Sex and the Youth

Every time I look at my niece who is just 10-year old, I wonder in grim awestruck. Although brought up in a strict family, she is into relationship-she has a boyfriend. Yes, even at that age!

In another case, I met a boy of 12-year old who told me that he feels inferior staying without a girlfriend because his classmates would persistently poke him for not having a girlfriend.

"When their friends explicitly indulge in sex talk and consider it as great fun they begin to feel the pressure within and relate it directly with self esteem," says my counselor colleague who is right now counseling the “disbanded” gang members at Department of Youth and Sports.

“They feel overwhelming pressure to do to what their friends are doing. They are compelled to do so because she or he wanted to be accepted as the hottest girl or good looking boy in their friend circle,” he added.

The trend to be in a relationship is now becoming an ‘image responsibility’ among our young friends.

Love or no love, everyone is doing it. It is the pitch for having sex. Virginity is “century”. One-night stands and no emotional baggage is “cool”. Live-in relationship is “modern” whereas marriages are just another boring ritual.

Pressure from friends, portrayal of western culture and media exposure has brought casual sex as a trend. Now there are condoms for twelve-year old boys. But is their mental and emotional aptitude to be forsaken? The situation can be a reverse if a girl gets pregnant or infected with incurable diseases. All of these can be exceedingly challenging on a her mental health.

Sense of morality differs with different people, but impressions at a young age can affect a person’s whole life.

In such cases often people may end up feeling depressed or guilty. There could be personality changes as emotional upheavals and panic attacks have tremendous impact on a person.

I definitely blame the narrow mindset of our parents who forbid talking about sex with their children.They want to cocoon their children away and suppress what nature intended to be perfectly natural. What parents need to understand is that sex education is important to teach youth a responsible sex. We need to consider casual sex as a part of lifestyle in teen years and it’s urgent that parents catch up with their children just in time and advise accordingly.

Our parents should say in open, “Use protection for sex,” rather than “I will beat you if I find you having a boyfriend” or "Sex is dirty" or "Sex is wrong".

Otherwise why are youth of the opinion that pre-marital sex is always good?

Picture: Google picture