For my health assignment on a
guide for surviving life as a teen I’ve chosen to cover three main topics,
sexual activity, sexual assault and relationships. I feel these are most
relevant to teens as it’s the adolescent years when sexual activity begins also
relationships are a vital part of growing up. I also chose sexual assault as
it’s a massive issue amongst youth but isn’t spoken about a lot.
Sexual Activity:
‘Almost one quarter (22.7%) of Year
10 students and half (50.4%) of Year 12 students have experienced sexual
intercourse.
Over
one third (39%) of the students surveyed had experienced oral sex.’ (Better Health Channel,
2014)
While the legal age for sexual
activity is 17 majority of teens don’t wait that long. Due to this modern
society try to give teenagers a thorough education on safe sex so that our
teens can make educated decisions on sexual activities. The key topics they educate
teens on are:
·
Contraception
·
STIs (Sexually
Transmitted Infections)
·
Teen pregnancy
·
Where to go and who
to talk to
Contraception –
Contraception is the deliberate
use of artificial methods to prevent pregnancy. There are many different
options for contraception such as: barrier methods (the condom and the
contraceptive pill), the coil and male and female sterilization. For teens
sterilization isn’t a reality as this is a permanent choice and usually doctors
will only do this for adults with many children or adults over a certain age.
That being said there are still a multitude of options for teens that are both
easy to use and get a hold of.
The most common contraceptive
method amongst teens is the condom as it’s easy to get, (does not require a prescription,
parent or doctor) is affordable and is easy to use. However results from a 2008
SHine survey showed that 30% of year 12 males and 46.2% of year 12 females have
had sexual intercourse without using a condom.
Having sex without a condom can
be a game of Russian roulette as the condom is the ONLY contraceptive method
which also prevents STIs as it is a barrier between the penis and vagina. Like
all contraceptive methods there is a possible failure rate for the condom the
failure rate is around 18%.
Another one of the more popular
contraceptive methods among teens is the contraceptive pill. The pill is a
tablet taken orally at the same time each day which contains either estrogen
and progesterone or just progesterone. These hormones work to prevent pregnancy
by keeping the egg in the ovaries and then thickening the mucus around the
cervix to stop the sperm from reaching the egg.
The pill does NOT prevent STIs! The pill needs to be prescribed by a
doctor. It’s failure rate is 6% (if taken correctly).
No contraceptive method is 100%
effective, if you’re looking for something completely effective the only option
is abstinence.
One key message that all people
no matter what age need to know and understand is that BOTH partners when
partaking in sexual activities need to be consenting. If at any time your
partner says no or to stop you have to stop or else it becomes molestation or
rape! It doesn’t matter if they said yes earlier, the second someone says no or
stop that’s the end of it.
Teen Pregnancy –
Pregnancy has become more and
more of an issue among teens. Due to teens having sex younger and younger as
well as teen’s not using protection this has been the result.
South Australia (and Australia) has one of the highest
teenage pregnancy and abortion rates in developed countries. (SHine SA, 2014)
Luckily for our youth there are a
few different options in the case of becoming pregnant. Termination of the
pregnancy, Adoption, raising the baby yourself or raising the baby with your
partner. Being a teen mother can be difficult, it can make education and work
harder than necessary, bring stress and overall make growing up an even more
frustrating task. Being pregnant as a teen can also cause health issues. It’s
vital that if you’re not ready for raising a child and putting another life
before your own that you use contraception and in the case that pregnancy does
occur you think it through thoroughly.
Sexting –
Sexting is the act of sending
sexually explicit or suggestive messages and/ or photos/videos. As the age of
technology has come upon us sexting has become easier to do as it’s now easier
to just snap a photo/ video and send it instantly to someone, thus resulting in
sexting becoming more prevalent.
It has especially become popular
amongst teens, this is an issue. While a minor sending a sexually explicit or
suggesting message is not illegal, the photos/videos are. Sending or possessing
a nude/partially nude image or video of a minor (even if it’s yourself) is
against the law, it’s considered to be child pornography.
