Soooo...recently i read another chapter of the book Contemporary Issues in Art Education. This chapter was called Issues of the Body in contemporary art. One part of this chapter that really stood out to me because of its relevance in this issue i am interested in about teens having is "The Body and the Media." This section focused on the images that surround us every day and influences the ideas we form. "They must form ideas about their coolness or uncoolness, strength or weakness, gender identity, and sexual attractiveness with in a context of images and ideas coming to them from a huge mass of signs in the media"(pp.227)  The media has a strong effect on the self-concepts of our youth and their body image. There are images that effect how and what we think of women. How we represent women, and men through out the media influence the roles our youth believe they have to play. Women are paraded around as these sexual savages with a gaze directed directly at the male. Women are supposed to be "open" to men. Men are supposed want it. They are supposed to want sex, ass, all of it, all the time. TV shows and lyrics can cause or young males to evaluate their social status based on how much "ass" they are getting. I don't believe this is they way we want our teens to continue to view or value sex.

Click here to see Tyra Banks sex talk with Bow Wow.

I thought it was great to see a star that so many of our youth are influenced by, look up to, and admire encourage safe sex.  Stars in the media need to take advantage of the power they have. Lyrics talking about "beating it raw" need to cease and be dismissed.  

Video on how to talk to adolescents about sex.  click here to go to link.

What might encourage teens to become sexually active in the first place??

1. Environment      2. Age of partner         3. family support

All three may affect young peoples decision to have sex.

Researchers at the University of kentucky followed 950 teenagers at 17 schools in Kentucky and Ohio from 9th to 11th grade.  The researchers found evidence that teens who have sex tend to think their friends are have sex also, even if their really not.  "you're 2.5 times more likely to have sex by the 9th grade if you think you friends are having sex."

Only 33% of the students in the study had had sex by the 9th grade, but 31% said that most if not all their friends were having sex.

We all know what peer pressure is, and how affective it can be.  Not to say that teens are literally pressuring each other into having sex, but if sex is viewed as something that is cool,or raises your social status, there is pressure in that.

Dr. Harold Leitenburg did a study on whether a partner's age is a risk factor for engaging in sexual activities, which he published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.   In this study he found that 4201 girls in 8th to 12th grade, those who had lost their virginity between the ages of 11 and 12 tended to have partners of 5 years or older.  Girls who had sex later in adolescence had a partner closer in age.

At a young age it is so much easier for us to be taken advantage of.  At the ages of 11 and 12 yet we're not sure who we are nor what we believe, we're still trying to figure that out, and at this age we can easily be influenced.  Older men have some idea of this, and will try to take advantage of our young ladies, by telling them exactly what they want to here.  Parents can't assume their child is too young to be thinking about sex.  You can't be sure what company your children keep, its better to have them prepared.  We have to talk to our children, especially our girls, let them know what their worth before someone else does.

I don't believe that teens having sex is preventable.  Studies have shown that the health risk involved in having sex can be reduced through communicating within the family.  Teens that have the discussions of the outcomes of sex with their parents are less likely to engage in risky sexual activity. 

After I became sexually active I made sure I used condoms and was on the birth control, out of fear that I would catch an STD, and the fact that my mom scared me.  She told me if I got pregnant I was on my own.  Though I knew that this wouldn't really be the case, I didn't want to disappoint her.

