Teenage sex.

Call me a hypocrite, but we HAVE to address teenage sex. I counselled a kid yesterday who was freaking out because he might have gotten someone pregnant and contracted an STD - and he's not the only one. One of my clients just had an abortion, and another's going to have an abortion. Then there's the childhood sexual abuse girl who flings herself at any willing penis, and she's just fourteen.

Abortion is not the solution to the problem: this mindset must change. We must teach our teens that abortion isn't 'just another contraceptive' and that sex 'isn't just another thing'. And preaching 'safe sex' doesn't help either.

On one hand, I think contraception is a useful and essential tool. On the other, contraception devalues sex. The illusion of 'no consequences' has turned sex from a sacred loving act into 'just another thing'. Sex is not something to brush aside, it is an integral part of the human experience and needs to be treated with the respect and dignity that it deserves. I really believe that.

Forget preaching abstinence or precautionary measures, lets talk about sexual responsibility. Sure it might be 'responsible' to wear a condom. But is it responsible to even have sex in the first place? And when you have sex, are you treating sex with the respect that it deserves? Are you treating your partner with the dignity that he or she deserves? Are you having sex because it is an expression of your respect and love for that person, or is it purely self gratification?

We need to be sexually responsible adults, and we need to teach that to our teenagers.

EDIT: If you're in WA, the Family Planning WA site is a good source of information and services.