Sexuality is Natural

Girls in the modern era face an immense amount of pressure. We are told to police our bodies and save ourselves for marriage, yet we are shamed for being too prudish. We are told that to respect our bodies we must embrace our sexuality and refuse to feel ashamed for any sexual urges we may feel, but we are also told we should cover up and not sleep with whomever we want to. It’s certainly fair to say that girls are pressured into sexual behavior and that girls may be motivated by a need for validationin their sexual endeavors. It’s demeaning, however, to assume that girls have no sexual agency and would only have sex and be sexual because of outside pressure or low self-esteem. is kind of rhetoric is just as damaging to the sexual health of teenage girls as pressuring them into sex. Both tell girls that there is a speci c way that they should interact with their bodies, and shame them for doing otherwise. While pressure on girls to have sex is very real and should be addressed, adults who assume that teenagers are only having sex due to a lack of self esteem and the desire to t in are alienating the population they are seeking to protect by being condescending and judgemental.Being sexually active isn’t inherently bad. Sexuality is a natural part of animal behavior. e desire to have sex is what keeps species from going extinct. We crave sex for a reason. Despite this, sexual urges, especially in women, have been demonized. ere are certainly clear risks to being particularly sexually active and engaging in sexual behavior at a young age. Sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies can result from sex. Younger people who have less experience with the world are more likely to be in unhealthy sexual relationships, and are particularly vulnerable to being pressured into acting a certain way. It is entirely possible, however, for teenagers to be sexually active healthily as long as they engage in safe habits and clearly communicate with their partners. With comprehensive education on sexual health and communication, as well as the resources necessary to put ideas taught through such education into practice, teenagers can be happily and healthily sexually active. To demonize sexuality and to shame those who partake in sexual behavior is to shame someone for being human. It’s ridiculous to try to scare and judge teenagers away from sexual behavior when alternatives to ensure health exist that aren’t damaging to teenager’s self esteems. Telling teenagers who are more “promiscuous” that they are stupid and only engage in such activity because they don’t respect their bodies will only serve to actually damage their self esteem and to drive them away from adults and the resources that they provide, potentially putting such teenagers at greater risk.Not all teenagers will be sexually active during their high school career, but some will. Teenagers will always want sex. It’s hard-wired into most humans. Shaming those that choose to be sexually active is just as damaging as shaming those who choose not to be. Both take agency away from teenagers over their own bodies. Both attack and demean teenagers for choices they make with their bodies. Young people cannot have healthy relationships with their sexuality and their body if they are shamed for any and all choices they make. Boys are not shamed for partaking in hook-up culture in the same way that girls are. So-called feminists who insist that sexually active teenage girls hate themselves and are misguided are just as complicit in maintaining the patriarchy which polices womens’ bodies as those who pressure girls into having sex, or shame girls for how their bodies look. Sexual behavior can be dangerous, and it’s understandable to want to protect vulnerable teenagers from risks. Rather than demean girls, society should emphasize education and communication.