Mona Charen had an informative column on TownHall.com a couple of days ago dealing with "the sexual free-for-all that prevails on American campuses and throughout American life." The column quotes from the work of Dr. Miriam Grossman in her new book "Unprotected."
She describes a 19-year-old, "Heather," who is depressed. She has a "friend with benefits," but only with the help of psychotherapy is she able to acknowledge that the relationship is causing her pain. She'd like to do things with him, like see movies or go out for dinner, but he is interested only in sex.
Here is another example:
Another student, "Olivia," is devastated after her first serious boyfriend breaks up with her. Her grades suffer, she weeps constantly and suffers a relapse of an eating disorder, making herself vomit up to six times a day. "'Why, doctor,' she asked, why do they tell you how to protect your body -- from herpes and pregnancy -- but they don't tell you what it does to your heart?'"
And another:
"Stacey" is paying a heavy price. An athlete and vegetarian who avoided preservatives, sodas and nicotine, and prided herself on discipline and a low body mass index, Stacey showed up at the health service after repeatedly cutting
her forearms.
And of course the dangers of promiscuity (or even limited sex outside of marriage) carry the risk of STDs:
Stacey, it seems, had been diagnosed with HPV, a sexually transmitted disease. And while college health brochures and women's magazines suggest that the virus is no big deal, that's rubbish. In some cases it can lead to cancer. In every case it requires time-consuming and emotionally draining tests. And 43 percent of college women get it. Stacey's strain can lead to cancer, so she must be tested every six months for the rest of her life. Chlamydia, which is difficult to detect and cure, can cause infertility. Each year, 3 million women are treated for it. An unknown number never get treatment.
This kind of sexual behavior takes a toll not only on women, but men, too. Although admittedly it hits women harder because despite the assertions of feminists to the contrary, women are far more "hard wired" by their Creator to seek emotional attachment through sex.
The "free love" that began to be touted in the 60's, and still lauded by sexual anarchists, isn't "free" at all. It may look like it's coming at no cost, with no strings attached, but sooner or later, the physical, emotional and spiritual cost becomes evident. And it's a pretty high price.
Parents and society should be sending the message of sexual responsibility (i.e. waiting until marriage and keeping it within marriage) instead of parents who are too "enlightened" to teach values to their children, or a society that can't even have a 5-minute run of commercials without allusions to sex.
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