Reflection on Abortion, Sex Education and Role of Media in Sexuality - Research Paper Example

Task: Reflection Introduction Abortion, sex education and the role of media on sexuality are fundamental concepts within thesociety. It is fundamental to discuss abortion that is defined as the premeditated killing of an innocent human being. Abortion was legalized in U.S by the famous court case of Roe versus Wade in 1973. This has led to the occurrence of millions of abortions to date. Following its legalization, abortion has turned out to be a prevalent social issue that has been debatable and controversial. The paper also discusses sex education that focuses on the dynamics associated with sexual behavior amidst human beings (Campos 96). Sex education has remained a controversial issue in most countries though it is taught in school curriculums. The pertinent issues in sex education focus on the age that children should commence the education process, the details to reveal while teaching and the topics to teach. Finally, it is crucial to highlight the role of media on sexuality by focusing on the growing concern on young’s people exposure to sexual contents through the media and its effect on their sexual attitudes, beliefs and behaviors (Newman & Newman 125). Abortion Abortion is a common phenomenon that involves the termination of pregnancy. This occurs after taking pills to cause miscarriage or removing the pregnancy from the womb through surgeries. Abortion is a sensitive issue in the contemporary society from both the moral and ethical perspective leading to debates on whether it should be legalized or not. People support the illegalization of abortion because they believe that it entails murder because it kills the human fetus. These people find abortion as cruel, unnatural and immoral act that should be banned (Lee 2). Additionally, abortion is unhealthy and risky to the societal well-being. Consequently, different organizations support the introduction of penalties that would deter persons intending to abort. However, a section of the society believes that women should have the right to decide whether to abort or not because abortion does not constitute murder because the fetus is not human. A significant proportion of the society believes that abortion involves the termination of pregnancy through destruction of a fetus. Abortion is termed as murder because it takes away human life. Furthermore, a civilized society cannot permit an individual to intentionally harm or kill another without punishment (Lee 3). Abortion also exposes a woman to physical complications such as blood loss, invasion of bacteria and abdominal infections. Instruments used to conduct abortion perforate the uterus and can cause injuries, infections and bleeding of internal organs. There have been cases reported of deaths resulting from profound bleeding after abortion and other complications. The investigation conducted by the National Cancer Institute revealed that women who conduct abortions enhance their chances of breast cancer. This is because aborting before the first pregnancy affects the natural growth process of breasts, exposing millions of cells to cancer (Newman & Newman 125). A section of the society equally believes that abortion should be illegal because the American Medical Association indicated that it increases future pregnancy failures by forty-five percent. Apart from that, abortion is likely to increase the risk of premature births, tubal pregnancy, sterility and cervix complications. Additionally, women who have embraced abortion also suffer from various emotional side effects such as hopelessness, sexual dysfunction, remorse, memory subjugation, suicidal ideas and anger. This is true because research conducted by Elliot Institute for Social Sciences Research indicated that several women who had abortions later attempted suicide (Newman & Newman 125). Illegalizing abortion will be beneficial as abortion hurts women spiritually because it involves evacuating uterus and ending human life. In the sixth commandment, God states “thou shall not murder” and he asserts that every baby is in God’s image and part of his plans. Consequently, when a woman aborts, it implies that she has interrupted with God’s plans making her suffer separation from God. Finally, abortion should be illegal because it encourages teenagers to have sex because they acknowledge that they can still terminate it when problems emerge (Lee 3). On the contrary, abortion should be legal as it is beneficial to both women and society. Firstly, abortion can act as a foundation of growth to women by freeing them from the burden of childbearing and housework. This enables them attain equal opportunities with men at work places. Abortion prevents unwanted pregnancies. This is beneficial because unwanted babies experience abuse, neglect and some parents end up killing their babies. This makes abortion essential as it prevents problems that the unwanted children may face. Abortion reduces different risks associated with pregnancies and saves the life of endangered mother. Raped women should have the rights to abort because they did not decide to have the pregnancy. Finally, abortion is a safe medical procedure and most women abort during their initial trimester that is characterized by 0.5% serious complications. This does not affect the health of women or their future pregnancy ability (Newman & Newman 127). Sex education Sex education process begins at birth and continues