Bristol, Connecticut, U.S.A. — Teenage sex and pregnancy has been around for a very long time and that is why I believe that there is no more going on now than there was 50 years ago.
More recently well-meaning parents say, “Don’t have sex, but if you do, use a condom.”
Could it be that talking so openly about sexual pleasures has destroyed the concept that you only do it with someone you love? This is hard to say because it is a moral issue where individual values conflict.
This issue must focus on responsibility. Regardless of which partner uses what kind of birth control, there are still unplanned pregnancies.
Sex has changed from something explored privately into something taught in school.
The idea is not to teach morals, but to define values and explain sexuality. But young people are not taught how to handle the responsibility of their sexual actions. It must be taught that a condom is not in any way a license to practice free love.
One cannot blame the curriculum for the choice to have sex, but one can blame media, music and other influences for the influence.
Rose Mamie Kowalchuk is a Reporter for Youth Journalism International.
