A. Definitions:
Age-appropriate sexual behavior: Behavior considered appropriate to a person’s chronological age and developmental stage and level.
Private place: Those areas identified by the Treatment Team at each campus providing a reasonable degree of privacy including, but not limited to, bathroom areas.

B. Health Education and Human Sexuality:
Depending on the age and developmental level of the students, classes offered at HEC help students understand the scope of sexuality and its place in human relationships. The classes provide opportunities for open discussion and are intended to help students make appropriate and informed decisions.
The structure of the Health Education classes, usually small groups, is flexible in order to meet the needs of individuals according to their ability to comprehend information and concepts. Students are assessed as to knowledge and understanding of health/sexuality issues before class structure is finally determined.
The Health Education classes are facilitated by teachers and staff trained to provide sex education. Staff who work with the class participants in other settings are encouraged to attend and participate in the classes. Depending upon the ages and developmental levels of the students to be involved, the content of the education program may include: defining appropriate expressions of affection; public vs. private places; sexually transmitted diseases; communication and human relationships; anatomy and physiology; contraception and reproduction; personal hygiene; health concerns; human sexual response; acceptable and non-acceptable sexual expression; understanding, preventing and coping with victimization.

1) Student Responsibilities
Students are expected and encouraged to:
a) Receive education regarding various components of health care and sexuality through the Health and Human Sexuality program, appropriate to the student’s age and developmental level.
b) Attend and cooperate with all routine medical appointments such as eye, gynecological and routine physicals with staff assistance, as needed.
c) Discuss any health concerns, routine and otherwise, including matters pertaining to sex and sexuality, with staff, their Clinician and/or the appropriate nurse or doctor.

2). Staff Responsibilities
Staff are expected and encouraged to:
a) Assist students in receiving and accepting all necessary medical care provided by both HEC and community health care providers, i.e., making appointments and accompanying them, if necessary.
b) Act appropriately as an advocate to help ensure quality health care.
c) Assist medical professionals in discussing health concerns with the student.
d) Be informed about the content of classes in which their students participate in the area of health/sexual education.

C. Questioning and curiosity
a) Definitions:
Questioning and curiosity are when individuals, through gesture or word, ask questions about various aspects of sexuality.
b). Student Responsibilities:
Student are expected to ask questions or discuss health/sexuality appropriately and discreetly, in appropriate places, at appropriate times.
c) Staff Responsibilities:
It is understood that discussing issues related to sex and sexuality with students is a sensitive and delicate task. Not all staff will feel comfortable in doing so, and staff must be aware of the scope and limitations of their own personal knowledge, experience and values.
Even while attempting to help a student with valid and genuine questions and concerns about this very human matter, staff must also remain consistently aware of professional boundaries and their role. Similarly, many HEC students have serious sexual issues; many have been victims of sexual abuse; and many are highly sexualized. Therefore, staff should be sensitive to indicators, both objective and intuitive, of the student’s motivations in raising issues of sex and sexuality. With many HEC students, questions regarding sex and sexuality may best be referred to the student’s Clinician.
1) Staff should respond to questions to the best of their ability, and in an objective and non-judgmental manner, being careful not to interject personal values or personal information. Staff should respond specifically to the question asked or the issue raised by the student, and should not expand the discussion or respond too widely.
2). If staff are not comfortable with subject matter, issue raised, or question asked staff should assist the student in finding the answer or information from someone else (e.g., clinician, nurse).
3) If staff do not know the answer, staff should offer to help the student look up the answer, i.e., Family Planning agencies, library, Human Sexuality program or assist the student in discussing the issue with someone else (e.g., clinician, nurse).

In all above instances, staff should follow-up to make sure students’ questions are answered and understood by the student.

D. Body Exploration, Masturbation
1) Definitions:
Body exploration occurs when a person, out of curiosity, observes or touches his or her own body.
Masturbation involves fondling/stimulating one’s own sexual areas for the purpose of sexual arousal.

2). Student Responsibilities
If a student chooses to engage in self exploration or masturbatory behavior he/she is expected to:
a) Stay in a private place so that the privacy rights of others are not violated.
b) Not let the behavior interfere with living, work or treatment responsibilities.
c) Not engage in the behavior to the extent or in a way that causes self injury.
d) Exercise good personal hygiene and appropriate care for his/her surroundings).

3) Staff Responsibilities
Staff are expected to:
a) Help the student understand that body exploration and masturbation are normal means of human sexual expression, and that it is important to consider time and place before one engages in these behaviors.
b) Assist in defining public vs. private places, and appropriate times for body exploration and masturbation.
c) If student engages in these behaviors in a way that is inconsistent with stated expectations and responsibilities, it is suggested that staff intervene as follows:
1] Discreetly interrupt the behavior by addressing the inappropriateness (e.g., time or place).
2] If the student continues to engage in the behavior, staff should explain that it appears the student is engaging in masturbatory behavior and ask the student to stop, and then engage in collaborative problem solving as appropriate.
3] During this intervention, staff should protect the individual from embarrassment, humiliation or feeling punished, i.e., shield them or cover them with a coat and/or redirect them to an appropriate time and place for this activity.
Excessive or inappropriate body exploration or masturbation should be referred to the Treatment Team for the development of a management plan.

E. Dating
Given the ages of our students, it is natural and normal that they should be interested in other students. However, dating and/or “going out” between students is prohibited at all HEC programs.