throughout one’s life with the aim of expanding peoples’ knowledge on sex. Sexual education encompasses sexual development, reproduction, intimacy, gender roles and relationships. Parents and guardians should ensure that they teach their children about sex while at home. Different debates on the issue have persisted because some people argue that sex education should be illegal because it destroys the morality of individuals especially students by highlighting varying sexual affairs. Although it is true that sexual education affects the morality of learners, the benefits are overwhelming. Initially, sexual education reduces the rate of sexual diseases and teenage pregnancy (Campos 96). Sex education is necessary because many people miss sufficient information concerning sex. Consequently, they access false, incomplete and harmful information. Furthermore, most teenagers are sexually active yet they are knowledgeable about sex. They have little information on how to protect themselves against pregnancy and STD’s. This has made many girls get married at a tender age; furthermore, they give birth to unwanted children. In such cases, sex education will be beneficial because it will offer teenagers’ relevant information regarding sex, reducing the risk of pregnancies and other sexual transmitted diseases (Campos 96). Sex education is essential in the development of young people because it allows them to build a strong foundation and grow into sexually healthy adults. Sex education enables young people to comprehend the positive aspects of sexuality, offer important knowledge regarding the care of their sexual health and support them in solving future sexual issues (Visman 24). Additionally, young people benefit from sexual education because it gives them a chance to enlarge and appreciate their principles, outlooks and ideas on sexuality. Furthermore, sex education enables teenagers to develop a strong relationship and interpersonal skills that support responsible practices such as abstinence, premature sex, contraceptives, homosexuality and sexual health measurers (Basavanthappa 71). Finally, sex education increases knowledge on human development and reproduction making people acknowledge the effects of sexual activities. This increases their respect and appreciation for themselves, families and other people. It is widely believed that sex education is a sensitive topic that is dangerous for young persons. Parents and some education stakeholders assert that familiarization of a young individual with such topics can increase their awareness of sexual tendencies leading to unforeseen and negative effects (Campos 64). Children and teenagers are always experimenting. This means that they are likely to partake in sexual actions based on curiosity. Additionally, sexual education goes against numerous religious beliefs and morals. A considerable proportion of schools teach students on practicing safe intercourse rather than abstinence. Religious practices are against sexual indulgence before marriage making them disregard sexual education (Campos 66). Sex education teachers are untrained on the subject but go ahead to teach the students concerning sex topics. This can be detrimental to the sexual awareness of the student because the untrained tutor can argue from a personal rather than a professional perspective. Finally, the students can fail to take the issues in the subject seriously making the education process inappropriate. Role of the Media in Sexuality The effect of media on the individual’s sexual behavior is increasing on various social fronts. The media has obviously become a dominant part of the contemporary society. Newspapers, magazines, television and the internet have become available in the remotest areas. This means that accessibility to media is increasingly growing. However, the media is presently displaying sexual images and films. Additionally, the earlier portrayal of women and girls as beauty icons has changed because they are presented in a sexual manner. It is extensively believed that increasing representation of these media images alters the sexual perspectives of the audience. Adolescents and teenagers are engaging in premature sex because they are exposed to such images and scenes. A chief of policy makers is the rising and frequent consumption of media products with high levels of sexual content among individuals. This exposure distorts their moral code and diminishes their sexual responsibility. As media increases its portrayal of sexuality, their depiction reinforces a set of sexual and relationship norms. Indeed, accessibility to mass media influences the methods through which individuals learn about sexual behavior. The young people develop sexual beliefs and tendencies through constant interactions with the media. Despite the alarming rates of adolescent and young indulgence in obscene sexual acts, parents and institutions remain reluctant to discuss this topic. The sexual portrayal of women especially in the music videos, magazines and television programs is profound. Media Influence on Gay, Lesbianism and Bisexuals Traditionally, the tendencies of gay and lesbianism had been a taboo in most societies. However, this trend is changing in a rapid rate (Alwood 190). An aspect that was considered unacceptable now receives massive attention from the media. The media has been vocal when advocating for the rights of such persons. They indicate that sexual orientation is a fundamental right. Indeed, the media