Chapter+6+Sexuality

Teens in Fiction
Glee, Season 2, Episode 6 "Never Been Kissed"

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Santrock (pg. 208) discusses homophobia as one of the negatives that happen to those who identify and eventually disclose their same-sex attractions. In this powerful episode of Glee, we see different forms of discrimination against the character Kurt by the closeted football jock Karofsky. This also illuminates the stereotype that those who participates in "Queer-bashing" can have some sexual identity problems of their own. As a gay teen, I was luckily built more like a tackle than a waif; so I wasn't physically attacked in High School. But, I was hit with slurs, insults, spit at and avoided by the jocks and the auto shop guys. This verbal abuse was devastating to me emotionally and mentally; it lead to suicidal thoughts and a few attempts. But, like the "It Gets Better" program to help gay teens; my life did improve and I am blessed to be here and thriving. (Brad)

**Coach Carter (2005)**
In our text (Santrock) discusses factors to having sex in early adolescence. Contextual factors such as socioeconomic status, single family homes, peer influences, and academic achievement that impact teens sexuality, pg 204. In the movie Coach Carter, which is based on a true story that takes place in Richmond California. From the text we know that the percentage of sexually active teens is higher in low income areas, such as our teens from Coach Carter. While the movie is primarily about the basketball teams struggle and rise to a championship. These teens face factors and risks that can play an impact in their sexuality. One player has a pregnant girlfriend who has planned on giving up the idea of going to college to raise the baby. She does this even though she has a cousin who has gone through the same thing and it has not gone well. Santrock tells us that having an older sexually active siblings or that is pregnant/has a baby, places teens at a higher risk for teen pregnancy. Coach Carter also breaks up a party that his team is attending in which one is known to be having sex and others are kissing girls in a pool. (Melanie)

The British television show Torchwood is a spin-off of the show Doctor Who, and stars the show's first explicitly non-heterosexual companion. Captain Jack Harkness, played by the openly gay John Barrowman, comes from the 51st century where humanity co-exists with several alien races, and people are more open-minded about sex. In his last Doctor Who appearance before Torchwood, the character kisses both a male and a female before racing off to battle. Torchwood was created by Russell T Davies, who is also gay, and is best known for the show Queer As Folk, about the lives of several young gay British people. Many of the characters of Torchwood are bisexual, and I think just about every regular cast member has kissed someone of the same sex, and someone of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, Davies really seems to like killing off characters, as most of the original cast is gone. Barrowman's still there, as is Captain Jack, who has somehow become immortal. It's complicated. (Zak)

media type="youtube" key="-V07hkeBdqA" height="390" width="480" Dr. Phil has been following a family for several years now that has a lot of problems. One of them, being their oldest daughter, Alex who became pregnant around the age of 15 with her first child. I remember watching the show when they first appeared. Now, the family returns and Alex, who is now 22 is pregnant with her third child. She has been in trouble with CPS and has been married and divorced already in her young life. Now, she has given birth and her baby boy is addicted to drugs and her parents most likely will get custody of the child. Chapter 6 talks about the consequences of adolescent pregnancy and Alex could be the poster child for you should wait to have sex in order not to get pregnant. In location 8041, the authors talk about how teen moms will have problems later on in life along with school problems, drug use and delinquency. All of which Alex has had and still deals with. (LeAnn)

Doctors Not Strongly Encouraging HPV Vaccine to Girls of Certain Age; National Guidelines Not Closely Followed, Survey Finds
Science Daily (Aug 9th, 2010) In a study conducted both pediatricians and parents were surveyed regarding personal responses to daughters receiving the HPV vaccination. Although most parents are not opposed to their daughters receivng the vaccination, they did believe it was necessary to educate their daughters on sex and the consequences that can result when engaging in unprotected sex. The study also explains that the average age that the vaccination be administered is between 11-12 years of age because the vaccination is given in three doses over an extended period of time. Santrock discusses in chapter six the repercussions that teens may not often think about before engaging in unprotected sex. Although the vaccination does not protect against STD's, it does help prevent cervical cancer from occuring by reducing the risk of the human papillomavirus infection as a result of unprotected sex. (Kerry)

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__**Physiological Impacts of Homophobia**__ ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2011) In this doctoral thesis in clinical psychology by Michael Benibgui (Concordia's Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Human Development) there is the suggestion that the "stress of being rejected or victimized because of sexual orientation may disrupt hormonal responses in lesbians, gays and bisexuals." (LGB's as referenced in the article). On page 210 of our classroom text, Adolesscence (Santrock), __homophobia__ is defined as having an "irrational negative feeling against individuals who have same-sex attraction." Benibgui, like Santrock, both suggest riducule, bullying, and discrimination will most likely occur to young adults who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Because of this ridicule, LGB's have much higher levels of cortisol, which leads to depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Compared to heterosexuals peers, suicide rates are are 14 times higher. Benibgui goes on to state he conducted this study because depression and anxiety were so widespread, and actually, "internalized homophiba" e.g, feeling negatively about oneself because of one's sexual identity, shows a strong relation between cortisol levels and stressors related to homophobia. [|Physiological Impact of Homphobia] (John)

[|**Abstinence**-only and comprehensive **sex education** and the initiation of sexual activity and teen pregnancy] As discussed in Santrock pages 227-228, sex education in schools is changing. Schools in the United States are increasing their focus on abstinence and are less likely to present students with information about birth control methods. This study surveyed 1150 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 about their sexual education and their sexual experience. The researches found that there was no difference in sexual experience for teens who had abstinence only education versus a comprehensive sexual education. However the pregnancy rate for teens who had a compressive sexual education was significantly lower than those received an abstinence only education. This is an indication in the importance of education teens are birth control methods. That being said, when I was looking for an article for this site, I found it difficult to find one that was not heavily biased, even in scholarly research. It is important when making decisions about a sexual education program to leave feelings aside and to make the best decisions for the well being of the teenagers based on unbiased research. (Emily Grace)

