Introduction
As the child grows older, there are significant physiological changes in the body. During adolescence, people experience increased secretion of sex steroids — androgens and estrogens. In addition to noticeable, visible modifications in the structure of the human body, such as changes in the size of the genitals, the appearance of hair, and the formation of more typical for this gender physique, changes in psychological factors of development. Thus, the intensive secretion of male and female sex steroids generates adolescent hypersexuality, manifested in increased sexual excitability, frequent and prolonged erections, erotic fantasies, including in dreams, and masturbation. In this condition, adolescents often pay attention to sex, which is an entirely natural behavior for this age. However, if the contraception conditions, social protection, and responsibility of partners are not observed, early teenage sexual intercourse has a number of negative consequences. This essay is aimed at discussing sexual life in adolescence.
The Problems of Teenage Sex
There is no doubt that teenage sex is an entirely natural process for human society. It is no coincidence that at this age, puberty of the body takes place, which means physiological readiness for mating. The National Center for Health Statistics report assures that more than half of American teenagers had sexual relations by the age of 18 (“Planned parenthood,” 2017). Typically, young people who choose to have sex face a range of negative factors in society. First and foremost, adolescent stress can be caused by adult disapproval of parents, relatives, or teachers. Adults seek to protect their child from early sexual activity, consequently, they prohibit them from communicating with a partner or interfering in a teenager’s private life. Bedard-Thomas et al. (2019) report that adolescents who feel supported by their parents, friends, and school feel more comfortable, leading to gender identification. In addition, during adolescence, there is an active association and constant self-reflection — the teenager tries to identify themselves, their desires, and sexual preferences (Kaltiala-Heino & Lindberg, 2019). Members of minorities, expressed through non-traditional sexual orientations, can lead to ridicule, threats, and even violence from the environment.
Adolescents are the most vulnerable, so such attitudes can make them feel inferior. The same approach is also typical in the case of discussion of the body of a teenager — as has already been said, there are physiological changes that are not controlled by the will of the child in this period. If people point to overweight, large or small body parts, especially genitalia, this can cause chronic severe stress. Finally, a negative consequence of adolescent hypersexuality is excessive dependence on sex — this can be manifested in frequent sexual acts, pathological masturbation, and a shift in the vector of thought towards erotic thoughts.
Evaluation and Screening
A key challenge for the public and municipal health system is controlling the spread of sexually transmitted infections. It is assumed that adolescents are the most vulnerable cohort, as young people may not be aware of contraception rules, the time frame for emergency termination of pregnancy, or the principles of abortion due to taboo topics. The education of adolescents in this area is monitored by many centers, including the WHO, CDC, and the Guttmacher Institute (WHO, 2018; CDC, 2017; Guttmacher Institute, 2019). Adolescents who are bullied by others may seek help from the public youth.gov service (“LGBTQ youth,” 2017). While teenagers are highly dependent on sex, each state has several Support Centers where teenagers can go (“Sexual addiction,” 2020). As a rule, the evaluation is done statistically by interviewing teenagers. At the same time, social support is provided through educational programs, brochures, and leaflets.
Evaluations related to teenage sex and external factors may include some direct questions. For example, the question of sexual intercourse, frequency of acts, use of contraception, and permanence of the partner is categorized as direct questions. At the same time, a sexual education specialist can ask children if they are under pressure from parents or others. It is essential to find out whether a teenager feels comfortable when they are sexually active. It is important to recognize that there is an ethical taboo on conveying information from a teenager to a parent. If talking about sex education is done at the Support Centre with a professional, it is assumed that a professional should not communicate to the parents of the child information that the teenager wants to hide.
Conclusion
Supporting adolescents facing sexual difficulties is fundamental to the development of a healthy society. For young people who are experiencing problems with a lack of support from adults, it is appropriate to conduct training courses to show children that their sexual behavior is normal (“Teenage sexuality,” 2019). This is especially true for representatives of sex minorities, as parents, due to conservative attitudes, rarely approve of the child’s natural orientation. It is important to encourage open communication and discussion of sex, so specialists introduce parents to the conversation. In addition, there are many centers that attempt to help LGBTQ representatives (“Sexuality and teenagers,” 2016). Finally, it is essential to give the teenager the freedom of choice in the context of sexual relationships — a young person should always have the opportunity to be alone with a partner and discuss their problems with competent adults (Friedrichs, 2017). Adolescent sexuality should no longer be perceived as taboo or even crime in society.
References
Bedard-Thomas, K. K., McKenna, J. L., Pantalone, D. W., Fireman, G., & Marks, A. K. (2019). A mixed-methods measurement study of female adolescent sexuality stress and support. Psychology & Sexuality, 10(3), 212-233.
CDC. (2017). Adolescents and young adults. Web.
Friedrichs, E. (2017). Six ways we need to rethink our approach to teen sexuality. Web.
Guttmacher Institute. (2019). Adolescent sexual and reproductive health in the United States [PDF document]. Web.
Kaltiala-Heino, R., & Lindberg, N. (2019). Gender identities in adolescent population: methodological issues and prevalence across age groups. European Psychiatry, 55, 61-66.
LGBTQ youth. (2017). Web.
Planned parenthood: New CDC report on U.S. teens’ sexual behavior illustrates adolescents continued need for sex education and effective birth control. (2017). Web.
Sexual addiction treatment centers in Miami, FL. (2020). Web.
Sexuality and teenagers. (2016). Web.
Teenage sexuality. (2019). Web.
WHO. (2018). WHO recommendations on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights [PDF document]. Web.