Teens
Whether you choose to be sexually active or not, it is your responsibility to be educated on all the different aspects of sex. Use the information given to make the right decisions for you.
Click on "Girls" or "Boys" to learn what is applicable to your gender, and read the opposite gender's page for a new perspective.
The Media
and Sex
We live in a sex obsessed culture. Everywhere you turn there are magazines with half naked women on the cover, childrens' shows ridden with sexual innuendos, and movies that normalize and glamorize casual sex.
The media also caused women and their bodies to be treated as objects. Provocatively dressed women are on billboards, advertisements, commercials, you name it, and subsequently girls are expected to be sexy and seductive, and are given an unrealistic expectation of how they should look and act.
Girls need to know that you do not have to look like the airbrushed, photoshopped models, and boys need to know that womens' bodies are not sex objects, they are something to be respected.
However, the media does not accurately portray the realities of sexual relations, so it is important to be educated and make your own decisions when it comes to your sexual health and well-being.
Sexually Transmitted
Infections
Quick STI Facts:
- The rate of STI's has recently increased.
- Two thirds of STI's occur in people who are under 25 years old
- Teenage girls are more vulnerable to infections because they are not fully biologically developed
-A recent study done by the Centers for Disease Control involving 14-19 year old sexually active females found that nearly 40% of them had an STI.
- Condoms offer minimal protection against STI's that are transmitted skin to skin
- Condoms are 80% effective in preventing HIV
- Be responsible!
Sources: Myers, David G. Myers' Psychology for AP. New York: Worth Publishers, 2011. Print.
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=26192
Birth Control
Part of Sex Education is making teens aware of the the various methods of birth control, if they do indeed chose to be sexually active. Educating teens about birth control does not promote sexual activity.
Methods of Birth Control
Abstinence: The only way to absolutely prevent pregnancy is to abstain from sexual intercourse.
Birth Control Pills: These are pills taken daily by a female to prevent eggs from leaving the ovaries and therefore preventing pregnancy. When taken as directed they are 99% effective; less if not taken as directed.
Condoms: Condoms are a worn on the penis during intercourse. They are made of latex and prevent the sperm from entering the woman.
Other: In addition to these main methods of birth control, there are a variety of other options, including birth control shots, patches, rings, the "morning after" pill, implanted devices, a female condom, and several others.
Age of Consent
Every state has different laws regarding when you can legally consent to sex and under what circumstances. If you do not abide by these laws, it may be classified as statutory rape.
This is important information for everyone to know; read up on the laws for your state here
- Just like the name says, a Sexually Transmitted Infection is an infection that can be transmitted through sexual contact, including sexual intercourse, oral-genital contact, and kissing.
- Common STI's include AIDS/HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, genital warts, hepatitis B and syphilis.
-STI's can cause long term damage to your body, even with no apparent symptoms.
