Gender and Sex Education - Essay Example

Gender and sex education February 18, Sex education Growing up is a process and it can be d that if a person reaches adolescence or young adulthood, he or she focuses more on interpersonal relationships and begins to look for a partner to confide in. The aim is to increase a sense of belonging and it is at this stage that a person begins to experience powerful sexual feelings that are erotic (Rosenthal, 1981). As a person grows up, he or she learns a lot of different things about sex and sexuality from a variety of sources such as family, school, friends, television, movies, music, magazines, internet and boy/girlfriends. Some of these things tend to be true while others are false. As such, this paper has been designed to reflect on my personal experience with regards to the aspect of sex and sexuality. This paper is going to outline my personal experience with regards to this widely discussed subject among young people who are still growing up. I have learnt a lot of things about sex especially from my peers at school as well as the internet. Latest developments in new information and communication technology have made it possible to access any information related to the subject of sex easily. Through the internet, I have discovered a lot of things about sex as well as some misconceptions people have towards this topic. Some of the knowledge I have acquired from my peers, family as well as the internet has significantly helped me to gain a full understanding of this subject. I have learnt that some of the widely held beliefs about sex by many people tend to be true while some of them are false. I reacted differently when I learnt different aspects about sex. In some cases, I reacted positively while in some cases I would feel at loss and would hate myself for behaving in such a way. The majority of people widely believe that sex is a preserve for people who are in love or married couples. However, I later realised that people can have sex even if they are not in love. Two different individuals can have strong feelings for each other and these people can have sex once they find themselves alone in a secluded place. My first sexual encounter was great though I felt scared in the first place. I was not in love with this person but we were friends and we liked each other. Though she was older than me, we were very close friends and we could discuss anything in a cordial manner. I like this person and she liked me too. We treated each other like a brother and sister but the closeness was just great. We happened to be alone at her place and we were watching a romantic film. We started off caressing each other and each of us was so erotic such that we could not resist the strong desire to have sex. We were both virgins then and the experience was just painful. I ended up asking myself why people often talk of great pleasure from sex when it was so painful. I also felt sorry for my friend who had all of a sudden become a lover since I realised that I had hurt her. However, the second time we tried it was quite different from the first experience. This time I really enjoyed the sex and my partner also did. I discovered that people who are not in love can still enjoy sex as long as they are aware of what they are doing. I liked it and my friend also liked it though there were very few chances that we could end up as lovers. I also discovered that breaking virginity during a sexual encounter can be very painful. However, the fallacy I later discovered from the knowledge I had gathered from my friends about sex is that some people believe that the first sexual encounter does not lead to pregnancy. I carried out various researches to establish the authenticity of this claim but I later discovered that it was false. Though I was furious that some people wanted to mislead me, I was not particularly made at anyone. Indeed, my friend did not get any pregnancy. This taught me a lesson that whenever I fail to resist the strong desire to have sex, then I must use protection. This helps to prevent unwanted pregnancies. The other widely held belief by many people is that males have more sexual feelings that their female counterparts. According to my own research, I think both men and women have the same erotic feelings since this is natural especially among adolescents. Adolescents often undergo various changes as they develop new hormones that often drive their sexual ego. Both men and women experience these biological changes in their bodies and they are compelled to satisfy these feelings through engaging in sex. However, women often feel shy to approach men and ask them to have sex as they would be shy of being labelled of having lose morals. I commiserated with my friend when she told me that she often experience strong sexual desired to sleep with a man but her sexuality could not permit her to go out and look for a man to satisfy her sexual desires. The other belief by many people that I later discovered to be true is that sexual desires can be controlled. This is very possible since individual persons can control their sexual desires if they want to. For instance, people can engage in various activities that can draw their attention from thinking about sex every time. The desire for sex is mainly driven by psychological factors and these can be controlled if certain measures are taken by an individual. For instance, sporting activities help people to concentrate on issues related to health and this can divert their thinking from the subject of sex every time. This came as a great belief when I discovered that sexual feelings can be controlled since this has helped me to concentrate on my schoolwork. I know that sexual feelings can be overpowering but they can be controlled if certain measures are implemented. This is one of the safest methods of avoiding contraction of sexually transmitted diseases. The other point I discovered to be true about sex is that people who practice self sex can still derive the same sexual pleasure. What is only important is for a person to reach orgasm or climax in order to satisfy the sexual feeling. Once a person has climaxed, he or she feels greatly relieved and can be in a position to concentrate on other issues of substance in life than thinking about sex only. There are different methods that can be used by both men and women to obtain an orgasm. For instance, both sexes can use their hands to satisfy their sexual desires while some people can use sex toys to do the same. This can be done individually and people who often engage in this practice say that they derive the same satisfaction just like any person who has engaged in real sex. However, from my own experience I have realised that I am often engulfed by a guilty conscience when I indulge in this practice. The truth of the matter is that people who practice self sex are smart and they are safe from contracting sexually transmitted diseases from other people if they indulge in unprotected sex. It is quite difficult to openly talk about self sex but the truth of the matter is that a lot of people do it even married couples. A lot of studies have shown that people who engage in self sex live a healthier life than those who are sexually active and those who prefer to sleep around with multiple partners. Though people feel shy to openly talk about this practice, it is advocated by many counsellors as it is seen as an effective way of reining the behaviour of the youths in particular so that they can live health lives. Basically, the subject of sex is widely discussed in different places especially by the youths since it characterises their growth and development. However, there are some myths and fallacies in some of the ideas that are exchanged pertaining to the issue of sex and sexuality. However, there are certain aspects that are real and these help different individuals to gain full understanding of this particular topic. Sex is a need but there are certain precautions that need to be taken especially by the youths in order to ensure that they do not spoil their health by avoiding the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases through sexual intercourse with infected partners. Works cited Rosenthal, Moore. From trust on intimacy: A new inventory for examining Erikcons stages of psychological development. (1981). Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 525-537. Read More