ADOLESCENCE AND SEXUALITY

In America, several studies have been conducted on why adolescents want to experience sexuality at such a young age. According to the results of 3 studies, sexually active young people are influenced by:

1) Environmental factors

2) The age of their partner

3) Either the family's indifference or, especially for boys, the family's support.

At a meeting of the American Public Health Association, researchers from the University of Kentucky presented a study of 950 young people aged 13 to 19 from 9th to 11th grade in 17 schools in Kentucky and Ohio. The results showed that young people who had engaged in sexual intercourse believed that their friends had also had sexual intercourse, even if they hadn't actually done so.

Associate Professor Dr. in the health unit of a Kentucky school... According to Katharine Atwood, young people in that age group can exaggerate this situation among their friends, even portraying friends who haven't actually had sexual intercourse as if they have, thus influencing each other. It's a case of, "They've had it, so should I."

In this study, 33% of 9th-grade students had had at least one sexual experience in their lives, but despite this result, those who had experienced it reported that all or most of their friends had also had sexual experiences.

Dr. Katharine says, "If we can convince them that fewer young people have had sexual experiences than they think, we will have a very positive impact on changing these behaviors."

 

According to Dr. Harold Leitenberg, a psychology professor at the University of Vermont, when young girls have their first sexual experience at age 12-13, they usually choose a partner 5-6 years older than themselves.

Especially for girls, early sexual experience can bring about a number of behavioral problems. Suicidal tendencies, alcohol use, drug use, truancy, and pregnancy are the most common problems.

In Turkey, especially in the last 6-7 years, the age of puberty has dropped to 9 and the age of sexual activity to 14.

Previously, the age of puberty was 12-14 and the age of sexual activity was 20-21.

A study conducted in Europe revealed that children who enter puberty early have early sexual experiences.

The reasons for the decrease in the age of puberty are:

1- Increased consumption of protein-rich foods,

2- Chemicals and hormone-treated foods,

3- Socio-economic development and increased wealth.

Most families do not prefer their adolescent children to have a sexual experience, but their preference may not always reflect reality. Therefore, families need to warn their children about sexuality and the negative consequences of sexual experiences at that age from the moment they enter adolescence.

 

A study published at the University of Minnesota in 2002 showed that when mothers of teenagers aged 13-19 intervened in their children's lives and shared values ​​about sexuality with them, their interest in having sexual experiences in adolescence decreased.

According to this study:

 

1- Teenagers mostly don't have sex if they know their mothers absolutely don't want them to.

2- The strength of the bond between mother and child is much more effective than words alone.

3- If mothers give their children advice about protection, teenagers don't see this as the mother disapproving of sex.

4- When looking at the 14-15 year old children of mothers who responded, "Our relationship is perfectly fine," it was seen that these children had had sexual experiences but their mothers were unaware of it.

Mothers who maintain strong bonds with their daughters may have prevented them from having early sexual experiences.

Boys, being more influenced by their fathers, may talk to their fathers before having this experience, or vice versa, because it's very common for adolescent boys to be influenced by peers of the same age. Therefore, fathers should explain that they disapprove of this and highlight the negative aspects of sexual intimacy at that age.

Leaving children free at that age and assuming they are now individuals capable of thinking and making decisions on their own is a very wrong approach. They are individuals, but they are not yet old enough to think and make the right decisions in every matter.

Another study conducted in America showed that two-thirds of adolescents regretted having sexual experiences, saying, "We regret not waiting." These children, especially during adolescence, need a lot of guidance from their parents.

Adolescent girls who are self-confident and feel loved and have a good bond with their parents tend to have their first sexual experience much later in life.

Again, adolescents who have good communication with their parents may seek other avenues and desire acceptance, especially girls, as this is not the case since they do not desire attention from a boy.

They don't feel the need to have sexual experiences.

