Excerpts
#3: What Kinds of Things Should I Worry About When It Comes To Sex?
There are many things to consider when you are thinking about being sexual with another person. The two most obvious ones are pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. There are also many more things to consider, such as: your reputation, your family, your values, selfrespect, how will you will feel afterwards, how they will feel about you afterwards. Why do you want to have sex, do you really want to, what will happen if you do, what will happen if you don’t? The list goes on. Here is one example of a young teenager who wasn’t sure what she wanted and found herself getting more then she bargained for.
Janice and her girl friends planned to meet up with some guys at Doug’s house Friday night. Doug’s parents were away for the weekend, so he got some beer and planned to have a small party. Janice really didn’t drink, but she figured it wouldn’t be so bad. The other girls were drinking and she didn’t want them to think she wasn’t cool. Besides, she secretly had a crush on Doug and she was afraid he might not like her if she didn’t drink with them.
As the night went on, everyone was having a good time and Doug was paying a lot of attention to Janice. After more drinks, the group decided to play a game. The game was to spin a bottle and whomever it landed on had to take off one piece of clothing. Janice was uncomfortable with the idea, but Doug really seemed into it. She was feeling a bit buzzed and decided “what the heck?”
One thing led to another, and before she knew it, Janice found herself dancing half naked in Doug’s living room. As the alcohol began to wear off she thought, “OMG, what am I doing?” She grabbed her clothes and told Doug she had to go. By the next week at school, everyone had heard about the game and the dancing. The rumors had started.
Janice didn’t plan for things to happen the way they did. In fact, she didn’t plan at all. Janice got caught up with the intensity of the moment and she just went with the flow of things. The addition of alcohol and the pressure she felt from her friends encouraged her to make choices that she later regretted. She ended up compromising her values and is now suffering consequences she never expected.
#7: Who Can I Talk To About Love and Sex?
Who can we turn to when it comes to such a personal and intimate subject? This is a really important question. Most teens learn about sex from a variety of different resources in their lives—friends, siblings, teachers, parents, religion, culture, and of course, the media. Unfortunately, a lot of the information they get is not accurate. Many websites offer biased, inaccurate, or conflicting information. We have listed a few good Internet resources for you in the back of this book if you want to get some more in-depth information.
Many teens end up turning to their friends for advice. But think about it, do your friends really know more than you do about sex? Most of the time they are just telling you things they believe to be true or what their big brother told them. Don’t get us wrong, we don’t think talking with friends about sex is a bad idea. We’re just saying that this shouldn’t be the end-all and be-all of sex advice. There are some really good resources out there to help with that, and hopefully this book will help, as well.
So, who can you really trust? We like to suggest the unpopular idea of talking with your parents about sex. Yes, we did say your parents. After all, they have some experience with the topic. They may not be the coolest parents and they probably don’t have all the answers, but your parents can offer some information that may be beneficial, or at least lead you to some good resources. In the end, if you get into a jam, it may be your parents who have to bail you out or be there for you emotionally. Why not give your parents a chance? They just might surprise you.
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