Sex Education Providing Appropriate Sex

Sex Education

Providing appropriate sex education for adolescents is a very critical exercise that requires the correct balance of information and tact in the presentation of the information. It is important to note that while practical knowledge on the sexual organs is important. Sex education and more accurate sexuality education encompass more than a simple understanding of how sex works. It is possibly that this is not the most critical information that should be shared. Sexuality education must address the issues of values, respect, and appropriate decision making. Adolescents are making very difficult decisions when they are least prepared to make such decisions. This is a time when some of the errors they may make with their life cannot be effaced easily in the future. Sexuality education is helping adolescents to make the right decisions for tomorrow, today.

Key words: Sex, sexuality, adolescents, penis, STI's, masturbation, Vagina, respect, same sex

Sex Education

This presentation is designed for adolescents between the ages of 13 to 16. The period of life for an adolescent is possibly the most invigorating and exciting time of their life. The changes that occur within their bodies are almost magical and both boys and girls experience physical and emotional changes. While the both are experiencing changes the nature of the changes are unique to each sex. It is important that they become adjusted to the wealth of changes taking place within them. The changes can also be terrifying for some adolescents particularly if they do not understand the nature of the changes and are not prepared for them.

One of the most interesting changes is the development of a healthy interest in members of the opposite sex. Boys are generally curious about the sexual components of the changes. Girls on the other hand are very interested in how their bodies are changing, love, and romance. This difference in the manner in which the two groups view love and sex may result in many unhappy and confusing experiences. Very often, the interactions between boys and girls occurs from an entirely different view of relationships and the meaning they give to sexual encounters.

Another exciting, when you are prepared for it and scary when you are not, change is the presence of a sex drive. The sex drive in silent during the infancy period but awakens during adolescence. Suddenly persons who never thought of sex have constant thoughts that are fanned by hormones coursing through their bodies. This exciting cocktail can be very frightening for some young persons who are having difficulty managing their sex drive, and can even place them in very difficult positions if that desire is not managed well.

Presently the society is plagued with high rates of STI's (Sexually Transmitted Infections), with HIV / AIDS and with the misuse of sex (Sex education, 2010). There are concerns for teenaged pregnancies and for the high levels of promiscuity among adolescents. Another concern is sexual abuse and date rapes. While sexuality education may not eliminate these challenges, it allows you to be prepared for them if they were to occur at any time in your life or the life of a loved one. The education that you will receive is not only about information but it is also about having the right kinds of personal attitudes and about valuing yourself.

Sex is a beautiful and wonderful privilege that is given to humans. It can be a wonderful part of our life or it can cause serious pain and suffering to others and ourselves. Because, it is a privilege sex is surrounded by responsibilities. These responsibilities are an important part of the sexual understanding that should occur at this time of your life. One of the most important ways to prepare for this responsibility is through an effective sex education program like this one. This program begins at your home and should be supported by information provide at school by teachers and sex educators like myself.

To begin our discussion we will need to define what we mean when we say "sex."

Sex has many meaning for some sex means gender. Gender is a way to understand the roles and responsibilities of males and females in the society. When we are discussing sex in this manner we are really talking about relating to the physical characteristics of male and females that we can see. Sex is also used as a verb and in this case, it refers to the action of individuals engaging in sexual contact or sexual intercourse. A better term for this education experience should be sexuality. Sexuality is the sexual element of and individual's personality. Sexuality refers to all the facets of being male or being female. It relates not only to sexual organs but also to how we think and feel as males and females. So that while at some stage a person may stop having sexual intercourse, that same person will continue to be a sexual being up until they die. So that sexuality convers all of life from the cradle to the grave.

Sexuality education should also cover the experiences you will face as a married person and as a single person (Engel, 1983 p. 125). These experiences can be quite varied and some of them may even be very disturbing. However, being prepared for them makes them easier to deal with and to overcome. In marriage, a man and a woman are engaged in the most intimate of contacts and it becomes very important that you understand the sexuality of the opposite sex. Some people think that they should only learn about themselves on the contrary in these sessions you will learn a lot about the opposite sex. This knowledge will make you more considerate and allow you to have better relationships with persons of the opposite sex. This is an important aspect of successful adjustment within the marital setting.