 

In an article published in "The Journal of Adolescent Sex," Dr. Moraski says, "Adolescents always think they should have an independent life from their parents, that they don't need to know everything they do, that they're growing up and can make their own decisions. When they become self-aware, they want to turn their backs on their families and exchange information with their peers. But the problem is that the information they get from their friends is not accurate. Therefore, don't just think they're grown up and let them go; talk to them, give them advice, and maintain strong bonds."

 

Also, in a recent article published in "The Journal of Milbank Quarterly," it was stated that adolescents whose parents smoke are introduced to cigarettes and alcohol at a lower age, and when they find an opportunity, they have their first sexual experiences.

 

There are indicators that your son or daughter has had more sexual experiences than you might think. Long-term studies have shown that smoking, alcohol, and other drug use can coexist with sexual experiences, and adolescents experiment with them. New findings now provide similar results for tattoos and piercings. Of course, we're not saying everyone who gets them is sexually active. 50% of the 18-year-old age group are not having sex.

 

I recommend educating your children from the age of 10 as follows:

 

Don't leave your teenager alone at home. Be there with them in a fun way.

 

Listen to what your child and their friends are talking about without giving them advice; this will increase their presence around you.

 

Ask your children about their hopes and dreams for the future and encourage them. This will prevent them from experiencing negative events in their lives.

Be their biggest supporter when their talents begin to develop.

Without blaming or threatening them, explain to your children that unhealthy and reckless sex carries many risks and that there are sexually transmitted diseases. Explain that you feel the need to talk about this because you love them very much and don't want them to suffer in the future.

Remind them that you are no stranger to what they learn about sex at school.

Keep the door open for conversation and tell them that what you discuss will remain between you.

Remind them that they need to set an example with their behavior. Tell them that you accept sex as a positive thing. Because if you say "don't have sex," they won't heed your advice.

 

For girls, you can bring up menstruation.

Don't give a short explanation to boys.

For boys, talk about the wetness of their underwear at night, about nocturnal emissions.

Explain that sex is something that progresses in a romantic way.

Explain that sexual attraction begins with a smile, progresses to kissing and touching, and that sexual intercourse can occur after that. Remind them that they can stop themselves at any point in this step-by-step process.

Teach girls that they should say "No" while looking a boy in the face.

Explain that sometimes a girl looking away and saying nothing can be misinterpreted by a boy and could lead to sexual exploitation.

Learn about your child's thoughts, language, and norms.

Explain the dangers of oral sex.

Explain that sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS can be transmitted through bodily fluids. Emphasize that they should stay away from such activities.

Create a checklist of when to have sex. Create a conversational environment about how a person decides when to have sex.

Discuss general reasons, such as love, pressure from a girlfriend or boyfriend, peer pressure, alcohol and drug use, and weakened decision-making abilities leading to sex.

Explain that sex has emotional connections. Explain that emotional attachment and subsequent separation will hurt their hearts and cause them pain. Explain that there will be regrets later.

Explain that it can also create a bad reputation in the community.

It is better for boys to hear about what is appropriate and inappropriate from their fathers. It is good if mothers inform their sons about women, and fathers inform their daughters about men.

It is beneficial to conduct your conversations about sex as an ongoing educational discussion, and keep the topic alive and use TV, movies, magazine articles, and newspaper articles as a pretext for your education.

Of the sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS is the most problematic.

By the end of 1999, 25,000 HIV cases were detected in the 20-24 age group.

3,500 HIV cases were detected in the 13-19 age group. In 2000, all AIDS cases in the USA...

Half of those who contracted the disease were under 25 years old.

 

We see that although adolescents are aware of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, they do not care about this issue.

Less than 10% of sexually active adolescents use condoms regularly (1998). Syphilis and gonorrhea are most prevalent among adolescents.

America is the leading country in adolescent pregnancies and births.

It costs $7 billion annually (1997).

The number of women who become pregnant before the age of 20 is 1 million per year.

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