A Dangerous Sensuality

When we think about the people of a hundred years ago, the women with their tight corsets and covered ankles, projecting a false modesty, we conjure up an image of a completely different world than the one of today. Young girls wearing short shorts and small tops have become fashionable; the intrigue involved with the sensuality of women has almost disappeared. A lot of this we see at the theatres, on our most popular channel, on that show that’s been praised by all reviewers. It’s no wonder that each year, almost 750,000 women aged 15-19 become pregnant, according to guttmatcher.org. How are we supposed to act on our individual thoughts and desires when they’ve been corrupted by this modern day world?

Despite the fact that more young women are sexually active than they would admit, the media is not always to blame. Peers and lovers are often the underlining reason these women are losing their virginity left and right. In high-school, teens tend to form cliques, a social order where everyone inside a group can be stereotypically categorized as “sluts” or “prudes”, or anywhere in between. When we see very affectionate couples in the hall, inappropriately displaying some form of PDA, some of us cringe with displeasure and others feel a pang of jealousy. Deep inside, we all want to be a part of that “dream couple”, but nowadays the relationship between two teenagers has very real consequences. The most important issue involved with young sex, I believe, is young love. Girls more than boys can get carried away with the idea of romance: constantly doodling in notebooks and finding a way to fit his name into every conversation. But how is this affecting them as people?

Girls who decide to explore their sexuality can and will be quickly labeled as “sluts”; this is where the infamous double standard fits in. Boys who manage to get that girl into bed with them are high-fived and congratulated, looked upon enviously by other pubescent boys who haven’t yet found a girl. I think that when boys put pressures on girls, the emotional baggage can be more significant than the physical consequences, no matter how severe. I believe that we as teenagers need to have access to protection, because realistically we are not all going to keep it in our pants.