has become a powerful instrument that influences people’s outlook on gay and lesbian associations. In the western world, the gay and lesbian organizations (GLO’s) are popular and have a massive following. Moreover, they publicly hold functions and parties and advertise them through the media. Immense lobbying through media outlets has led to the acceptance homosexuality and lesbianism worldwide. The media portrays gays as equal to the heterosexual persons meaning they are not lesser persons. According to Alwood (190), the gay groups are utilizing mainstream media to emphasize their existence and choice of sexual orientation. The communication of the gay and lesbian groups in media especially through social sites alters perspectives on sexuality. Many conservative individuals and groups condemn the media’s role in this topic substantially. They view it as a breach of the traditional ethical practices. During some ill-fated events, these gay and lesbian groups undergo discrimination and probably physical harm upon identification. However, through media the physical confrontation inn individuals of same sex relationships is now illegal. In contrast to the negative perceptions of same sex associations, the media has broadcasted underlying issues that culminate in gay and lesbianism tendencies (Alwood 192). The public has reevaluated its disregard for same sex associations. Consequently, they have embraced it as a norm by viewing articles and videos from behaviorists concerning homosexuality and lesbianism in the media. An additional positive influence of media on same sex relationships is apparent in their ability to champion the rights of these groups. These groups advocate for their existence and even vouch for legal existence as an autonomous group through media channels (Alwood 192). Moreover, the influence of media has made it possible for the gays or lesbians to occupy professional occupations. Contraceptive Advertising Advertisements on sexual contraceptives are growing in most countries by targeting young people. These messages seem to be encouraging the teenagers to indulge in sexual activities prematurely (Strasburger 1). Interestingly, the advertisements imply that the contraceptive option is available to the youngsters when they find it hard to abstain. Consequently, the teenagers perceive contraception as viable solution to potential risks (Strasburger 1). Although the contraceptive advertisements can limit the pregnancies, they do not minimize the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Furthermore, the advertisements create overreliance on contraceptives for sexually active teenagers. This can make them acquire STDs. This would affect their future aspirations. However, the continuous programming of the importance of contraceptive through media outlets reduces the occurrences of teenage pregnancy. Strasburger (1) indicates that before the introduction of contraceptive advertisements, the levels of unplanned pregnancies was high. However, it is now scaling down because people are becoming familiar with contraception. Furthermore, the contraceptive advertisements highlight an array of contraceptive options, for instance, pills or condoms that empower the concerned persons. Conclusion The abortion process persists as an ethical argument that lacks a definitive answer that highlights whether it is appropriate or not. Numerous individuals argue that the process is cruel, immoral and unfair to the unborn. Additionally, abortion presents health risks that could impair a woman’s reproductive potential or lead to death. In the event, that abortion endangers the existence of the mother, termination is crucial. Sex education is an awareness program that highlights perspectives on sex. This program increases awareness among the young to become responsible in sexual matters. However, some experts argue that it can be an incentive for premarital sex because the students are likely to experiment based on the concepts taught in sex education classes. Besides, sex awareness especially among the media outlets, for example, television programs, internet and magazines has been increasing. The media has been involved in forging the sexual perspectives. For example, sexual orientation of gays and lesbians is growing, and the participation in adolescent sex and contraceptive advertising is equally high. However, the media has also helped in increasing sexual education and awareness through various ethical initiatives. This undertaking has been successful in promoting sexual responsibility among individuals. Works Cited Alwood, Edward. News and Sexuality: Media Portraits of Diversity. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly 84.1 (2007): 190-192. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. 1 Oct. 2012. Basavanthappa, B.T. Fundamentals of Nursing. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers, 2004. Print. Campos, David. Sex, Youth, and Sex Education: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2002. Print. Lee, Ellie. Abortion, Motherhood, and Mental Health: Medicalizing Reproduction in the United States and Great Britain. Hawthorne, N.Y: Aldine de Gruyter, 2003. Print. Newman, Barbara M, and Philip R. Newman. Development through Life: A Psychosocial Approach. Australia: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Strasburger, Victor. Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2001). Web. 1 Oct. 2012. Visman, Janni. Sex Education. London: Bloomsbury, 2003. Print. Read More