What??? What is this? What kind of sense does this make? Have you ever heard the phrase "Two wrongs don't make a right?"
I know, many of you will say that teens are having sex, that's just the way it is. So movies and books should reflect what real life is about. But the thing is, not all teens are having sex, and constantly saying that they all are, makes those who choose to wait feel even more alone. Even those who think that teen sex is ok, can't possibly argue that choosing to wait isn't ok. So why is teen sex pushed so much in the media? Especially in the wake of the growing number of teens that are getting STD's and thirty-somethings that are now finding that they can't have children because they had an STD as a teen.
Studies have shown that teens who are exposed to a lot of sexual content in the media are more than twice as likely to have sex by the age of 14-16. Many would say that teens should be able to have sex as long as it's safe. We're finding out, however, that "safe sex" is more of an illusion than a reality. Most teens’, and even parents’ biggest concern with teen sex is the possibility of pregnancy. But, I’ve got news for you….you can survive pregnancy. You may not survive an STD. Even using protection doesn't truly protect you from many STDs. And these diseases are causing teens, especially girls, to have major health problems in the future, some of the biggest being sterility, cervical cancer and, of course, HIV.
When having these conversations, someone inevitably says, “Well, they’re hearing it all and seeing it all at school anyway, so what difference does it make?” This may be true, but in my opinion that’s even more reason that when they come home they shouldn’t be bombarded with even more sexually explicit material.
So, what do you think? If you’re a teen. do you feel pressured by the media to have sex? If you’re a parent, how much influence do you think the media has on teens and sex?
~Andye
If you're a parent who's interested in knowing what's in the books your teen is reading, check out www.ParentalBookReviews.com
-- A futuristic prison sealed from view, no one knows how to get in or out. Where the descendants of the original prisoners live in the dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building (as big as Texas) which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons.
Look for the sequel, 
, available December 2010!
. Check it out!
