Last Saturday, September 18, 2010, we 3rd years went to a seminar-workshop in our school. The seminar was about human sexuality. I was thinking, “Why go to this event when we already discussed it in our Religion class?” I was hesitant to go to the said event. It was Saturday, for Pete’s sake! And I thought I would finally get some rest from all that school work. Even then, I had to go since it was required for us to attend. So, I went to school early and waited for a long time (around 1-2 hours) before the seminar started. I said to myself, “This is gonna be boring…” I was proven wrong. In fact, the seminar was very interesting. It was quite sensitive in nature.
Let me share the details of the seminar. When the term “sexuality” comes up, the very first thing that comes to the minds of many is intercourse, or, as one student put it, “the meeting of a man and a woman in bed.” The most common perception of sexuality, according to the speakers, is the genital sexuality, the aspect of sexuality regarding the privates of people. However, sexuality is much more than that. According to them, sexuality is the aspect of our being that affects our actions, what we do, how we act, how we think, and how we speak. It is a God-given gift that makes us what we are, it is something to be respected, not to be mocked and laughed at. Some people aren’t that comfortable when talking about sexuality directly. They tend to cite jokes or stories they have learned to make a crude reference to this. The speakers, however, were quite relaxed when they were talking about this sensitive subject matter. Well, they ARE professional guidance counselors who have handled these kinds of things, so that’s hardly surprising. Not only that, being mothers themselves, they have a pretty good grasp of the subject matter.
Going on, they discussed one topic that haunts society up to this very point in time: premarital sex. Jose Rizal, our national hero, said that the youth is the hope of the nation. Sad to say, I find that hard to believe. Everyday, more and more teenagers are having premarital sex. More and more are becoming pregnant. If he were alive today, Rizal would be very disappointed. Where’s the hope in that?
Why are teenagers engaging in premarital sex, anyway? They know it’s not right, but yet, they still do it. Why is that? Well, according to the speakers, it is because of 5 reasons. One is the need for intimacy. Is it really necessary to have sex just to have intimacy? They don’t need to do it in bed just so they could get closer (figuratively) to each other. There’s something called friendship. Try it. Another is the need for belongingness. There is no need to do “it” just so you could belong. You can do it in other, more appropriate ways. Another is curiosity. Well, if they’re so curious, why can’t they wait until they’re married? Yet another is rebellion. Truthfully, I don’t really get this one. Kids have sex just so they can get back at their parents? They’re off their rockers, I tell you. The last reason is to cope with stress. Seriously? There are millions of fun activities that can relieve stress. Music, reading, playing sports, etc. The list goes on and on. To cope with stress, eh? They’re just increasing it.
Teens are pretty good at making excuses when it comes to stuff, and premarital sex is one of them. Seriously, “afraid to lose the relationship”? “Wants to prove he/she is a real man/woman”? “Seeks to gain affection and warmth”? They’re nuts. Cracked, broken nuts.
Obviously, as with all bad things, there are corresponding consequences. And with premarital sex, those consequences can change one’s life in a bad way, or worse, totally ruin it. Once you’ve done it, there’s no turning back, especially when the girl gets pregnant. Trying to hide your pregnancy to your parents is like hiding a large boulder in a small closet. They WILL find it out sooner or later. The presenters showed three video clips regarding the effects of teenage pregnancy. The first one was about a girl from high school saying to her parents that her friend was pregnant. The second one was about a guy and his second girlfriend doing “it”, and with bad results. The girls finds out she’s pregnant, and the guy doesn’t want to take responsibility for it. So sad, considering that a baby is supposed to be a blessing, not a curse. The third one, well…let’s say that it was a bit disturbing. What has been seen cannot be unseen, after all.
On the other hand, the speakers showed the brighter side of the seminar. Saying no to premarital sex, according to them, is a choice that will make you feel better about yourself. You won’t have to worry about unwanted pregnancies, STDs, fear, stress, worry, and most of all, guilt. You’ll be able be in control of your future, spend your time in trying to reach you goals, and enjoy teenage life. And with that, they ended the seminar. And my once again lengthy blog post. Thank you.
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