Body Advocacy:  A Workshop on Body Image and Sexual Health

Does it surprise you to learn that most people at some point in their lives have felt awkward about their body? For young people, adolescent self-doubt and society’s confusing messages often mix to produce "bad body fever" leading to risky health as well as sexual behaviors. Maureen Kelly,  author of My Body, My Rules,  facilitated an examination of body image and its relationship to sexual health, with a particular focus on tools to help teens develop positive, self-defined attitudes about their bodies.

Activity:  "Art Card Game" 

Rationale:

Throughout history, the art world has provided images of bodies and beauty that illustrate the true diversity of shapes, colors and forms of human life. Although popular art created in one era may favor or depict a specific standard of beauty more than others, historically, artistic representations have presented views of the human form that celebrate diversity.

Procedure:

Using local museums, the internet and catalogs, build a collection of postcards, posters and pictures that represent the true diversity of artistic expression and diverse depictions of the human form.

Spread your collection of images on a table or the floor and ask participants to walk around, and do some reflection about the images. Ask them to choose one image that they relate to in a positive way.

With that image in their mind, ask the group to write down a few of the positive things that spoke to them about the image they chose.

• What drew them to it?
• What feeling did it evoke?

Have individuals share their experience of their chosen image in small or large groups. Allow time for general discussion. Ask the large group to reflect and react to the following question:

How would your world be different if the images you chose were all equally and frequently used in the media to depict beauty in positive ways?