In modern society as the idea of sex and relationships becomes more liberal the purpose of sex and relationships comes under further analysis. In what is really a matter of just under a century sex before marriage has transformed from a concept that was once expected to one which is rarely practiced and as the attitude towards single mothers takes a similar U-turn we are forced to analyse the purpose of such concepts. Nowadays by many, sex is seen more and more as a leisurely activity which is in stark contrast to the idea previously held where the purpose of sex was seen as purely for reproductory purposes. It therefore raises the question of whether we should have the
Premarital sex was viewed as wrong when I was younger. It was the social norm to have sex once two individuals were married to each other. As I got older, I have noticed that individuals my age did not follow that norm to the point that it has become socially accepted today as normal behavior. On the contrary, my parent’s generation still view premarital sex as deviant since majority
Sexual education is a highly debatable topic, but many believe the information taught to students should be abstinence-only. Abstinence-only education has been put in place in order to educate students about the social, mental, and physical benefits of resisting from all sexual activity. It emphasizes the unsafe impacts of participating in sexual activity before marriage and having casual sex. It also promotes the idea that sexual abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. Abstinence education only permits the discussion of contraception and condoms in terms of failure in order to utterly discourage casual sex (Wilgoren, 1). Along with teaching the physical dangers of sex, abstinence education also teaches the mental dangers of sex (Abstinence-Only Education, 1). Sex has many risks and dangers that are not
"The best contraceptive is the word no-repeated frequently." (Margaret Smith) Today teens around the world are becoming sexually active at a startlingly young age and at an increasing rate. These young children are putting themselves into situations that can drastically change their lives and they want more freedom with this. Teens want a way to have sexual relations at young ages without their parents knowledge and with a false sense of security in their future being unaffected by a possible pregnancy. These young children do not realize that there is no pill that can cure all life's troubles, there are repercussions and consequences to every decision made. The bible clearly states its stance on sexual immorality and there
Since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began in the U.S. in the early 1980s the issue of sex education for American youth has had the attention of the nation. There are about 400,000 teen births every year in the U.S, with about 9 billion in associated public costs. STI contraction in general, as well as teen pregnancy, have put the subject even more so on the forefront of the nation’s leading issues. The approach and method for proper and effective sex education has been hotly debated. Some believe that teaching abstinence-only until marriage is the best method while others believe that a more comprehensive approach, which includes abstinence promotion as well as contraceptive information, is necessary. Abstinence-only program curriculums disregard
Another reason that abstinence-only education should be the only sex education taught in schools is that it is non-negotiable that abstinence is effective in preventing pregnancy and most STIs. While other forms of sex education are controversial, and cannot be agreed upon by parents, educators, or the government, abstinence is factually the best practice in birth control. There is no moral opposition to staying abstinent as there is to other forms of birth control, and it is supported by many religions as the best way of life as it has “psychological, social, and economic advantages” along with reflecting the teachings of many churches (Ballaro & Ginsburg, 2016). If abstinence-only education teaches the only infallible form of birth control,
There was once a time when premarital sex hardly ever existed, but that is not the case today. The age of individuals taking part in premarital sex is declining, and people are partaking in sexual acts at much younger ages. There is a highly unrealistic goal to encourage all Americans to abstain from sex until they marry (Finer 2). This is a highly unrealistic goal; the amount of people having premarital sex may lower, but getting all Americans to abstain is a nearly impossible goal. A 2002 survey showed that seventy-five percent of people aged 20 had premarital sex. The same survey portrayed participants aged 44 and it showed that ninety-five percent had sex before marrying. The survey showed that only around three percent of people abstained until marriage (Finer 3). Premarital sex also differs in the different sexes. Males were more likely to participate in premarital sex than women. This statistic is still common today. Premarital sex seemed to play a major role in relationships all the way back to the 1940s, it just depended on what age they did the act. By age 44, almost all people, if not married, had premarital sex (Finer 4). This is a social norm that seemed to stay relatively constant in American society throughout history. Not being abstinent is something that individuals have been accustomed to. It was socially
