Teen sex trends: Should we be alarmed?

Yes

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by Owen Carter

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Sex is, first and foremost, a physical act. Yet to reduce it merely to physicality, to the sensual and the pleasurable, is to ignore completely its wider ramifications. Sex, the brief merging of two bodies into one, should be seen as an extension of an emotional and spiritual connection, rather than some cheap act of gratification to please someone else. It should enhance love, rather than belittle it.

It is for this reason that the rise in sexual promiscuity amongst teenagers should be regarded with some trepidation. It should be added that I do not see the rise in sexual activity as alarming in itself; it is the deeper societal mores and attitudes behind it that alarm me. Our teenagers (within which I count myself) are exposed to a dazzling array of sexual content, perhaps more through the media and television than our peers. One can hardly watch an advertisement without spying some sexual allusion, and the pressure on young people to have sex, via mainstream culture as well as the highly insular environment of the school ground. Given this level of indoctrination, one can hardly be surprised that so many youths feel under pressure to have sex, and have it early.

It is perhaps the motivation behind this sexual activity that alarms me the most. As previously stated, sex should be approached as a furthering of an emotional bond, rather than something trivial and cheap. Yet the speed with which youngsters in relationships feel the need to advance them to the sexual level shows quite clearly that this mentality is simply not being adopted. Quite besides the cheapness of it all, this naive yet eager attitude towards sex comes with its own host of unintended consequences, all of which can be very damaging indeed.

The results of these casual encounters often bely the way in which they were approached. From a free-and-easy one night stand can stem sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, and feelings of emotional desolation. At a stage in their life when most people would not be prepared to handle a child for a few days, then being encumbered with one for life can wreck all the plans one may have made. I am aware that I am conflating the issues of promiscuity and unsafe sex somewhat, but to me the two go hand-in-hand - as sex is trivialised by the mainstream media, it is only natural that the precautions one should take are more frequently ignored.

It would be wise not to adopt some psuedo-Victorian mentality towards sex, however, where it is regarded as taboo on one hand, then made the subject of infantile giggling on the other. On the contrary, I am in favour of more frequent and matter-of-fact sexual education. It is countries such as the Netherland, where a frank and open manner is adopted towards sex and sex education, which enjoy some of the lowest rates of teenage pregnancy in Europe. Educate the young, and so eliminate juvenile playground mentalities. Battle against the trivialisation of an act of love. And finally, accept that sexual acts should be done for your own pleasure, not to please your peers.

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