About The Open University Sexuality Alliance

We should be talking about the challenges people with LLTCs find with their development… both physical and emotional.

Aims:

Talking about sex, sexuality and relationships: Guidance and standards aims to assist health, social and educational care professionals support young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions (LLTCs) discuss relationships, intimacy and sexuality.

Objectives:

The Open University Sexuality Guidance and Standards will:

• Inform health, education and social care professionals who support young people with life-limiting conditions about relationships, intimacy and sexuality, as well as their families and/or carers.
• Be a published  on- line and hard-copy resource that provides excellent value for money and is a vital and essential guidance for health, education and social care professionals.
• Clearly present information for health, social care and educational professionals on the areas of recognising, responding to and reviewing sexuality matters for young people with life-limiting conditions throughout their lives.
• Develop  critical guidance to improve the care of young people with regard to developing their self- esteem, positive body image and self confidence in relation to intimacy, sexuality and relationships.
• Enable care staff supporting people with life-limiting conditions to enhance their own knowledge and confidence in discussing relationships, intimacy and sexuality with people with LLTCs, their families and/or carers.

The work of The Open University Sexuality Alliance has been funded by The Open University’s Higher Education Innovation Fund. The second edition of Talking about sex, sexuality and relationships: Guidance and standards (pdf) is now freely available from this website. There is also a separate, two page extract (pdf) outlining the Principles, Guidance and Standards.