Nick's post on oral sex is actually a relevant question because it applies to a lot of current issues. (That being said, Nick, you may want to make more of an effort to demonstrably tie your question to a relevant issue or two; what we define as sex is ultimately only important because of the implications of that definition.)
One issue relevant to this question is that teens, in particular religious teens who do not believe in sex before marriage, or who have taken virginity pledges, etc., are defining sex only as intercourse, so everything else does not technically violate their pledge or religious values (at least in their minds). They believe that they can engage in oral sex and remain virgins. I'm guessing that, based on his posting, Nick would agree with this, but it is the subject of controversy in religious communities. Another reason oral sex is increasing among teens is that they (correctly) believe they can't get pregnant while engaging in it and (incorrectly) believe they cannot get STDs from the act. As a result, teen pregnancies are down in our country, but more young people are engaging in oral sex than ever before.
Here is some logos for you: more than half of American teenagers ages 15-19 have engaged in oral sex. 70 percent of 18-and-19-year-olds have. This is not a small number we are talking about.
If you want to know more about why the question is relevant, you can read some of the following articles:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/21945.php
http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/guide/20061101/oral-sex-may-spread-common-std
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/15/AR2005091500915.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/21606.php
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11819-oral-sex-can-cause-throat-cancer.html
And for the record, I did not find Nick's post offensive at all. I just wanted the question to be tied to the potential consequences of its answers because how we define sex does matter.
There is another issue that Nick's post raises, and that is how religious teens view sex and what they perceive as "crossing the line" when it comes to intimacy. I also grew up in a religious environment, and no one ever told me, "This is how far you can go with a girl without offending God" or "This is dirty, but this isn't," etc. It was all pretty vague, and I can see how that can be confusing to young people. Nick's post brings up this issue, and any of you who want to respond to it, or anything else he has said, please do.
-D
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2 comments:
thank you daniel for clairifying about my topic. i still stand by it 100%. bcause it is a issue here in utah county with the mormon population. i didnt know that in college a subject like this would offend a adult, but i guess its ok to just announce that obama is a communist and that he is going to kill everyone but when it comes to something sexual, the amercan public is not comfortable. which is too bad. i didnt mean to start trouble, just to spark conversation with people who were interested. but thanks for telling people more about the effects of sexual behavior and how it can lead to std's. i just hope people will respond to my post because my intent this whole time was to see what people in this part of the country think about it compared to indiana where im from.
I feel that there is a bit of confusion on this issue, but only in a way. Ill explain. I know that I was raised knowing right from wrong (from a religious standpoint), and basically knew that anything past kissing was inappropriate for a young man or woman before marraige. My parents taught me from an appropriate age that this was the case. That is, in a nutshell, the LDS standpoint (disclaimer: if I am wrong feel free to correct me). Now, whether or not oral sex is actually sex is arguable. But whether or not it is innappropriate for youth has already been determined by the religious majority. I definitely see the argument for it not being full fledged sex, as many religious youth seek to experiment or just rebel in spite of their backround and thus justify their actions (which they must feel are wrong or likely wouldn't justify) by saying that they're not engaging in "real" sex. You cannot procreate, so the ability to procreate is not involved. Therein lies the deepest concern, as giving and taking away life is a most serious responsability. Actual intercourse for this reason seems to be of greater concern, but from a religious standpoint oral sex and real sex are both best left to the married population.
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