
was not treated. The infection eventually could lead to meningitis, strokes and heart problems, as well
as damage to the bones and nervous system. However, syphilis can be treated by a course of antibiotics
and penicillin, but treatment depends on how long the infection has been present. Antibiotics are
usually only used if you are unable to have penicillin due to allergies. “If untreated, syphilis can cause
serious health problems for the mother and her baby, miscarriage or stillbirth. All pregnant women are
offered a blood test to check for infection.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016) The tests that are done for
syphilis include a physical exam of the genitals, and also the inside of the vagina for women who are
being tested. Other parts of the body will be examined for growths and rashes that are possibly being
,caused by syphilis. A blood test may be carried out to check if an individual has had syphilis or currently
has the infection. The test will then be repeated in a few weeks if the first was negative, as the test may
have been carried out too early to give an accurate result. A swab test may also be carried out to take
samples of fluid if the individual has sores, the fluid will then be checked for syphilis. A test for syphilis
can be done at a GUM clinic, and some GP surgeries offer them, but this varies for each GP surgery.
P2- Summarise ways in which an individual may be protected against unlawful and harmful sexual
intercourse
“The Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 74, gives the statutory definition of consent. This is if a person
agrees by choice and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016)
Consent is if a person agrees by choice, they are able to have that freedom to choose, so they are not
forced, and if they have capacity to have consent. “For consent to be valid it must be voluntary and
informed and the person consenting must have the capacity to make the decision. If, for example, the
person is unconscious they do not have the ‘capacity to make the decision.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al.,
2016) They are also protected against unlawful consent. For example, if an individual is under the legal
age of consent, which is 16, and they have sex it would be viewed as rape in the law.
Grooming is when an individual is befriended by another person, which their purpose is abusing them.
Grooming is an illegal act, so any individual doing so can be prosecuted. People can be educated to spot
the signs of grooming, so that they can act on it if they believe it is happening to them. The signs of
grooming are being secretive, having money or belongings that they can’t explain where they got it
from. A person being groomed may have sexualised behaviour, language or an understanding of sex that
wouldn’t appear appropriate or correct for the age of the individual. Grooming an individual holds up to
a six-month prison sentence and, or a fine if found guilty for the offence in a magistrate’s court, but if an
individual is convicted for grooming in a crown court, they can face a sentence of 10 years, the
maximum prison sentence for the crime. Grooming can be reported to the website it is on, the police or
the NSPCC, who will then report it to the police for the individual. “Child exploitation and online
protection centre (CEOP) is a police-led child protection agency tackling sexual abuse on and offline. Its
education service provides safety information and factsheets for children, young people, parents, carers
and practitioners.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016) CEOP helps keep children and young people safe from
sexual abuse and grooming online. They help thousands of children and young people every year, as
well as their parents and carers who have been in a similar situation to you. CEOP are unable to respond
to reports about bullying, fake accounts or account hacking. They are there to help and give advice, and
people can make a report directly to the CEOP if something has happened to their child online which has
made either the parent or the child feel unsafe, scared or worried. This might be from someone they
know in real life, or someone they have only ever met online. If someone makes a report to the CEOP
about sexual abuse and grooming online, one of the child protection advisors will get in contact with the
individual on the phone number or email address that was provided for them, to talk about what they
have reported, to make sure the child is safe and discuss what will happen next.
Personal safety can be taught to individuals early on. Individuals can be taught verbal personal safety.
This involves knowing what to say to get out of a potentially dangerous situation. It may also involve
physical personal safety or self defence. For example, this may be knowing to elbow someone in the ribs
,if they grab you from behind. Personal safety can also involve knowing how much they can drink before
they become unaware of what is happening in their surroundings. “Another strategy is to use a safety
app, such as Lifeplug. In an emergency you unplug your earphones and your contacts will be notified via
an SMS message of your location and that you need urgent help.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016) There
are many apps that are similar to this one, some apps will show where someone is, such as Life 360, this
can protect an individual as people can join a circle and then everyone can know where each other is.
This can protect people because if someone goes missing, others can find out where they are. Like the
other app, this app will also allow you to trigger a help alert to those in their circle, if they are in a
dangerous situation. When on nights out, it is best to stay with a group of friends so that you can all look
out for each other, and spot signs of unusual behaviour in each other, which may suggest their drink has
been spiked. Drink spiking is when an individual puts a substance, usually drugs or alcohol into another
person’s drink without them knowing or their permission to do so. “Spiking someone’s drink carries a
maximum 10-year prison sentence.” (Drink spiking and date rape drugs, n.d.) Individuals need to be
aware when they are walking home, they should never walk home on their own. They should always be
in groups of two or more. Short cuts, such as alleys, should never be taken just because they are quicker
as they often have places where people could hide. Alleys are also unlit, so anyone could be hiding and
could be a danger to you. Always ensure that cabs are licensed, and a cab should always be a black cab,
that is the only one that can be flagged down on a street. Uber allows for people to track where their
ride is, so share the location with family and friends once you have ordered an uber, so they can also see
where you are.
