Health and Lifestyle from OpenLearn - free learning resources from the Open University

If you're looking for advice and guidance on sexual matters we've chosen some weblinks to give you a starting point. Please be aware some of the links may take you to internet sites offering further links to explicit descriptions of sexual matters.

One Life
Got questions about your body, your life, your relationships? BBC Radio 1's One Life is a great place to start looking for answers.

Sex Education Forum
believing that good quality sex and relationship education is an entitlement, the forum works towards achieving this end with a range of other organisations.

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
An organisation dedicated to ensuring all have access to accurate information about sexuality and sexual health; as its title suggests it has a focus on activities in North America.

Sex Education
Sex Education links from the Open Directory.

The BBC and The Open University are not responsible for the content of external websites.

There's no shortage of histories and overviews of the debates surrounding sex education - both the battles already fought, and the ideas and proposals now. We've selected some of the best.

Books and Journals

Birds, Bees, and Venereal Disease: towards an intellectual history of sex education
Julian Carter in the Journal of the History of Sexuality 2001, issue 10, pages 213-249.

Values in Sex Education: From Principles to Practice
J Mark Halstead & Micheal Reiss, Routledge Falmer, 2003

The Male in The Head: Young People, Heterosexuality and Power
Janet Holland, Caroline Ramazanoglu, Sue Sharpe and Rachel Thomson, The Tufnell Press, 1998

Young People’s Views on Sex Education, Education, Attitudes and Behaviour
Lynda Measor, Coralie Tiffin and Katrina Miller, Routledge Falmer, 2000

School Sex Education: policy and practice in England, 1870 to 2000
Jane Pilcher in Sex Education 2005, issue 5, pages 153-170

The Journal of Sex Education is published by Routledge quarterly.

If you would like to follow up your interest by taking a course, the OU offers a range of courses and qualifications designed to fit you.

Which type of course is best for you?

• New to undergraduate study?
• Not sure you want to commit to a long course?
• Have study experience and looking for more?

Openings

If you haven’t experienced higher education before, deciding to become an undergraduate student can be a big step. But don’t worry, the OU’s designed a programme that allows you to dip your toe in the water before committing yourself!

Understanding Health (Y158)
This course focuses on the health of individuals, families, localities and societies. It looks at how much people influence their own health, and how much it is influenced by our families, the places we live and wider society. It looks at what we can do as individuals to maintain our health, as well as looking at how the medical profession and politicians intervene to try to keep us healthy.

Details of all the OU's Openings courses can be found on their Openings courses page.

Short Courses

If you want to study science but don’t want to commit to a full undergraduate course one of the OU’s science short courses could be perfect for you.

Chance Risk and Health (SMK184)
This course will introduce you to some of the main ideas of modern statistics, from scratch, in the context of important health issues. It will show you how statistics can shed considerable light on such topics as the controversy surrounding the MMR vaccine and the link between smoking and cancer. The course is not a ‘how-to/cookbook’ introduction to basic statistics. Rather, its role is to help you appreciate the importance of statistical analysis and thinking, particularly in modern medicine. Its emphasis is on understanding the kinds of statistical tools that are available; what issues they can address; and how to interpret statistical results.

Diabetes Care (SK120)
This course provides an introductory overview of diabetes care, with the person with diabetes as the centre of focus. You will study medical, social, psychological and educational aspects of the condition of diabetes, and learn about its diagnosis, complications, treatment, lifestyle changes and the role of individuals within the diabetes ‘team’. It will appeal to students from a variety of backgrounds, including people with diabetes, health care workers and anyone interested in learning more about the condition.

Human Genetics and Health Issues (SK195)

This course deals with a subject of importance to us all – our genes, which is an area at the forefront of developments in medical science. Genes also contribute to a person’s behaviour and health, including susceptibility to certain diseases, such as heart disease.

The course examines: the patterns of inheritance of genes, including those associated with genetic diseases; the Human Genome Project, which aims to discover all the genes found in the cells of a human being; how genes function; how the physical and biochemical characteristics of the body are produced; and why there are differences between individuals and between populations. Finally, it explores some of the issues surrounding research into genes, from biological, medical and ethical points of view: for example, how knowledge of our genes has the potential to revolutionise our ability to change the genetic fates of individuals.

Details of all the OU's short science courses can be found on their short science courses page.

Longer Courses and Qualifications

Open University courses are the main 'building blocks' of our qualifications. You can take a single course or take several to build towards an Open University diploma or degree.

Which level of study is most suitable for you?

• Is studying Health new for you?
• Already have work or study experience in Health?
• Looking for a career in health?

Where to Start

Understanding Health and Social Care (K100)

Offering a broad practical introduction to health and social care, this course examines the nature of modern caring and the effects of changes to the health service.

If you’re interested, why don’t you take a look at the Open University’s Interactive K100 course guide.

Higher level study

Health and Disease (U205)
This multidisciplinary course should appeal to anyone who has a broad professional or lay interest in the issues that influence health and disease in the UK and elsewhere.

Working in Health and Social Care

Our courses are particularly relevant to current priorities – emphasising working across professional boundaries, and focusing on clients, service users and patients. Study path examples show how our courses can help people working in health and social care.

See the study paths of:

• a Residential Care Assistant
• a Healthcare Assistant
• a Nurse
• a Professional working in palliative care
• a Nurse Manager
• a Social Worker
• a Playworker

See the training and development opportunities for a Social Services Department.

You can study a single course to develop a particular area of your knowledge or practice, or combine courses to achieve an award. Find out more from the OU's Health and Social Care study pathways page.

Sample some genuine OU course material - online and free at OpenLearn - Health & Lifestyle