Teen SexualityThe hot topic of teen sexuality has been a source of great concern for many years, but especially in today’s society. The teen body is going through some very dramatic physical and emotional changes, all brought about by raging hormones. These are the years they are transforming from children into adults. New emotions and abilities wash over them like a tsunami. Teens who get swept up in this wave by acting irresponsibly can get pregnant, diseased or both. And unlike the STDs of our ancestors, all of today’s diseases cannot be cured, so one rash action, one slip up, can set a youngster on a path of desperation with less opportunities to develop and grow into their potential. In the teen years we learn what orgasm feels like, whether we first experience them via wet dreams or through masturbation. If the teen wants to pursue having orgasms by their own hand, they must realize that they are setting up the foundation for their sex life. Especially important for guys, is to take their time when building up to the orgasm. The guy who masturbates too quickly to orgasm is teaching himself the bad habit of premature ejaculation that will plague him, causing him grief, insecurity, and a lifetime of unsatisfying sex. Better to take it slow, learn where your control is so you can learn how to stay in control. Good sexual habits developed during the teen years are particularly important for guys so that when they learn to orgasm it is a conscious choice, not something that gets away from them. This is also the time that young women should learn self love. If they teach themselves how to have an orgasm without a partner, they also learn to harness their sexual power, while developing a sense of independence and self worth. When the time comes to choose a partner, it will be a choice made from a point of strength, not desperation or insecurity. Since sex is a very real part of our lives, its strong urges must be understood to be controlled. As its need enters our thoughts, minds and bodies, we must openly address, without shame or embarrassment, the physical and mental changes that are going on, because without knowledge and self-respect, too many things can go wrong. Teen sexuality wasn’t a concern thousands of years ago when life expectancy was only about 40 years. Societies expected their young and strong to pair up, make babies, and follow through on the body’s demand for procreation. But today, with life expectancy being well over 80, we are more concerned with our children growing up as responsible individuals on a planet that needs all its citizens to pull their weight and be accountable for their actions. That is why the topic of teen sexuality should be embraced, openly discussed, and prepared for. Telling teens to ignore their growing sexual appetite and practice abstinence simply won’t work. For them to act responsibly, we must give them all the facts, demystify its processes. Let them make the best decision based on information, sexual acceptance and knowledge. By helping teens understand that sex, the most beautiful physical expression of love, comes with a whole lot of responsibility, we change it from the forbidden fruit to a meal worth waiting for. Children having sex, without maturity and personal responsibility is equivalent to playing Russian roulette. It’s playing with fire that can burn you for a long time, if not kill you. When it comes to teen sexuality, the worst thing we can do is tell the teens to “just say no”. If we want them to act responsibly, we must give them all the facts so they can compensate with logic for the hormones that are influencing every part of their lives.
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