“You can go to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). At the SARC, you can get advice, make a
statement, have forensic samples taken, get medical support, including tests for sexually transmitted
diseases and pregnancy, without having to report the matter to the police.” (Citizens Advice, 2021)
SARC is able to store forensic samples for individuals if they are not ready to report the incident to the
police straight away. This is a good alternative to having to go to the police as some people don’t report
sexual assault to the police because of fear of what will happen. However, by having this option
available to them, they do not have to decide on the day the assault occurs if they want to go to the
police.
Drinkaware provides advice on how to prevent drink spiking from occurring or what signs to look for if
you suspect someone’s drink has been spiked. If, in the unfortunate even a drink has been spiked, they
provide advice on how to keep people safe if their drink has been spiked. Drinkaware also makes people
aware of the dangers of drinking too much that they become unaware of what is happening in their
surroundings.
People may be protected against unlawful sexual intercourse as there is a law where someone can be
convicted for rape if they assist or help someone else to rape. This can deter someone from not
reporting suspicions of a potential rape about to occur. It can also mean that they do not provide
another individual with alcohol, for example, if they suspect their motive is to get someone unconscious
to sexually assault them.
,P3- Explain how a range of methods of contraception protect against pregnancy
Contraception is a way of protecting against pregnancy. I will now explain the pros and con’s to some
methods of contraception.
There are two types of contraceptive pills. The combined pill is made up of the female hormones’
oestrogen and progesterone. They prevent ovulation and makes it difficult for a sperm to reach the egg.
The combined pill needs a seven-day break from being taken, in which a period occurs. The other type of
pill is the progesterone only pill. This pill works by stopping the sperm reaching the egg, as it thickens
the mucus in the cervix. This pill does not require a break, it is taken daily and at the same time each
day. When taken correctly, the pill is 99% effective. Things that might make the pill ineffective are
antibiotics, epilepsy and HIV medication, as well as sickness and diarrhoea, and additional contraception
may be advised to be used. If a woman forgets to take her pill it may be less effective at preventing
pregnancy, but this depends on when the pills were missed and how many pills were missed. However,
the pill can also not be appropriate for a range of women. If a woman has a history of having blood clots
in a vein. If a woman is very overweight there are more risks associated with taking the contraceptive
pill, so they would need to lose weight to be within a healthy weight range before a doctor would
consider prescribing the pill. If a woman has a condition that narrows the arteries or has had a stroke,
they would not be considered to be prescribed the pill. The advantages of the pill are that it usually
makes periods regular, lighter and less painful than what they were previously. However, there are
some disadvantages of the contraceptive pill. These include that it can increase the risk of some types of
cancer, such as breast cancer, and it also does not protect individuals from catching an STI.
An intrauterine device or coil is another form of contraception. “An IUD is a small T-shaped plastic and
copper device that put into your womb (uterus) by a doctor or nurse.” (Intrauterine device (IUD), 2021)
The coil is effective for 5 to 10 years, depending on the type. As it is not a hormonal type of
contraception, there are no hormonal side effects with it, such as breast tenderness. Unlike the pill, the
IUD is not affected by other medicines, so is an effective contraception for someone who has to take
antibiotics. On the down side, periods may become heavier, last longer and be more painful, but this is
likely to improve after a few months. Vaginal bleeding and pain may occur when using an IUD, although
this is not a common side effect. “The copper alters the cervical mucus, which makes it more difficult for
sperm to reach an egg and survive. It can also stop a fertalised egg from being able to implant itself.”
(Intrauterine device (IUD), 2021) The disadvantages are that having an IUD fitted in an invasive
procedure and it can take up to a year to conceive after having an IUD removed. Women who have an
IUD fitted may get an infection, which if left untreated may cause a pelvic infection. Having an IUD fitted
may cause thrush, in particular it is more likely to occur if you have had thrush in the past. An IUD can
also be rejected by the womb, if this does happen its usually soon after the IUD had been fitted. Damage
to the womb is extremely rare, but it can happen when having an IUD fitted, if pain is experienced or
you cannot feel the threads of the IUD, surgery may be required to remove it. An IUD also will not
protect from STI’s, so it is recommended that a barrier method, such as a condom is used.
