How to Rescue the Youth from a Sex Glamorized World

                                                                

Sex act is a paradox, which is publicly displayed with impunity, and without recourse to any sense of decency. To the “old school” (Nigerian youth coinage for adults who remain morally chaste) sex is hidden away as if it were something shameful. The secrecy surrounding sex act has made it a great mystery, particularly for teenagers who have remained “untouched” (virgins). 

Your sexuality is very important part of how you express yourself, it is necessary for your general well-being and of course very devastating when it is lost. The contemporary society can be categorized into the following groups:

 a)              The prudes, 

 b)              The shameless,

 c)              Those to whom sexual activity is meat and drink, and

 d)              Those who regard sex act as the “sacred fire of life”.

Sex has become a major instrument in advertising even cars, soaps, electronics, houses, and insurance. Everything in advertising has sex act as dangling carrot to induce patronage. Issues of sexuality or sex are almost shrouded in secrecy particularly when it comes to parents discussing sex and sex related issues with their children. 

Talking about sex is treated like taboo particularly in my part of the world (Africa) despite the obvious need for the youth to be educated on such matter as sex by those regarded as significant others in their lives.

Parents should note that they live in a society where: 

• Sex act is glamorized, 
• Peer pressure has become choky, 
• Parents are busy chasing after money,     
•  We no longer care about what happens to our neighbor,  
• The internet has taken over the roles of parents in educating their children about sexuality.

It is documented that first sexual experience occurs about ages 13 and 16. The  youth more than ever before require sexual and reproductive health information along with life - building skills that will help them cope with the demands and challenges of growing up.

This is a call for all efforts to be directed at producing young people who will place sexual issues where they belong; this is particularly true because young people are going through major transitions as they cross over from childhood to adulthood. A major aspect of this transition is sexual in nature.  

Leaving the young people to navigate in their developmental experience without guidance from those who are gate keepers in their lives portends serious danger and suicidal.Although sex act is regarded as private and secretive activity, it is natural, proper, and acceptable through the institution of marriage in accordance with religious injunction. 

Parents, uncles, aunts, teachers, religious leaders, and all those who in one way or the other come in contact with young people need  the knowledge and understanding of sexuality; in order to help prevent the unwholesome life style like unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and related vices that are common in our society today.

The youth are maturing sexually much earlier than before as evidenced in early menstruation, among girls, and early wet dreams among boys in (Africa).  The young people are also getting more dangerously involved in sex. 

This trend among other things, account for early intercourse, and early child bearing among them, with the society paying a very great price for this. Parents should arise, and battle the adverse consequences of the youth remaining sexually ignorant, while their peers, the mass media, and social networks through the internet eat deep into the sexuality of their young ones.