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Our friends across the pond in Great Britain might actually be more uptight about sex and sexuality than we Americans are. With that in mind, it's especially heartening to see the British government being rational about teen sexuality, in the service of decreasing Britain's "highest in Europe" teen pregnancy rate (which, it should be noted, is slightly over half of he US teen pregnancy rate: 52 of every 1000 girls aged 15 to 19 vs. Britain's 30 out of every 1000 as of 2002).
From ABC:
Apparently and perhaps unsurprisingly this is causing some controversy. People, "believe it will encourage teenagers to engage in underage or unsafe sex," which is exactly opposite of the intended and probably actual consequence of the pamphlet. There are some fairly legitimate objections, however:...In a new National Health Service leaflet entitled "Pleasure," teenagers are encouraged to exercise their right to "an orgasm a day."
"Health promotion experts advocate five portions of fruit and veg a day and 30 minutes' physical activity three times a week. What about sex or masturbation twice a week?" says the leaflet, which Sheffield's Primary Care Trust has circulated to parents, teenagers and youth workers in and around the city...
...Which is valid. However, (1. British parents have, evidently, been dropping the ball in terms of teaching their kids about having safe sex, seeing the "highest in Euope" teen pregnancy rate and (2. being "a bit scandalized" is a small price to pay for keeping your kids safe."These are still minors, and the parents, even if they are supportive of the idea, might be a bit scandalized to see their children being talked to directly about sexuality without taking the parents' consent into account," psychologist and columnist Pepper Schwartz wrote in an e-mail to ABCNews.com.
Creepy as it may be to have the government talking to you about masturbation, you have to admire them for it. Also, they aren't really saying anything different from what psychologists and health professionals have been saying for years; that teaching teens about sex and allowing them to explore and understand their sexuality helps them to be safer about sex. I will, though, let a psychologist say it, going back to the article and giving her the last word because of just how good this quote is:
...Amen."If one is old enough to be potentially sexually active, one is old enough to deserve honest, comprehensive information about all aspects of sexuality, including desire and pleasure, and to be encouraged to learn about one's body via self-stimulation," [New York City-based psychologist and author Joy Davidson] said.
"It's long past time that appreciation of one's sexual feelings, blended with emotional awareness and knowledge of safer sex practices, replace methods of fear-provoking and shame-instilling sexuality mis-education," she said.
vanessaaishacoleman
| 7/14/09 09:23 PM
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