,M1- Analyse approaches that could be taken to promote sexual health
There are many approaches that could be taken to promote sexual health. One approach is Drinkaware.
It provides advice on how to prevent drink spiking from occurring or what signs to look for if you suspect
someone’s drink has been spiked. If, in the unfortunate event a drink is spiked, they provide advice on
how to keep people safe if their drink has been spiked. Drinkaware also makes people aware of the
dangers of drinking too much that they become unaware of what is happening in their surroundings.
Social media launched a campaign called stranger danger. This campaign aimed to raise awareness of
the risks that strangers could pose to individuals. “Social media is an enjoyable and essential part of life
today, but it can be dangerous, even fatal. Take as much care when meeting strangers online as you
would face to face. Not everyone is who they say they are and you should never meet anyone you only
know online without taking a trusted person with you.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016) This campaign is
often aimed at younger children, to make them aware that strangers may be dangerous and have bad
intentions for them. It is done in a way to not scare children but to make them aware of potentially
dangerous individuals around them, and what they should do if they are approached by a stranger. It
also provides guidance of additional measures people could take to keep themselves safe, such as not
walking alone on their own at night.
Everyone’s invited is a digital platform approach aiming to eradicate rape culture. “Rape culture is when
attitudes, behaviours and beliefs in society have the effect of normalising and trivialising sexual
violence.” (Welcome - Everyone's Invited, n.d.) Everyone’s invited helps victims to speak out about their
ordeal free of judgement. It also provides people with a support network as it allows survivors to come
together and support each other. Everyone’s invited promotes sexual health as it gets individuals talking
about their experiences of sexual harassment within education settings. It led to MP’s calling for an
inquiry into why sexual harassment was occurring in education settings. It also highlighted which schools
the sexual harassment was occurring in. Everyone’s invited also has a list of support services that an
individual can contact if they have experienced abuse or sexual harm.
Relationships and sex education helps to promote sexual health as it educates young people about what
a healthy relationship looks like, and how to recognise warning signs that they or someone they know is
in an unhealthy and controlling relationship. It educates individuals on puberty and relationships with
others. Before children leave primary school, they will be educated about the menstrual cycle and
changes that happen to both male and female bodies through puberty. PSHE is schools is important as
children can learn life skills from an early age, of how to keep themselves safe from harm. PSHE is an
abbreviation for personal, social, health and economic education. PSHE introduces children to things
that they will come across throughout their lives. It makes them aware of bullying and cyberbullying,
smoking, alcohol and drugs. It educates them on how to handle different situations, such as what to say
if someone is trying to sell them drugs.
Ask for Angela is a campaign that aims to prevent sexual harassment or assaults from occurring. It is a
simple and discreet technique that can be used by both men and women who feel uncomfortable on a
date. All an individual needs to do is ask a member of staff at the bar if Angela is working. The
appropriate action can then be taken, whether this is getting them in a taxi or calling the police. Ask for
Angela is a good approach as it is discreet and can help people who could otherwise have ended up in a
dangerous situation.
,Individuals can also order an angel shot; this is a similar approach to the ask for Angela approach. This
protects people from becoming a victim of sexual assault. Individuals can order an angel shot with lime,
which means a member of staff will escort the individual to their vehicle. If they order an angel shot with
ice, staff will call a taxi for the individual. In severe cases, an angel shot can be ordered with lime, and
staff will call the police.
Screening is a way to promote sexual health, as it makes people aware of why they need to use
protection even if they are with the same partner for life. Once someone is sexually active, they are
more at risk of catching HPV, which increases the risk of developing cervical cancer. It also makes people
more aware of their bodies, and the importance of checking for lumps that aren’t normal for them, or
bleeding between menstrual periods or after the menopause. It is recommended that women check
their breasts for lumps when they have their period as it is a time when they are more likely to
remember to check and will then become a habit for them to check every month. Things to look out for
when self examining your breasts are visible changes in shape or size. People need to be aware of skin
changes, such as dimpling, puckering or rash around the nipple. Any lumps or bumps should be closely
paid attention to, as this could be a sign of cancerous growth. Any discharge from the nipple should be
talked about with a GP as well. The armpits also need to be checked for lumps, as breast cancer can also
grow in the armpits. Cervical screening involves a speculum being place into the vagina. A soft brush will
then be used to take a small sample of cells from the cervix. Usually, a woman is lay on her back with her
legs bent, feet together and knees apart, but there is also the option to try another position if it is too
uncomfortable. There can be some light bleeding after having a cervical screening procedure, but it
should disappear after a few hours, if this does not happen then a woman should call her GP. Men also
need to check their testicles for lumps. Men should check their testicles every month like women check
their breasts every month. Men need to cup their testicles in their hand under them in order to feel how
heavy they are. Each testicle should then be rolled between a finger and thumb to check for any lumps
or changes in size. Each testicle should be similar in size and weight, if not then it may signify a problem,
so they should go and see a GP. It is also not normal to have pain when the testicles are touched, if this
does happen then a GP should be notified.
