So this is my first myTake ever. I always wanted to write a myTake but was either too scared for negative reactions or I couldn't come up with a subject or was too insecure about my English skills.
I was reading my favorite magazine (Psychologie Magazine) and it had a very interesting research in it from which I thought a lot of gagers would think it's interesting. I will make comparisons between the United States, the Netherlands and The United Kingdom. This research is by the way totally real and I will post the sources with it. Your opinion can be different, but please don't become rude. It would discourage me from writing takes.
(Note: some parts are translated by me from Dutch to English. It might have some grammar mistakes since I'm not the best English speaker either.)
The situation in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has the lowest rates of teenage pregnancies and STD's among teenagers. Why? Of course it has a lot to do with the availability of condoms (you can buy them in supermarkets, farmacies etc.) and because you can get the birth control pill with one prescription from your doctor and the morning afterpill is also just available at regular stores, but it also has a lot to do with our sex education at school. We begin very early with sex education at schools. From my experience, I got it on primary school and another time at middle school.
What's also different is that in the Netherlands, we think it's normal that teenagers try out sexual activities with their highschool sweethearts. That leads to an other kind of sex education. Not only about really having sex and doing it safely, but also about pleasure and where to draw a line.
Situation in America
According to the magazine, Americans have a whole different view towards sex amongst teenagers. They see teenagers as reckless and only following their dicks and hormones and that they need strong lines. The rule is often 'no sex before marriage'.
Unfortunatly according to studies, drawing strict lines for teenagers is only for the worse. The number of girls who give birth between age 15 to 19 is six times as high as in the Netherlands (although I must be critical here. They don't mention if it's absolute or relative since America has a lot more habitants).
So what about the Britians?
Sexual education is not obligatory in Britian. If the school offers sex education and the parents doesn't sgree with it, you can choose miss those lessons. Although Britian has the highest rates of teenage pregnancies and STD's of whole west Europe. 83 percent of 13 year old teenagers already has watched porn at east once. In a documantary called Sex in class, you can clearly see what kind of effect it has on kids. Guys in sex education lessons acting all dominant and the girls more shy and submissive. Just like in porn. A guy in the documentary also said that it was normal to cum in a girl's face since it shows her respect to the man. I can call that pretty disgusting right?
Conclusion
According to an American research last year, beginning early with sex education really works. Children who learn about sex at early age, score lower at unexpected pregnancies and other unfurtunate things from sex then teenagers who got educated at age 16. From an another study it shows that sex education at early age also results in children initiating sex later.
Porn is a really bad educator. I think you can better teach your kids about sex before they start watching porn. When to do that? I think always be open about sex so no stupid stories like the stork gave us a baby or planting a seed of love by kissing. If your kids ask something, be real about it. Teach them about all the great things that come before sex like falling in love, where to draw the line, always feel comfortable what you're doing and with who you're doing it with. People are always afraid kids will loose their naivity and purity, but I think not. They probably don't even find it too interesting when you begin teaching them, but they already know what to do and such.
About schools, I think teaching children about sex at primary school is not so bad. I got tought when I was about eleven years old or something. They even start earlier nowadays. Even the Netherlands can improve their sex education lessons.
Note: It was by the way not my purpose to promote how great the Netherlands is blablabla. I just comparise it to my country because the magazine does too. We do these things pretty good, but in a lot of other things we can definetly learn from Britian and the USA.
Thank you for reading my first myTake ever! Leave your opinion if you agree with it. Perhaps it was too sciency, but I like to see some real researches here on GAG once in a while. You can leave ideas for some improvements or your opinion about this subject, but please KEEP IT RESPECTFUL AND CLEAN. Thank you.
sources: A. Schalet, Not under my roof: parents, teens, and the culture of sex, Chicago University press, 2011 / H. Brunskell-Evans, Sex in Class: Liekens is right to teach teenagers about sexual pleasure, University of Leicester, 2015 / H. de Graaf e.a., seks onder je 25e: Seksuele gezondheid van jongeren in Nederland anno 2012, Eburon, 2012 / S. Igras e.a., Investing in very young adolescents' sexual and reproductive health, Global Public Health, 2014
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