Adolescent Sexuality Unzipped
Illawarra Mercury
Tuesday February 16, 1999
In a era when young men and women are bombarded by images of sex, when sex and love are used to sell everything from chocolate bars and cars to jeans and magazines, teenagers are increasingly confused and deluded when it comes to the real thing.
Adults think teenagers know it all while teenagers think adults know nothing - a situation that has resulted in a communication breakdown and led to some serious problems in society.
For instance in 1996 in Australia more than 11,500 babies were born to young women aged between 12 and 19.
Teenagers also are in a high-risk group for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
In 1996, 20 per cent of gonorrhoea cases were in that age group, as were 15 per cent of acute hepatitis B infections, 14 per cent of syphilis cases and 23 per cent of chlamydia cases.
According to Sydney author Bronwyn Donaghy the break up of sexual relationships and the problems caused by lack of education have contributed to a multitude of emotional and physical ills including drug abuse, criminal behaviour, youth depression and even suicide.
Ms Donaghy, author of the best-selling Anna's Story, which explores teenage drug abuse, has just released Unzipped - Everything Teenagers Want to Know About Love, Sex and Each Other to help answer all the questions young people have about sex and love.Unzipped deals frankly with the crucial role that love and emotions play in adolescent sexuality and answers all the questions about sex that confuse, intrigue and embarrass teenagers.
The book deals with issues such as puberty, virginity, relationships, sexual intercourse, homosexuality, STDs, teenage pregnancy and safe (and not so safe) sexual practices in a clear and honest way.
``The majority of teenagers learn about the birds and bees in primary school - information like where babies come from, the difference between boys and girls and what changes to expect when they reach puberty," Ms Donaghy said.
``Once they have actually reached puberty though and are really interested in what is happening to them, the information channels have often dried up and they have to turn to other teenagers to get information.
``This inevitably leads to misinformation and causes many teenagers to become confused about sexual issues.
"Ms Donaghy said many teenagers felt under pressure to have sex as they felt everyone else was ``doing it".
However she quoted a national survey carried out recently by the centre for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases at Victoria's La Trobe University which found that 48 per cent of year 12 students and 20 per cent of year 10 students had had sexual intercourse - so those `doing it' were in fact in the minority.
'`Girls feel pressured to have a boyfriend and when they do they then feel they have to have sex to keep him.
"Boys also are under pressure to lose their virginity to prove their masculinity," she said.
``In many cases this pressure can be very destructive as teenagers will rush into making harmful decisions.
"For example a national survey conducted recently revealed that a quarter of students surveyed admitted to having sex when they didn't want to because they were either drunk or high on dope.
Sex, booze and drugs, Ms Donaghy said, often went hand in hand causing all sorts of physical and emotional problems.
``There are three main risks that teenagers are taking when they decide to have sex," she said.
``The first is the risk of contracting a STD.
"Many teenagers are aware of the AIDS virus but not diseases like the wart virus, chlamydia or herpes, which are rife among young people.
"These are not killers but they have unpleasant and lasting effects.
"For example the current generation of women is probably the most infertile ever due to the effects of STDs.
``The second risk is pregnancy. Unfortunately teenage pregnancy is most common among those from a lower socio-economic background.
"Girls from disadvantaged families often have no positive role models and are looking for someone to love them.
"There is also a strong link between disadvantaged boys who have been sexually active from an early age and vandalism and juvenile crime.
``The third risk is the emotional risk.
"Teenagers have so much to cope with with their bodies changing, hormones racing around, schoolwork or looking for a job and coping with relationships within the family.
"Complicating all that with a sexual relationship can sometimes be too much and break ups too hard to bear.
"Teenagers may then turn to drugs or alcohol or become very depressed and sometimes suicidal."
Ms Donaghy said the biggest misconception that abounded among teenagers was that if you were in love, you ought to be having sex.
``Falling in love is a lovely experience and it's a shame that teenagers then feel obliged to have sex.
They need to know that if they don't have sex, then that's okay.
"Ms Donaghy said today's teenagers had different pressures on them than experienced by their parents.
``Teenagers have enormous pressures upon them today as they have the pressure of choice," she said.
``In their parents' day it was more black and white.
"You just didn't do it - sex was taboo.
However that caused its own heartaches with pregnant girls cast out by their families and backstreet abortions.
``Then came the sixties sexual revolution where all the old rules were thrown out.
"However no rules or guidelines have been installed in their place since then, which has led to confusion.
"That is where Unzipped comes in.
The book is a great educational tool as it speaks to teenagers on their own level and includes factual information plus a variety of real life stories from Australian teenagers on the highs and lows of love and sex.
Unzipped - Everything Teenagers Want to Know About Love, Sex and Each Other by Bronwyn Donaghy, is published by HarperCollins Publishers, rrp $16.95.
Words of wisdom to parents
Unzipped author, Bronwyn Donaghy, offered a few words of wisdom to parents:
Young people who talk with their families
about sexuality and relationships are less
likely to practise sex in unsafe, unwise or destructive ways.
There are no wrong questions. (Although
sometimes because they are young, there is wrong timing).
If the kids are not asking questions, if none of them are talking about sex, it doesn't mean you
are in the clear. It means it's up to you to initiate the discussion.
If you are not willing to answer their questions
about sex honestly, they won't ask you questions about drugs and other temptations.
Just as kids who are well-informed about drug
and alcohol abuse are less likely to abuse these
drugs, girls and boys who are well-informed about sexuality are going to be safer in the choices they make.
It's a myth that having the information will make them rush out and try it.
© 1999 Illawarra Mercury