Facts and Myths about Sex

MYTH: Everyone is doing it.

FACT: Not everyone is doing it. You haven’t done it yet. People lie and exaggerate things. Don’t believe everything you hear. Only 13% of teens have had sex by the time they turn 15 and only 7 out of 10 of teens have had sex by the time they turn 19. Teens are now waiting longer before engaging in sex.

MYTH: Sex initiates you into adulthood.

FACT: You still live with your parents, you have no job and you are still in school. Having sex does not automatically make you an adult. Becoming an adult is about taking responsibility and being independent.

MYTH: You are engaging in sex because you are in love.

FACT: Sex doesn’t mean love. There are so many healthy ways to show your love to someone without having sex. Intimacy is about communication, trust and friendship, thus if you really love someone you will concentrate on building intimacy. If someone is pressuring you to have sex or even threatens to dump you if you don’t comply, then leave the person. If he really loves you he will wait and respect your decision.

MYTH: Unsafe sex with multiple partners is the only way to contract STIs and become pregnant.

FACT:  The magic number is 1. You can get pregnant the first time you have sex and you can get an STI the first time you have sex as well. There is no set rule for the number of times one can have sex before becoming pregnant or contracting an STI, but obviously the more partners you have, the higher you put yourself at risk.

MYTH: Birth control methods are 100% effective.

FACT: Abstinence is the surest way of avoiding pregnancy. Try it.

MYTH: Sex is the most important thing to a teen.

FACT: Yes, the teenage boy is fighting daily to keep his sanity in this sex crazed world but that doesn’t mean that sex is the most important thing to him. Talk to your boyfriend or girlfriend, and get to know what is really important to them.

MYTH: Television shows portray sex in its true beauty.

FACT: Movies and TV are just for entertainment. Sex scenes are well rehearsed and are practiced over and over again. They should not be your resource for sex education nor should they be your guide. Sex is a special event in a person’s life, so you want to make sure that you and your partner are ready.

Resources:

Abma JC et al., Teenagers in the United States: sexual activity, contraceptive use, and childbearing, National Survey of Family Growth 2006–2008, Vital and Health Statistics, 2010, Series 23, No. 30.