Virginity, the subject of never having sexual intercourse based on ideas of tradition, gender, and sexual politics. Many people especially women tend to treasure their virginity and are only willing to lose their virginity to the “right” person. Traditional values of virginity all tie in with marriage. In earlier times and still in today’s society, women will stay a virgin until they were married. In many cultures “Virginity” is often viewed from the perspective that being a virgin is being pure. Delaying sexual initiation until marriage is the norm in countries such as Ethiopia (BMC Public Health, 2008). Historically, woman’s virginity is protected by a father and then “given” to a husband. A woman’s sexuality was believed to belong to the men in her life and to her God (Vagianos, 2013), but in today’s society this idea is not viewed as strongly. Fathers normally tend to be more overprotective of their daughters than they are towards their sons. It traditional gender roles women are seen as the ones that are meant to only give birth to children and care for them. If an unmarried women was to get pregnant at a young age, she would be seen as a disgrace to her family. It would ruin the reputation of her and her family. Some women believe that having
Coinciding with the onslaught of the new millennium, schools are beginning to realize that the parents are not doing their job when it comes to sexual education. The school system already has classes on sexual education; these classes are based mainly on human anatomy. Most schools do not teach their students about relationships, morals, respect, self-discipline, self-respect, and most importantly contraceptives. Everyday students engage in sexual activity, many of them with out condoms. This simple act jeopardizes these students' futures and possibly their lives. An increasing amount of school systems are starting to combine messages involving abstinence from sexual activity,
Sex is the sacred sigh of the covenant with God, when a couple has sex they are sealing the covenant with God. Breaking this sign of the covenant is one of the most harmful sins that we as a people can expose ourselves to. In order for us to enter into heaven God says "But among you there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity...because these are improper for God's holy people.1" Breaking the sign of the covenant with God is breaking God's law and going against everything God wants for us. God doesn't ask much from us considering all that he has given us, he asks us only to follow his laws, in Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey what I command.1" Premarital sex goes against God's command and ruins our relationship with him.
Society has plugged information into young people’s mind for generations. This programmed, presumptive information has made youthful people, especially teenagers, and young adults think and act like robots. Buried deep in many teenagers thoughts ensued by their parents and society are the words, “No sex before marriage!”. Different people, have countless different reasons that they believe one should not have sex before marriage. Society, in lots of different places look poorly on those who engage sexually before being married. I’ve witnessed it happen more then once locally in my area, and its always ends with such a negative outcome. Even in schools kids are taught that sex is bad thing, and told not to engage in any sort of sexual activity. Rather then being taught about the importance of safe sex society is programing kids to just not have sex at all, especially in America. “Americans love to tout the value of waiting until marriage to have sex. We teach abstinence-only education in schools across the country, and even comprehensive sex-ed programs often point out that "abstinence is best."” (Jill Filipovic). People get married, most of the time, because the love each other but marriage is only a document. And when you love someone, you don’t need a contract to prove it. And you shouldn’t need a stamp of approval saying when and when you’re not allowed to be intimate with someone you love. Having sex before marriage should not be looked so poorly upon this day in age.
Abstinence is a tremendous topic to be taught, however, should not be the only option taught about sex. It is impractical to expect everyone to hold out until marriage. Abstinence, along with STD and pregnancy prevention is imperative for the youth. It is factual that accepting promiscuity as part of our culture could potentially cause a rise in STD's, teen pregnancy, and Aid’s. These increases are the reason we must begin early in educating children about the diseases, how to prevent them, and how to practice safe sex. Schools are insane for not lecture the importance, or proper use of
Although teaching abstinence is useful and can benefit an individual, it clearly is not enough.
Laws regarding the age of consent in the United States have undergone multiple revisions, resulting from differing perspectives on how to regulate teenage sex and prevent statutory rape. As a result, the state laws have defined ages at which they deem adolescents to be capable of consenting to sexual intercourse. Today the breakdown of age consent laws in the United States is as follows: 28 states use 16, 15 states use 18, 6 states use 17, and 1 state uses 14. (Leitenberg & Saltzman) But it was a long road before this point, beginning with English common law in the colonies, which set the age of consent at around ages 10-12. According to Carolyn Cocca, age of consent restrictions were imposed at the time to “Preserve female virginity, which
Over many years, the views of premarital sex have been becoming increasingly more tolerant. The whole reasoning behind why sex was created is lost in the minds of society and used for pleasure and own physical satisfaction. There are negative consequences for these actions leading to guilt, depression, and numbness to intimate relationships. Having strong parental influence can also strongly affect the outcomes of adolescence and causal sex. Additionally, marriage can be