The current consequential laws
for sexting were put in place to protect youth from pedophiles, however with
the current uprising of cases with youth unknowingly being guilty of this
themselves authorities are looking at modifying the laws. At the moment if you
were to be found guilty of child pornography you are supposed to be put on the
sex offenders list, however this is harsh for minors who didn’t mean any harm.
In August this year new laws were passed in Victorian Parliament to exempt
minors in cases of sexting. Read more about this at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-21/australian-first-sexting-laws-to-be-introduced-in-victoria/5686166
Asides from the law sexting is
still something best stayed away from as there are too many things that can go
wrong, everything from you sending it to the wrong person to that person
showing other people and the sexts going around to people you don’t want it to.
Where to Go For Help –
Parents and your doctor are great
resources. However if you feel uncomfortable or too embarrassed to talk to them
there are a multitude of different places to go for confidential help. Some
are:
·
SHine SA –
·
Headspace
–
·
Sexual Health
Australia -
·
Sexual Health &
Family Planning Australia –
·
Sexual Health
Services –
Sexual Assault:
Sexual assault is when a person
is forced into sexual activities against their will and without their
consent. However sexual assault can also
occur when someone gives consent due to threats or general intimidation also
it’s considered sexual assault if the person is deemed incapable of giving
consent due to youth of incapability. According to the Australian Institute of
Criminology one in three girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused in
some way before the age of 18.
About half of the victims of child sexual abuse never
report the abuse to another person and many do not disclose until they reach
adulthood. (Queensland Crime Commission & Queensland Police Service, 2000)
Majority of cases of sexual
assault aren’t reported and a lot of the time the victim won’t confide in
anyone about the assault, generally females are more likely to talk about it
and get help than males. Sexual assault can lead to mental health problems,
self harm, diminished self worth, substance abuse as well as many other future
problems.
If you have
been sexually assaulted it is absolutely imperative that you talk to a trusted
adult about it, however in the case that you feel too uncomfortable to talk to
someone you know about it you can contact Yarrow Place Rape & Sexual
Assault Service.
Yarrow Place Rape &
Sexual Assault Service
Freecall 1800 817 421
Ph: (08) 8226 8777
After hours and emergency: Ph: (08) 8226 8787
www.yarrowplace.sa.gov.au
Ph: (08) 8226 8777
After hours and emergency: Ph: (08) 8226 8787
www.yarrowplace.sa.gov.au
Relationships:
Relationships are an important
aspect when growing up. Relationships with family, friends and even romantic
relationships are all important as these relationships teach you a lot about
not just life but also yourself, what you will and won’t stand for. However
it’s important to understand the difference between a safe and healthy
relationship and an unsafe and unhealthy relationship.
Family-
There’s a common misconception
that family relationships can’t be unhealthy as your family is related to you
by blood, however sometimes these relationships are the worst and unhealthiest
and often youth will feel like they can’t do anything about the situation.
If you are ever feeling
uncomfortable about your home life it’s important to talk to a trusted adult
such as a friend’s parent, teacher or counsellor. They will be able to help you
figure out if this situation requires further action. You should never feel
helpless in a situation you feel uncomfortable in and you should never feel
ashamed of getting help.
During 2011-12, there were 252,962 notifications of suspected
child abuse and neglect made to the state. (www3.aifs.gov.au, 2014)
Friends –
Friendships are different from
family relationships as you choose who your friends are whereas family you’re
kind of stuck with. However there are still issues that can occur in these
relationships and just like anything else it’s important to seek help when they
do. As friendships can cause a lot of stress and ultimately affect other
aspects of your life.
Romantic Relationships –
Experiencing romantic
relationships is another aspect of growing up, these relationships help you to
understand what you want in a relationship and what you will and won’t put up
with. However like all relationships these also come with complications that
you may need to get help with. Trusted adults are always a good place to go to.
Speaking to someone who is outside the situation is always good as it’s another
perspective.
