Red sex, blue sex by margaret talbot

And the social conservatives in “ red states” generally advocate abstinence-only education and denounce sex before marriage, but are relatively unruffled if a teen-ager becomes pregnant, as long as she doesn’t choose to have an abortion.” The other identified factors contributing to the dilemma are religion, perceptions about sex, the use of contraception, participation in abstinence-pledge movements, and commitment to “ network of friends, family, and institutions that reinforce his or her goal of delaying sex”. (Talbot, 2)
The other article posted on the internet entitled “ High School Aids Outbreak” relayed disturbing information on the possibility of almost 50 high school students from Normandy High School in St. Louis having contracted the HIV-AIDS virus. What is more alarming is the lack of relevant information on the root cause of the dilemma and how the situation would have an impact on the future of the students, and the community, in general.
2. How does this relate to what you have learned from the textbook or in class?
The articles validated and confirmed some of the theories and concepts presented in class. The first article presented factors that contributed to teen-ages opting for early sex and resulting in teen-aged pregnancies. The author delved into the seriousness of the problem which pervades various states in the country, regardless of religious orientation or political affiliations.
Class discussions exposed that the sexual revolution of the 1960s drastically changed people’s attitudes and behavior permitting sexual activities even in the younger generation.
Further, the freedom, liberal laws and lax stance of the country in issues on teen-aged sex and pregnancies created serious repercussions in terms of illnesses like to dreaded AIDS. The articles serve as an eye-opener for students to realize that the factual experiences confirm the negative effects of teen-aged sex, teen-aged pregnancies, and HIV-AIDS.
3. How does this reinforce or change the prior understanding of the topic?
The lessons should not necessarily remain in a nutshell. Lack of appropriate knowledge on the subject would exacerbate the dilemma and create a drastically problematic nation. The articles confirm the fact that real-life situations on teen-aged sex, pregnancies, and contracting HIV-AIDS occur and exist, not only in America but around the world. Irresponsible sex has complicated effects and negative repercussions that affect the future of the individuals involved.
Prior understanding of the topic was enriched with these articles. The experiences revealed in them make one more aware of the critical nature of these dilemmas. One must be more mature and responsible for making decisions regarding sex and marriage. These are life-long commitments that shape and change the lives of people who mistakenly made the wrong move.