We All Need Reminding About Sex!

We need reminding about sex!

The title of this article is ambiguous deliberately; its what we writers call ‘A Hook’ however I do have some issues to address about sex and sexuality. Not all but most adults will have slept with multiple partners during their life. If you want to work out the ratio of how many partners you have slept with its easy. Take the age you were when you became sexually active then minus that from your age now? Mine is 28 years now divide that figure into the amount of partners you have slept with? My ratio of partners/years is 0.74 per year. How you get 0.74 of a person is another matter!

I use this calculation to highlight a problem that is becoming more prevalent. Teenagers are becoming sexually active younger and more worryingly STI’s (Sexually transmitted infections) are on the rise too! Also in my country Britain; we have the highest ratio of teenage pregnancies in Europe! It appears in my research that people in their early twenties will have a ratio of sexual partners nearer 5 per year!. Youngsters today on average lose their virginity at 13 to 14 years old in the UK. Girls normally lose their virginity younger than boys it’s a fact of life that girls mature quicker and may look older than their male counterparts.

The practise of using condoms seems to be going out of fashion? I know that contraceptive pills for women in the UK are free and the morning after pill is now available in chemists. However contraceptive pills do not stop the spread of STI’s and orally contracted infections are on the increase too I do not need to explain that one to you! One possible reason for the increase in STI’s is also a lack of education as regards infections.

My age group grew up when AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) burst onto main stream TV. In the UK we had several very hard hitting public information adverts paid for by the government which drummed home the need for condoms and Femidoms. There is no cure for AIDS and its still on the increase especially in poorer countries such as parts of Africa. Drugs to extend your life if you have AIDS are progressing but for most people it’s a death sentence! I had a blood transfusion last year and I still wake up at night sometimes and pray the blood was screened properly for AIDS.

Please understand that the average figures I quote from are all available on the internet. I also understand that as regards the ratio of sexual partners to the years of your sexual activity will decline the older you get. Hopefully people get married or live together in steady relationships and STI’s should die out for the happy couple unless someone strays from the monogamous relationship?

Now I can guarantee to you that I am no prude or kill joy! Love making or sex is one of the most simple and yet satisfying acts we perform in life. However as a fellow writer and friend of mine said wisely,

“Casual sex without a condom is like playing Russian Roulette with your life”

Somehow this message is not getting through to our younger generation in Britain? Can we or should we lay the blame with the Government solely? Our schools and colleges need to be getting the message across about safe sex even parents must pay a part in educating their children about safe sex. It can be an embarrassing subject to bring up with family members. However how would you feel as a parent if your daughter was pregnant at 13 and caught an STI as well? When a chat from Mum or Dad could have saved this.

(Femidom)

Its been a long while since I have been on the single scene, but I did practise safe sex until a girlfriend boyfriend relationship was secure and as far as we both knew we were monogamous. I think these sexual matters should be talked about without embarrassment. I am sure that there are many very sensible teenagers that could put older people to shame as regards contraception, however the averages in my country at least are alarming!

Lord Banks