Abuse in Relationships –
Abuse:
treat (a person or an animal) with cruelty or violence, especially regularly or
repeatedly. (google definitions)
Abuse can occur in any
relationship, this is one of the things you should seek help for. Being abused
is not something to stand for it doesn’t matter is it’s mental abuse, physical
abuse, threats, or any other form of abuse it’s not okay and you need to seek
help.
33.3%
of women had experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
(Domesticviolence.com.au, 2014)
There is no step by step guide for how to get
your adolescent years perfect or how to get them right; most of it is about
learning who you are and about life itself.
Bibliography:
Better
Health Channel, (2014). Sex - are you ready - Better Health Channel.
[online] Available at:
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Sex_are_you_ready?open [Accessed 12 Sep.
2014].
SHine,
(2014). Sexual Health Statistics. [online] Available at:
http://file:///C:/Users/Amber%20Wurst/Downloads/Sexual%20health%20statistics%202014.pdf
[Accessed 12 Sep. 2014].
RACGP,
(2014). Contraception. [online] Available at:
http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2012/october/contraception/
[Accessed 12 Sep. 2014].
ABC
News, (2014). New sexting laws introduced in Victoria. [online] Available
at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-21/australian-first-sexting-laws-to-be-introduced-in-victoria/5686166
[Accessed 16 Sep. 2014].
Creative,
B. (2014). Home - FPWA Sexual Health Services - Providing
leadership in sexual and
reproductive health throughout WA. [online]
Fpwa.org.au. Available at: http://www.fpwa.org.au/ [Accessed 16 Sep. 2014].
Cybersmart.gov.au,
(2014). Sexting: Cybersmart. [online] Available at:
http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Parents/Cyber%20issues/Sexting.aspx
[Accessed 16 Sep. 2014].
Cybersmart.gov.au,
(2014). Sexting: Cybersmart. [online] Available at:
http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Parents/Resources/Educate%20yourself/Sexting%20English.aspx [Accessed 16
Sep. 2014].
Findlaw.com.au,
(2014). 'Sexting' and the Law in Australia. [online] Available at:
http://www.findlaw.com.au/articles/4240/sexting-and-the-law-in-australia.aspx
[Accessed 16 Sep. 2014].
Pregnancybirthbaby.org.au,
(2014). Pregnancy Birth and Baby. [online] Available at:
http://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/teenage-pregnancy
[Accessed 16 Sep. 2014].
Sexualhealthaustralia.com.au,
(2014). Female Sexual Health | Sexual Health Australia. online]
Available at: http://www.sexualhealthaustralia.com.au/page/female_sexual_health.html [Accessed 16 Sep.
2014].
Shfpa.org.au,
(2014). Sexual Health and Family Planning Australia. [online] Available
at:
http://www.shfpa.org.au/ [Accessed 16 Sep.
2014].
Thinkuknow.org.au,
(2014). Sexting - ThinkUKnow. [online] Available at:
http://www.thinkuknow.org.au/site/sexting.asp
[Accessed 16 Sep. 2014].
Www3.aifs.gov.au,
(2014). Child abuse and neglect statistics. [online] Available at:
https://www3.aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/child-abuse-and-neglect-statistics
[Accessed 19 Sep. 2014].
Domesticviolence.com.au,
(2014). DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STATISTICS. [online] Available at:
http://www.domesticviolence.com.au/pages/domestic-violence-statistics.php
[Accessed 19 Sep. 2014].
Aic.gov.au,
(2014). Australian Institute of Criminology - Trend in sexual assault.
[online] Available at:
http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/violent%20crime/sexual%20assault.html
[Accessed 21 Sep. 2014].
Anon,
(2014). [online] Available at:
http://www.bravehearts.org.au/files/Facts%20and%20Stats_updated141212.pdf
[Accessed 21 Sep. 2014].
ReachOut.com,
(2014). What is sexual assault?. [online] Available at: http://au.reachout.com/what-is
sexual-assault [Accessed 21 Sep. 2014].
No comments:
Post a Comment