Sex Don't Make Him Love You & A Baby Won't Make Him Stay!
By: Bria Hickman
         In previous years, sexuality in our society was rarely spoken of in public, around family or friends, and especially not around the children. If you think back to the 50's sitcom I Love Lucy, it was seldom that a scene was shot in the bedroom. If you ever did happen to catch a glimpse of Lucy and Ricardo's bedroom, you would notice that there were two twin beds in the room! The visual of twin beds in a married couple's bedroom gave the allusion that Lucy and Ricardo did not sleep together or have sex; however, "Little Ricky" was born! This just goes to show that sex was once considered sacred. It was obvious that sex took place because babies were being born, but society's morals were to keep quiet about sex. As time progressed, the openness of sexuality expanded as well.

         The 60's were when the "baby boomers" reigned. During this period a lot of partying, drugs, and casual sex were taking place. It was not rare to see people of all ages partaking in this madness. The 60's is where one of the first theories of how sexually transmitted diseases began to become so widely spread. After this period, sexuality in America became a widespread trend.

         As a result of the attitudes society has held towards sex, it has become a vast cultural issue. From culture to culture, sexual positioning, the display of affection, and modesty differ among all people. The multiple changes that took place created "The Sexual Revolution." Sexuality began to evolve from heterosexuality to homosexuality and bisexuality as well.

         The rapid increase of sex has brought about large amounts of controversy throughout our society. Teen pregnancy, pornography, sexual violence, and prostitution are all results of this sexual revolution.

         Teen pregnancy is an overwhelming problem within our school systems, and society as a whole. Young men and women experiment with sex as a way to feel more mature; therefore, exposing themselves to serious consequences that they were not prepared for. "Over 4 of 10 teenage girls experience pregnancy once prior to the age of 20, which turns out to be one million annually. 8 of these 10 pregnancies are accidental (Inspiring Mothers1)." As a result of teenaged pregnancy, school drop out rates are increasing, as well as the abortion rate.

         Sexually transmitted diseases are serious, and sometimes fatal. These diseases are unhealthy and harmful for your body. A pregnant mother can also infect her unborn child. In some cases, you can get medication from a physician, but there are also more serious cases where the diseases are incurable. A pregnant woman with an STD can infect her unborn before, during, or after birth. "More than 20 different STDs have been identified, and about 19 million men and women are infected each year in the United States, according to the CDC (2010)."

         The bottom line is that sex is not an issue to be taken lightly. Efforts have been made to promote abstinence until marriage, but the efforts do not affect reality; which is, almost everybody is having sex; therefore, all possible efforts should be made to protect your body. There are sex education classes, physicians, counselors, and free health departments in all communities. Get educated, and get tested before it is too late!