      For my Grad Seminar class I am reading a book called Contemporary Issues In Art Education.  Chapter 7 is called "Children Never Were What They Were: Perspectives on childhood,"  I felt like this chapter really speaks to the issue I'm addressing of teens engaging in sexual activities, and why this is such a troubling issue to us adults.  For one, many of us still view childhood as being a state of innocence.  "Children were viewed as being goodness itself, so that in representing the future, the best days always lay ahead.  Childhood embodied no less than the promise of an endlessly brighter and enlightened future. (pp. 99)  Though many of us may feel this way today, this way of viewing childhood has existed for quite some time, it originated during the enlightenment of the 18th century and was very present in modernism of the 19th century and early 2oth century.  As adults we battle with ourselves everyday transitioning from childhood to adulthood.  Adulthood represents maturation, and greater responsibilities including having our own children.  We believe in order to reach this state of adulthood we have to leave our child like qualities behind, so we hold on to this unrealistic, romantic, simplistic view of childhood, which we do because as adults we still desire to be a child. What we fail to realize is that these views are unrealistic. Our children are not living through innocent times. Children are regularly abused, emotionally physically, and sexually. "The media today offers images that are altogether more complex, fragmented, and often vile. "  Children are highly interested in violence, we have kids picking up guns and shooting each other. The media offers images of kids with brutal wounds, children who are soldiers, and children  going through prostitution.  Our youth aren't only affected by images they see of other children.  Lets just think how sex is a major part of our society.  Its on television shows, talked about through lyrics of many songs. Our children are aware that sex sells. I myself remember having my first conversation of sex at the elementary age (not with my mom). At a very young age I became very curious about my body and how certain physical interactions can cause many feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. We have to realize that sex is everywhere, and our society encourages our youth's curiosity of sex.

SOME FACTS

U.S. researchers have learned:

By age 12, 12% of U.S students are having vaginal sex

7.9% are participating in oral sex

6.5% are having anal sex

Christine Markham of the University of Texas School of Public Health and her colleagues examined sexual at risk behavior among middle school students in a southeastern U.S urban public school district.  This research was done to develop more effective prevention programs.

The findings of this study were that, youth who started having sex before age 14 are much more likely to have multiple sex partners, use alcohol or drugs before sex and have unprotected sex, all which put them at risk of getting an STD and getting pregnant. 

Check out these organizations that support this issue.

COAPPP- Colorado Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention

Promoting a Colorado of Healthy and Informed Teens.

This organization isn't supporting teens having sex in the sense that they are encouraging it. This organization is saying "we know as teens you are facing many challenges and are curious about certain things such as sex, but may be afraid to talk to your parents. This is a place and a cite teens and tweens can visit and find answers to so many questions they may have, as well as being informed on the choices they have dealing with Sex.

They also help those who are a bit past the questioning stage, and are pregnant teens.

Love Doesn't Have To Hurt Teens

This cite tells teens what LOVE is and isn't. Love is the reason many teens are having Sex.

Here are links to two artist who are working with an issue closely related to mine. 

Check them out. 

Jennifer Culp.  Jewelry and Metal art

Hazel Dooney,  Kelly, The first time.

Characteristics of Sex:

pleaasure

oral sex 

anal sex

vaginal sex

orgasm

fluid exchange 

exercise

stress reducer

Sex can be: 

Fun

Scary 

Satisfying

a fantasy

A means to strengthen bonding

Rape

A sin

(please add on to the list)

I want to brainstorm what do we think about when we think of sex.

Sex is often associated with:  

adulthood

marriage

porn

pleasure

love

intimacy

foreplay

pregnancy prostitution

STD's

(please add on to the list)

 

I would like to take some time to investigate and converse about the issue of our youth having sex.  Why is this topic an issue?  What about our society enforces that youth having sex is wrong? Why are our tweens and teens interested or have the desire to participate in sexual activities?

I think a great place to start off is by defining sex.

What is SEX?

SEX aka sexual intercourse is defined in the dictionary as: sexual contact between individuals involving penetration.  The insertion of a man's erect penis into a woman's vagina, typically culminating in orgasm and the ejaculation of semen.

Now we also have the penetration of non-sexual organs, known as oral sex and anal sex

We also have the penetration by non-sexual organs known as fingering and fisting (this is like fingering but instead their is a use of all finger close together).

Sex is the act in which we reproduce.  I think that is the most important characteristic about sex.   I often wonder why are humans one of four creatures (bonobos, dolphins, and chimps) that have sex for other reasons other then reproduction.

So the big question now is 

Why do we have Sex?