It is important that you are proud of who you are. In some societies, girls are at times made to feel as though they are not as good as boys are. They can develop attitudes where they begin to hate themselves and feel as though they are unworthy of the love of other persons. The first important thing to understand about you and your sexuality is that you are important and that you should be happy to be who you are. It is not necessary to want to be someone else. It is very important to be comfortable in your own skin and when you are comfortable, you can be happy with the changes that come with growing older. This feeling good about yourself is considered self-esteem. It is very important that you have high self-esteem, that you feel that you are important, valuable. When you love yourself, it becomes easier to deal with others who may say unkind things or who may love you. Loving your self is the beginning of loving others.

Before I go further, I would like to say that it is also important that you gain knowledge of sexuality the right way (Koblinsky & Atkinson 1982). Even if your parents are reluctant to provide you with the correct information, you can seek out teachers and other educators who will be very willing to provide accurate information. Many young persons learn about sexuality from their peers or from the images that are shown on the television. Pornographic movies or magazines do not provide accurate information about sexual behavior and they provide inappropriate messages about women and men. These images give not only conflicting messages but also very incorrect messages about women and the role of sex in the life of adults. It is not uncommon to see in the movies, a couple engaging in sexual acts in a very casual and carefree manner. Such portrayals ignore the emotional and physical challenges with sexual behavior and give the impression that there is no need to act responsibly. The truth is the exact opposite, sexual behavior requires that you act very carefully and be responsible in your behavior. Consider not only the present actions but also the future consequences of those actions.

Let's talk a bit now about the period called adolescence. The English word is really a French word "adolscere" which is best translated as growing up. It covers a wide age from about 10 years to 19 years. This is necessary since each person grows up at his or her own rate. When you enter the period of adolescence you are on your way to becoming an adult, the next stop after this stage is adulthood. The beginning of adolescence is termed 'puberty'. Puberty begins with different experience for boy and for girls. For girls the first menstruation is the sign that puberty has begun, this may occur anywhere between the ages of 11 and 13. For boys the first sign of puberty may be the first nocturnal emission, this is often called a wet dream. This first wet dream may occur between the ages of 12 and 14 years for young men. These are very important changes since they signal that the individual is now ready to have children. However, while they may be physically capable of conceiving a child, adolescents at the beginning of puberty are not mentally or emotionally ready for the responsibility of childcare and management.

There are other physical changes associated with the period of puberty. These physical changes are called the development of the secondary sexual characteristics. This rather long-term refers to some specific physical changes that visibly signify that you are no longer a child but you are becoming an adult. For girls these changes include the development and enlargement of breasts, the presence of pubic hair, functioning sex glands, pimples may become present on the face, and they may acquire hair in the pits of the arm. Another more noticeable change is that of the shape of the girl, the hips become more rounded and she develops what might be called curves.

For males, there is the development of the often-desired facial hair, thus the growth of the beard and moustache. The male's voice will change as the Adam's apple grows; usually the voice will deepen and may at times be difficult to control. Pimples are also a present feature of this development along with the enlargement of the penis and the shoulders becoming broader. During this period, many males lose their poise and may become very awkward as they seek to come to grips with their fast growing body and the other rapid changes that are occurring.

Accompanying the physical changes are some psychological and emotional changes. The adolescent becomes very concerned about how they look and will often engage in many hours of grooming to ensure that they are looking their best. They also desire to spend more time with their peers whose opinions become very important to them and their sense of self. It is at this time some persons do some unwise things to fit in or to become more acceptable to their peers. Other changes include the desire for the friendship of persons of the opposite sex. The desire to fall in love with someone, and moodiness are all part of this period. Additionally, there may be feeling of confusion about ones sexuality and sexual preferences. There may also be feelings that they are unloved and sometimes there is rebellious behavior. Therefore, conflict with parents is often a part of this time. Both the adolescent and the parent need to realize that this is a temporary phase, brought on by hormones and other emotional challenges. If it is taken in this light the period can be less stressful for both parties (Sex education 2010).