There is no sense denying it, so Americans might as well
embrace it. The fact is: sex is great! Not only does it feel good, it also
attributes to a variety of physical and mental health benefits. For example,
the amount of endorphins released during the physical act of foreplay and sex
is equal to a whole twenty minute aerobic workout. How about that for your daily exercise
routine! For some, sex is a way to
create and share a strong emotional bond with a partner. It strengthens trust
and provides a greater level of comfort in a relationship. It can also help a person to feel more confident
about their level of attractiveness and assist in creating a better
self-image. Sex has definitely been
linked to improving relaxation and decreasing anxiety and anger. For many, it
is even productive. We can thank the procreators for that! Other people view
sex as more of a recreational activity. Long-term relationships are not for
everyone. Some purely enjoy the physical stimulation and are happy leaving
intimacy at the door. Of course the age in
which people partake in this pleasurable activity is always of debate. For
decades teen sex has been a subject of heated controversy, a topic of intense
research and reveled by religious leaders, child therapists, and even outspoken
parents. Fortunately, that is not the
topic of this article. However, society must remember that teenagers are just
younger versions of adult humans and so it is just as natural for them to seek physical
and emotional pleasure. While consensual sex is viewed primarily as a negative
behavior for the younger population, it receives a five star rating among
adults. Therefore, it seems likely that adult sexual activity wouldn’t be so
mysterious and intriguing. However, this isn’t the case. Despite the positive
view, many adults keep what happens behind closed doors and under their covers
top secret and do not feel comfortable and/or able to see the importance of
disclosing what sexual activities they partake in. This is perplexing because most other mammals
care less where they have sex and who is around. People see animals engaging in
sexual activity in public all the time. It isn’t the engaged animal whose face turns
red, giggles nervously, and exits the scene immediately. The fact that many
adults have a positive attitude about sex but are not discussing it openly is
concerning. Only through the process of identifying and acknowledging common
sexual practices among various cultures/sub-groups and determining what each
group considers sexually healthy behavior, can sexual norms be established and
accepted among members of a particular community. Establishing those sexual
norms is the first step in decreasing the stigma attached to many sexually
diverse cultures, this will aid parents in speaking more openly about sex and sexuality
with their children, help medical, mental health, and community
organizations recognize needs of these groups, and hopefully eventually lead to
sexual equality among humans in general. Everyone has the right to a happy
healthy sex life.