One article that I found interesting this week on Science Daily was “Sexual Lyrics in Popular Songs Linked To Early Sexual Experiences.” The article was published in the April 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine by Brian A. Primack of University of Pittsburgh and found that adolescents who enjoyed listening to popular music with degrading sexual references and lyrics were more likely to be sexually active. The study focused on 711 9th grade students at three large high schools in urban settings and the students listened to such music for at least 14 hours each week. Those students who were exposed to the sexually degrading lyrics were twice as likely to have had sexual intercourse than the students who were not exposed to the sexually degrading music and these results were similar in both males and females. Although this area needs to be explored further, it seems that the media still has a genuine impact on the sex lives of adolescents just as Santrock mentions on pages 198-199. Because adolescents are so involved in the media and are constantly watching television shows, movies, and reading magazines, and like this study, listening to music, it is important for parents, guardians, and teachers to point out that what they see on TV or listen to on the radio is not necessarily applicable to real life. Keeping the conversation open about how sex is portrayed in the media is necessary and important for developing adolescents. (Caitlin)

//Elsevier Health Sciences (2009, February 25). Sexual Lyrics In Popular Songs Linked To Early Sexual Experiences. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 19, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2009/02/090224132903.htm//

= = Santrock (p.205) says teenagers have see sex as a common thing and 60 per cent of them have sex more than one or more individuals. I found the study very interesting. A study was done in Cleveland with 4,200 high school students. They found that students who sent texts more than 120 times a day and students who were on social-network websites were likely having sex with peers more often than students who did not text and who were not on those sites. They also found that these students were from single-mother household and less education. It is important to help teenagers to understand about sex and how to prevent themselves from pregnancy and diseases. (Gik)

Web Links
[] This link is to an essay on the origin and nature of homophobia by Scott Bidstrup. He seems to be a political activitest working out of El Guarco, Costa Rica. While he comes across as a very opinionated individual, the essay on homophobia seems to have some valid points. Homophobia is defined as having irrational negative feelings against individuals who have same sex attractions (p.208). Bidstrup argues that their are unstated attitudes and fears that are the mechanisms behind homophobia. Indidviduals that are homophobic will claim that homosexuality is unnatural, perverse, against God's law, and/or disgusting. Bidstrup's rebuttal asserts that homophibic individuals are really driven by the "us versus them" mentality, loss of control, feelings of threat against their world views, and the possibility of being homosexual themselves. (Mary)

[|Avert.org]

The link above is to an organization who primarily works with the prevention of the spread of AIDS and HIV. However this link is more widely relevant (than just AIDS and HIV) as it guides teens how to address STD's with parents and addresses most STDs. It also addresses prevention methods. As educators this website could be useful to relay to students as they gain further understanding of STIs and the consequences of sex. This also relates to Santrock's discussion of STI's, AIDS, herpes, warts, syphilis and chlamydia (Pg 218-222). (Joel)

[] This link will help adolescents learn more about sexually transmitted infections and how to protect you and where to get tested. What is equally important from this link is why it’s important to talk about sex, what you need to know, and to know there is only one sure way to not get an STI, and that is to remain abstinent. Adolescents between 15-24 are the group that are more vulnerable in contracting STI's. Santrock tells how sexually transmitted infections can be gotten. STI’s are infections transmitted by having sexually activities with others. It is not necessarily passed on through the sex organs only but can also be transmitted through oral and anal contact. Adolescents, who are sexually active usually, get three STI’s: aids, genital herpes and genital warts and they also get STI’s caused by bacteria: gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia. p. 218 (Miranda)

I found it interesting that the majority of the studies I have found that teaching abstinence works in the public school setting. "controversy arises when abstinence is the only option given to adolescents and the health information about the other options is restricted or misrepresented" (231). Why weren't there more studies done on teaching safe sex? The study I found showed how wonderful teaching abstinence can be within the public school forum.[|Sex Ed] Not only do they discuss the affects of sex education, but they teach their students about aggression and their emotional well-being. (Malinda)

[] This link found above is to an article that I found on the MTV website. While reading this chapter, I thought about the show "16 and Pregnant" which follows the lives for several teen moms and their difficult times of being a teenage parent. This article goes on to credit the show for a decline in teenage pregnancy. Nearly 82% of teens credit the show for helping them understand the difficulties that come with unexpected parenthood. This relates to what Santrock dicusses in the chapter regarding the consequences of adolescent pregnancy (pg. 215). Below is a short video trailer that gives you an idea of what the show is about. (Katie)

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=Media 'influence' adolescent sex= On March 22, 2006, Sam Jones a reporter for the online version of the British newspaper, The Guardian, posted an article citing an American research study examining the influence that media has on adolescent sexuality. While this type of research has been done before, it did highlight several issues that hadn't been identified previously. Among the questions that were asked of teens, one of those was a listing of the specific media that teens preferred to view. With the list in hand, the researchers reviewed the media for its sexual content. The researchers found that many of the media portrayed sex as being "risk-free." As one would predict, it also found that such media does influence the way adolescents view sex. In fact, media was as influential as peers, parent input, and religion. Pairing all of this information along with that found on pages 198-199 of chapter six, it becomes clearly understandable why media is so influential and how it shapes unhealthy sexual misconceptions. (Jason)