Sexual development - Essay Example

The changing social and cultural conditions have made a huge impact on the minds of the people and more so among teenagers. There are a lot of issues pertaining to the development of teenagers particularly with regard to their sexual development. One of the most commonly encountered problems by the teenagers of today deals with their sexual desires and the age at which it is expressed. In this modern age teenagers are increasingly eager to express their sexual desires and as a result are left to deal with the consequences of their actions.

One of the major recent problems associated with early expression of sexual desires is teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy is associated with the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, low-birth weight children, and in addition also affects the studies and subsequent career of teenagers. Abstinence from sex has been a very popular and widely recommended method with nearly 90% of parents in support of such programs (Teen Pregnancy Statistics; Rector and Johnson). Studies have shown that abstinence from sex has resulted in a lesser rate of school drop-outs and increased graduation rates from college.

This has been attributed to increased impulse control and focus exhibited by the teenagers on their future life by acting in a planned manner and controlling their emotions and sexual desires. In addition such teenagers also posses delay of gratification by which they are able to set aside immediate pleasures in order for them to work for the future and earn better rewards. They also develop the ability to resist peer pressure in matters concerning sexual activity and become more focused on their academic and personal development.

They are also able to exhibit better frustration tolerance and also program their adolescent minds to concentrate on the better opportunities in life rather than arousing sexual fantasies. In the present world where teen virgins are considered to be a misfit within the society, it becomes impertinent that the negative influences of the education on sexual abstinence be negated by emphasizing the many positive effects that it could bring in the life of a teenager. Such an education should be imparted both at home, as many parents support such sexual abstinence programs, as well as in schools in order to provide a constant access for the teenagers to such programs (Rector and Johnson).

It has been widely believed that youth should abstain from making decisions about their sexual preferences until they are at least 18 years of age or in other words till they complete their high school as research suggest that such children are able to perform better in their academics and are less likely to become school-drop outs. It has been shown that children expelled from school due to the poor performance are less likely to do well in their life as they are left with little success in all their endeavors.

Abstinence from sex is widely recommended for teenagers as it is considered to have several benefits for the teenager such as higher educational attainment and better success in life (Teen pregnancy statistics; Rector and Johnson). However, many pediatricians and health counselors have also recommended that they also have access to birth control and emergency contraceptive options (Teen pregnancy statistics; Tanner). Many pediatricians have recommended that in addition to counseling teenagers to postpone sexual activity it is also impertinent that they educate them about birth control measures and also ensure proper access to emergency contraception which would be vital in cases such as unintended or forces sexual intercourse.

Mere teaching of abstinence from sex would only increase the likelihood of teenagers having unprotected sex when they later develop a willingness to do so. Even when the sexual intercourse is unintended they would be unable to ration the importance of following birth control measures which might eventually lead to unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases. With the increasing number of teenagers engaging in sexual activities it become more pertinent that they be duly educated by counselors and medical professionals about birth control (Tanner).

Hence while teaching sexual abstinence alone among teenagers has its own advantages and disadvantages, research has shown that such programs are hugely beneficial in helping teenagers realize the right age at which they should explore their sexual behavior. Only when teenagers are constantly exposed to such programs the chances of understanding their sexual preferences increases which would have a positive influence on their ability to make wise decisions (Rector and Johnson). Reference 1. “Teen pregnancy statistics and Teen Pregnancy Facts”. (n.d). Web. 9 April 2011.

http://www.familyfirstaid.org/teen-pregnancy.html 2. Rector, Robert and Johnson, Kirk. “Teenage Sexual Abstinence and Academic Achievement.” The Heritage Foundation, 2005. Web. 9 April 2011. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2005/10/Teenage-Sexual-Abstinence-and-Academic-Achievement 3. Tanner, Lindsey. “Pediatrician group urges teen access to birth control”. Boston Globe. 5 July 2005. Web. 9 April 2011. http://www.religiousconsultation.org/News_Tracker/pediatrician_group_urges_teen_access_to_birth_control.htm