Grandparents and Sex Education: Consequences of Our Sex-Saturated Society
Delve into some of the consequences of our sex-saturated culture.
In Part I of this series we explored a snapshot of the world in which our grandchildren dwell — a sexualized society. In Part II we will delve into some of the consequences of our sex-saturated culture.
Our Grandchildren’s World: Sexual Activity
When we begin to look at sexual activity in pre-teens and teens today, we first have to define the words sexual activity. In our time we knew what these words meant, but now the definitions change regularly. Although teens, and in some instances pre-teens, are involved in other forms of sexual activity that go way beyond kissing, for our statistical purposes, the term sexual activity means only vaginal sexual intercourse.
- Five percent of 12-year-olds, 10 percent of 13-year-olds and 20 percent of 14-year-olds are sexually active.1
- Almost half of high school students in the United States have had sex.2
- By their late teens, 75 percent of boys and girls have had sex, and more than two-thirds of these have had two or more partners.3
Our children are having out-of-wedlock sex earlier than previous generations, and they often have more than one sexual partner.
How do these figures compare to percentages of out-of-wedlock sexually active older teens and young adults throughout recent history?
- In 1960, 40 percent of single women who were age 20 were sexually active.4
- In 1972, approximately 50 percent of single women who were age 20 were sexually active.5
- In 1988, 73 percent of single 18- to 19-year-old females had had sexual intercourse.6
- In 2002, 69 percent of single 18- to 19-year-old females had had sexual intercourse.7
We have seen a steady increase in premarital sexual activity until the very latest report in 2002. What has caused this amazing turnaround? Undoubtedly many factors have influenced this change, not the least of which has been the vast increase in abstinence education in public schools. Teens across our country are learning that it is not healthy for them to have sex before marriage. In fact, if they wait until marriage to have sex they will reap many benefits in their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. If they wait to have sex they will avoid broken hearts, STDs, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and be able to bond completely with their marriage partner. If our grandchildren decide not to wait until marriage to be sexually active they may experience some heartbreaking consequences.
Our Grandchildren’s World: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
When many of us grew up, before the 1970s, we called diseases that were contracted through sexual relations venereal disease or VD. Now they're known as sexually transmitted diseases or STDs. During the 1990s we had another additional name change to sexually transmitted infections or STIs. However, United States health-care providers and educators usually use the term STDs.
Prior to and during the 1960s two sexually transmitted diseases – syphilis and gonorrhea — were common in the United States. Both of these diseases were curable with antibiotics. Today, physicians have identified more than 25 STDs, and many of them are incurable. Some of these diseases have lifelong consequences, and some can cause — among other things — painful genital sores, cancer, increased risk of contracting HIV and difficulty conceiving a child. Following are some statistics regarding sexually transmitted diseases today.
- One in five adults in the United States has an STD.8
- It is estimated that 19 million STD infections occur annually in the United States, almost half of them among youth ages 15 to 24.9
- Worldwide, almost 40 million people are living with HIV. One million Americans are known to be infected.10
Our Grandchildren’s World: Out-of Wedlock Pregnancy
The decisions an unwed pregnant girl has to make regarding her baby's future are gut-wrenching and lifelong in their consequences. And for a teen father, the struggles may be additionally laden with anger and rejection from the young lady’s family and friends. Following are a few facts regarding teen pregnancy (defined in this article as out-of-wedlock pregnancy).
- More than one-third of all girls get pregnant at least once by age 20.11
- Nearly a million teen girls in the United States become pregnant every year, the highest of all industrialized countries.12
- Nearly three out of four teen mothers drop out of high school. They typically earn $5,600 a year (less than half the poverty level) for the first 13 years of parenthood.13
These are but a few of the consequences our grandchildren will endure if they become sexually active before marriage. The mental, emotional and spiritual consequences can be equally devastating. Grandparents are a vital link in passing along wisdom and strong family values.
In In Part III of this series we will talk about some basic ideas of how to talk with your grandchildren about sexuality.
1 B. Albert, S. Brown & C. Flanigan, (Eds.), "14 and Younger: The Sexual Behavior of Young Adolescents." National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, (2003), pp. 5-6.
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Trends in Sexual Risk Behaviors Among High School Students: United States, 1991-2001," MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2002; 51:856-859.
3“Sexual and Reproductive Health: Women and Men,” The Alan Guttmacher Institute, September 2002.
4 Hofferth, Sandra L. et al, "Premarital Sexual Activity Among U.S. Teenage Women Over the Past Three Decades," Family Planning Perspectives 19 (2): March-April 1987:49, Table 3.
5 Hofferth, et al, "Premarital Sexual Activity Among U.S Teenage Women over the Past Three Decades."
6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing," 2002, December 2004.
7 CDC, "Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing 2002."
8 Cates W. Jr. “Estimates of the Incidence and Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the United States,” American Social Health Association Panel, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 1999:26 (Supp): 2-7.
9 Weinstock H, Berman S., Cates W., “Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among American Youth: Incidence and Prevalence Estimates, 2000," Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 2004, 36 (1):6-10.
10 UNAIDS, WHO, "Global Summary of the HIV and AIDS Epidemic in 2004," December 2004
11 “What If: How Declines in Teen Births Have Reduced Poverty ad Increased Child Well-Being,” The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, April 2004, Summary of report released by the U.S. Congress’ Ways and Means Committee (Democrats).
12 Maynard, RA, ed. “Kids Having Kids: A Robin Hood Foundation Special Report on the Costs of Adolescent Childbearing,” Robin Hood Foundation, 1997, p. 1.
13 Maynard, 1997, pp. 11.
Linda Klepacki, RN, MPH, is Focus on the Family's Sexual Health Analyst.
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