{"id":18548,"date":"2023-10-27T13:16:36","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T18:16:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/?p=18548"},"modified":"2024-02-28T14:52:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T20:52:21","slug":"sexo-adolescente-consentimiento","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/es\/teen-sex-consent\/","title":{"rendered":"Los adolescentes y el sexo: Por qu\u00e9 el consentimiento no puede ser la \u00faltima palabra sobre lo que es sexualmente aceptable, especialmente para los adolescentes."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Part 3 of a Natural Womanhood series on teen sex<\/em>. View Part I<\/a><\/em> and Part II.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A strange problem I\u2019ve encountered in my work with teens and in sex education is that a lot of people don\u2019t know what a teen is. I can hear your objections now\u2013how would someone not know what a teen is? While it may sound crazy, I think a lot of people who comment on things like sex education don\u2019t interact with teens on a regular basis. Their only available references seem to be high school movies that cast adult actors in their mid-20s for teen roles, like 26 year-old Rachel McAdams as 16 year-old Regina George in the cult-classic Mean Girls<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, when I testified on a house bill to modify Colorado\u2019s comprehensive sex education law, I encountered people who talked about teens as though they were young adults cast in a high school movie, rather than minor-aged adolescents. I heard that teens are \u201cdoing it anyways\u201d (not true<\/a>), that sexual risk avoidance (SRA) is outdated, that it\u2019s wrong to interfere with teen\u2019s personal decisions, and even that not<\/em> having sex in early adolescence would stunt teens\u2019 maturity (yikes). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over and over again, other witnesses advocated that sex education should use \u201cconsent\u201d as the only barometer of acceptable sexual activity. In many ways, I agree that it\u2019s good for sex education to emphasize consent. It\u2019s a justified reaction to the widespread problem of sexual violence and abuse, especially on college campuses\u2013where many teens are headed after high school. However, when consent is presented as the only<\/em> qualification for what is sexually acceptable, then there\u2019s a problem. Here’s why consent can never be the final word when it comes to teen sex. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sex impacts the whole person<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During my time working for an organization that taught social and emotional skills to high school students<\/a>, I saw firsthand how little the typical teen knows about healthy relationships and sex. Teens almost universally reported that they had never talked about sex with a parent, and our own program had very limited time to share all the information we could. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we prioritized teaching our students the whole-person effects of sexual activity. We challenged teens to envision how different choices might impact their wellbeing emotionally, mentally, socially, financially, and how their choices either honor or clash with values they hold from their families, religion, and\/or culture. Steeped as we all are in a culture where casual sex is celebrated and encouraged, it can be a shock to the system for teens to learn that sex has such a profound impact\u2013perhaps especially so for young women. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three misconceptions teens have about sex that make them unable to give truly informed consent<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even in regards to the physical consequences of sex, which many people assume teens already know (they don’t!), our program worked hard to correct many misconceptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1 Hormonal birth control has many side effects<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One such misconception is that it is a simple decision to decide to take birth control, because birth control will protect against the physical consequences of sex\u2013which many teens assume are limited to pregnancy. But hormonal birth control can\u2013and does\u2013fail, and even when it works, it doesn\u2019t simply prevent pregnancy without causing other systemic effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with a myriad of harmful side effects<\/a> and risks that come with birth control use, it also interrupts the important processes that need to take place during puberty<\/a>. And when it is prescribed for things beyond (or in addition to) pregnancy prevention, like irregular or painful periods or acne (as it often is for teens), hormonal birth control can delay the diagnosis and treatment of endocrine or reproductive disorders<\/a> that can impact a teen\u2019s overall health, potentially making it difficult for them to conceive later in life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Note: Teen girls are better served by learning how to read the signs of their bodies, and get help for issues that arise with their cycles in a way that heals and preserves their fertility. For more information on how to introduce your pre-teen or teen girl to this information, check out our Mothers of Pre Teens online course<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2 Hormonal birth control doesn\u2019t prevent sexually transmitted infections<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our program also had to educate teens that hormonal birth control doesn\u2019t prevent them from getting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Some birth control methods like Depo-Provera<\/a> have been found to increase<\/em> the risk of male-to-female HIV transmission, a somewhat rare<\/a> event. And while teen girls may not be worried about their HIV risk, they are<\/em> at risk for the more common STDs. The CDC<\/a> reports that half<\/em> of all new STD infections occur in young adults aged 15\u201324.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3 Non-vaginal sex isn\u2019t safer sex <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another common misconception I\u2019ve found in teens is that vaginal sex is \u201cgoing all the way,\u201d and other forms of sexual activity are somehow safer. In reality, the vaginal canal<\/a> is quite literally built for sex\u2013it is strong, elastic, and self-cleaning. Other areas of the body can\u2019t measure up to the vagina\u2019s natural defenses, and it\u2019s important to know that sexually transmitted pathogens can infect any mucosal membrane, including genitals, mouth, anus, and eyes. Research<\/a> has demonstrated an association specifically between having oral sex and a positive STI diagnosis [1]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of this is to state the obvious: If teens aren\u2019t fully aware of the potential risks of their actions (which is the reality for many of them!), they are not able to freely give informed consent. In other words, we have to acknowledge the reality that teens are not the informed, autonomous near-adults they\u2019re portrayed to be in movies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n