Premarital Sex Essay Example

Premarital Sex Essay There is no social issue more difficult to address than premarital sex. Even in the 21st century, after decades of convincing the world that truth can be subjective, modern man still could not get rid off that uneasy feeling when confronted with the accusation that he or she is engaging in sex outside the bounds of marriage. This feeling is arguably more intense with teenagers than with adults but nevertheless most would rather hide the truth than openly acknowledge that they are practicing premarital sex. This paper will show the dangers of premarital sex. This can be done without having to resort to overly simplistic rhetoric. For instance when someone opposed to the idea of sex before marriage is interviewed about his opinion about premarital sex; the common reply is that such behavior is unacceptable without being able to fully explain rationally why it is forbidden. Background Before going into details it is important to get an overview of this social problem. Those who practice premarital sex can be broadly categorized into three major groups. The first one is composed of couples who were already engaged and set to marry soon. The emotional depth of their relationship is evident and the kind of premarital sex practiced can be also called engagement sex (Luker, p. 89). The second group is composed of adults who are not yet married, not engaged, no plans of marrying their current sexual partners, and yet engaging in sexual intercourse. Those belonging to this group can be strongly attracted to their sexual partner but there is no immediate desire to bring the relationship a notch higher by becoming engaged. We will write a custom essay sample on Premarital Sex specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Premarital Sex specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Premarital Sex specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The third one is the focus of this study. Those who belong to this group are teenagers, still below the legal age limit to do some of the more basic activities such as driving and consuming liquor and yet the same are already doing the more emotionally and mentally demanding activity which is sexual intercourse. Sexual Revolution There is no arguing the fact that the values of today’s youth is very much different a century ago. It used to be that turn of the 20th century America is keen on following the footsteps of their Puritanical forefathers. Even though Victorian England is far away, values learned from the Motherland were brought to the New World. It was all great until the social revolution of the 60s and 70s when young men and women apparently rebelling against the war in Vietnam and other factors, banded together to express their desire to challenge norms and religious beliefs. Confusion, frustration and anger may have stemmed from the realization that the world was never better after two world wars and that rules and social standards are not actually helping create a better tomorrow. Then suddenly and openly the younger generation began to accept the idea that sexual intercourse is something that could be done prior to marriage. This idea may have gained momentum when a significant portion of the population are now massing into cities, away from parents and forced to mingle with strangers from all over the world. Student activism that was a typical part of campus life in the 70s added to desire to break free from traditional views. Students coming from distant parts of America now have the chance to experiment on forbidden actions while they were still living with their family. The suffocating feeling of living in a small town, knowing everyone and being pressured to conform to small town values has led many to embrace the new spirit of â€Å"freedom† that was felt in the major cities and major college campuses of that time. The problem was exacerbated when sex became casual and it has no longer any connection to a couple’s desire for marriage. Now sex is done for the sake of pleasure and not to increase intimacy between two couples seriously intent on building a family. Consequences For someone opposed to the idea of premarital sex, it is easy to go to a moral high ground and from there shoots down judgments and accusations. There must be another way of getting the message across, that premarital sex is a dangerous game especially when teenagers are the ones involved. One of the major consequences of premarital sex is the significant increase in teenage pregnancy. It is not hard to imagine what kind of effect teenage pregnancy has on the young mother, the father and the soon to be born child. Researchers are quick to point out the obvious problems and they zero in on the lack of maturity and the financial means to support a family. Being a teenager means a college diploma is not yet within reach for the majority of Americans. So getting pregnant in this crucial period means education is discontinued. The teenage mom’s education will be significantly affected assuming that she is currently enrolled in a college or at least staying in high school. If she is not in school then her problem is compounded by the low quality of jobs awaiting her after the baby is born. For the Dad, the added financial burden can be overwhelming plus the fact that school may have to take a back seat. Now this is a highly ideal scenario. It is a well known fact that a significant number of men who fathered teenagers usually run away from their responsibilities. With regards to the child, the problem is less serious when the mother belongs to a well-off family the grandparents would take care of the baby. But teenage moms who belong to the bottom rung of the economic ladder will have to carry the entire burden. Conclusion Premarital sex is a broad topic. As mentioned earlier there are at least three major groups of people engaging in premarital sex. For the sake of clarity and focus, the proponent focused on one category which is sexually active teenagers having premarital sex. In this regard the proponent argues that with this particular group, the consequence of such behavior will be too overwhelming considering that they are not yet mature enough to handle the almost inevitable result which is teenage pregnancy. The burden of having to take care of a child at such an early age is serious for all women across all social levels. But when those involved lack a college degree, who are single parents, and who have no one to turn to because they come from poor families the problem is more difficult. This is merely one aspect in the dangers of premarital sex especially among teenagers. There is not enough space to talk about other related problems of sexually transmitted diseases, abortion, and raising children as single parents, shattered dreams and the list goes on and on.