Countering the Culture of Sex
Debra Sievers
DeVry University

Countering the Culture of Sex

At the age of 19 years old, she has a crying baby and lives in an apartment, struggling to make the bills. One evening some girlfriends call and see if she would like to go out, she tells her best friend she cannot go on a girl’s night out because she cannot afford a babysitter. Being a single mother, she has no one to help. She ask herself, how did this happen? That one night of passion, was it worth it. Sure, it felt great when she did it, and she trusted the person she was with that one night. That does not always mean that it is the right thing to do. Well everyone is doing it! Like Mom always says, “If everyone jumped off a cliff would you do it to?” Changing her beliefs on pre-marital sex and unprotected sex, because the arguments made based upon fact and other opinions and realities. While protective measures are simple and easy to implement, but are often neglected. The three common reason teenagers practice unprotected sex is religion, illiteracy, and cultural expectations. Although teen pregnancy is an ongoing problem, there are many ways to make it less a less occurring incidence through protection, illiteracy, and media expectations.
Firstly, teenagers do not care about birth control or protection to avoid unwanted pregnancies and diseases. “Over the last decade or so, the female condom has also entered the market, but has not found as much success or visibility as has the male condom” (Gordon, 2013). Condoms are the most reliable way to avoid conception, no current method of contraception is entirely 100% effective. Secondly, “condoms protect the user from sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, which transmitted via fluids such as semen and vaginal discharge, and frequently acquired through unprotected vaginal or anal sexual intercourse” (Gordon, 2013). Not everyone has the means to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and diseases. Illiteracy is another reason that unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases may thrive in certain parts of the world.
Unsurprisingly, illiteracy rates are high in overpopulated regions. Poverty is usually a significant cause of illiteracy in developing regions: children kept from school or forced to drop out in order to help support their families. “Without the benefit of even a high school education, which almost certainly includes sex education in most countries, such children grow up into adults who procreate irresponsibly and without thought” (Sylvester, 2013). Some high schools today have never shown a sex education video. By having protected or unprotected sex will alter their life dramatically. Why take the risk when a condom can break, it even says so on the box…. Starting more commercials in the world could help with some of the unplanned pregnancies. The media is saying add some real stories about people’s lives, and not saying put ‘Trojan Man’ on TV more. Let us put some of real life into ‘reality’ TV.
Finally, media expectations are the worst offender in this regard. Today our society is so much different than it used to be. “Entertainment executives like to say, on the one hand, that they are just reflecting reality and, on the other hand, that they’re in the business of fantasy” (DeMauro, 2013). Society needs to stop sugarcoating the advertisements of sex and needs more reality. Teenagers are having sex at a younger age today because of entertainment. Not knowing of all the consequences, teenagers do not think before they act. ‘Condom’s break once in a million’…a friend once said. It is not true at all. We need to realize that.
Madonna’s song from the 80’s “Papa Don’t Preach,” is a ’paean to teenage motherhood’ (Bender, p. 24). This song relates to real situations. Music and media can influence teenagers. Madonna’s lyrics to the song, “The one you warned me all about, the one you said I could do without, we're in an awful mess, and I don't mean maybe – please,” should make teenagers think about the things that can happen. Teenagers should listen to their parent(s) instead of music and the media about the problems that unprotected sex can cause... The media blamed by this generation for unplanned pregnancies is happening in these relationships. There are so many slogans in the media that advertise sex in a round-about way such as…’Just Do It’ –the well-known Nike slogan. Today’s generation turns to music as solitude. They go to it to understand life. It seems there is not enough to do to prevent and advertise preventing unprotected sex. Music and TV can be very convincing to this generation.
With all the TV shows, 16 and pregnant, Sex and the City, and many others make teenagers want to have sex. How do we stop this? Kathleen Sylvester saying, “How many times do kids see sex on TV, in which no one gets pregnant, no one gets STDs, and no one has to get up in the middle of the night to feed a baby?” (Sylvester, 2013) The non-reality from TV is beyond true. Teenagers today need to have new ways of preventing unplanned pregnancies. Teenagers see sex on TV, but do not see the consequences, no one gets sick, the actors have fun; but that is just it, they are acting. With these TV shows, teenagers do not see enough real life experiences with consequences. Maybe if they did have real life experiences with consequences then, maybe, just maybe they would think twice before having unprotected sex. Many teenagers think unprotected sex is a myth and cannot happen to them.
Parents of teenagers think that their children learn all they need to know about life in school. Most parents think that if their children are not asking questions, and then they are not thinking about it. Teenagers today will more than likely go to their peers if they have a question or problem pertaining to sex, rather than going directly to their parents. “Other parents think that if their son or daughter were getting into trouble, they would know about it” (Gordon, 2013). However, teenagers keep to themselves if they think they could possibly get them in trouble. Kids do want their parents’ advice. Some will not admit it, but most would like them to help.
Teen pregnancy is a more severe problem, which only does this affect individual, but also our society as a whole. “Most teenagers do not know what to expect during pregnancy and how pregnancy will have psychological effects of being a young parent” (DeMauro, 2013). The teenage years are full of emotional turmoil and adding the stress and emotion of pregnancy. Every year thousands of pregnant teens try to commit suicide. However, the emotional roller coaster of being pregnant can make a young mother depressed, but are very real. Women face many psychological and physical changes during pregnancy.

Reference

Bender, Leone. Introduction. Teenage Sexuality: Opposing Viewpoints. Bender, David, series editor. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2013.

DeMauro, Diane and Debra Haffner. Sex Education Is Beneficial. Sexual Values: Opposing
Viewpoints. Bender, David, series editor. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2013

Gordon, Sol. Sex Education is Necessary. Teenage Sexuality: Opposing Viewpoints. Bender,
Leone, series editor. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2013

Sylvester, Kathleen. Education Programs Will Curb Teenage Pregnancies. Teenage Sexuality:
Opposing Viewpoints. Bender, series editor. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2013