Being able to avoid sexual intercourse as you relate with your friends begins with self-awareness- you should be aware of your own vulnerability or weaknesses that could easily make you to get involved. For instance, a young person who abuses alcohol can easily indulge in sexual activities because while under the influence of alcohol, he or she may not be able to put up any resistance in the face of sexual advances. So, you need to study yourself, discover the things about you that can easily make you to indulge in sexual intercourse and find ways to deal with them.
Another important thing is being able to set personal boundary. It is important to let your friends know the limits to which you would allow physical or bodily contact and be plain and firm about it. For instance, if you have told your friends that you do not want hugs, you should ensure that you never initiate or accept a hug from them under any circumstance.
You also need to be assertive.You should know that you alone have right over your body and therefore should be bold enough to refuse anyone who attempts to have unacceptable contact with your body.
Another thing that can also help you to put yourself in check is your consciousness of the consequences of sexual involvement such as contraction of STD.s, unplanned pregnancy, anxiety and others. You should always ask yourself, if you are ready to face these consequences.
The type of friends you have is also very important in keeping to your values. One of the easiest ways to maintain your values is to have friends that share the same values. That way, you would not struggle to keep to your values. For instance, if all your friends have equally decided on ‘no sexual contact’, it would be easy for you to avoid sexual involvement.
Assertiveness- You need to understand that your body belongs to you and you therefore have
the right to to decide how you want others to relate to you as your body is
concerned and be bold enough to state your position irrespective of the person involved.