STI clinics promote sexual health, as it allows for people to get tested for sexually transmitted infections.
This promotes sexual health as it makes people aware of why they need to use a barrier form of
protection, such as a condom or a femidom. STI clinics also offer people advice about how to ensure
they have safe sex.
D1- Evaluate the effectiveness of legislation in protecting the individual against unlawful and harmful
intercourse
“Consent is permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et
al., 2016) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 aims to protect individuals from unlawful intercourse as it
makes consent paramount and gives a clear definition of what consent is, so that there is no
misunderstanding around consent. This legislation also ensures that defendants have to have
reasonable grounds to believe they had consent. They are unable to use the reason that they had
consent of the person previously, as this act requires for the individual to have consent for each sexual
act that is carried out. It protects individuals who are defined as lacking mental capacity under the
, mental capacity act 2005, as they are protected as they are unable to give consent due to lacking
capacity. The Sexual Offences Act focuses on getting consent, rather than giving consent. This protects
individuals as they have to get consent for a sexual act to take place, and if someone is unable to give
consent through lacking mental capacity or being unconscious, they are unable to give consent.
Therefore, this protects the individual as it would be classed as assault or rape, as they are unable to
consent to it. The legislation also covers offences such as the abuse of power or abuse of the position of
trust. The context of the situation is also taken into consideration as to whether an individual was able
to consent to a sexual act or not. The individuals state of mind will be taken into consideration, as well
as the following relevant points. These include the age of the individual, whether they were at the age of
consent or not, the maturity of the individual and what understanding the individual appears to have. It
is also taken into consideration if an individual understood the position they were in and what they were
being asked to do. The history of the relationship between the offender and victim is taken into account,
whether they were a family member, friend, partner or ex partner. It must be taken into account if there
appears to be an imbalance of power, this is particularly important if the victim is younger or particularly
vulnerable. Any evidence that exploitation or grooming has taken place, would also be considered when
prosecuting an offender. Any type of sexual assault is defined as an intentional sexual touching that is
done without consent. This sexual touching can be any part of the body, whether it is clothed or not.
The sexual touching is illegal, if not consented, regardless of whether it was done by a body part or with
an object. Blood and urine samples may show if an individual has possibly been spiked with a substance
with intent to overpower. They may also at times take hair samples to use as evidence. This can be
provided as evidence for if an individual suspect’s assault has taken place, through being overpowered.
The Sexual Offences act also introduced the risk of sexual harm orders. This was specifically made to
protect children by prohibiting adults from engaging in sexual activity, such as sexual conversations or
nude pictures, with a child over the internet. This enables police to check social media, even if posts and
messages have been deleted, for inappropriate conversation, between an adult and child. The act
offered children more protection by upping the age of a defined child from under 16 to under the age of
18. However, sexual conversations between adults and children do still occur, but it is easier for the
police to trace as individuals leave a digital footprint that is traceable if the police have reason to
suspect anything suspicious. Paedophile hunters are effective as it can catch offenders off their guard. A
study done by the BBC found that “403 people were prosecuted in 2018 for attempting to meet a child
following sexual grooming; 252 of those cases involved evidence gathered by paedophile hunting
groups.” (Police concerns over rise of 'paedophile hunters', 2019) This is an effective way to protect
individuals in society from paedophiles as individuals work in partnership with the police to charge them
for having the intention of meeting with a child illegally. The sentence for imprisonment for having the
intention to meet a child illegally is six months imprisonment and, or a fine if found guilty of the offence
in a magistrate’s court. If convicted of the offence in a crown court, the offender could face a 10-year
prison sentence. “You can go to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). At the SARC, you can get advice,
make a statement, have forensic samples taken, get medical support, including tests for sexually
transmitted diseases and pregnancy, without having to report the matter to the police.” (Citizens
Advice, 2021) SARC is able to store forensic samples for individuals if they are not ready to report the
incident to the police straight away. This is a good alternative to having to go to the police as some
people don’t report sexual assault to the police because of fear of what will happen. However, by having
this option available to them, they do not have to decide on the day the assault occurs if they want to go
to the police. Under this piece of legislation, a non-molestation order can be ordered to individuals who
