There is sex on every television channel, moans on every radio station, search engines on the Internet, and models wearing close to nothing in advertisements throughout the country. A lot of pressure is on today’s youth to have sex at younger and younger ages. The morality of what is right and wrong is falling quickly. There is a lack of respect for others and most importantly, oneself.

Going on a first date used to mean that you may or may not get a kiss at the end of the night. Waiting for that goodnight peck on your doorstep was enough to stimulate any person and leave them satisfied for days to come. Nowadays, performing oral sex has become more and more as acceptable as a handshake. Are we to the point that every time you go on a date a sexual act is almost expected?

The peer pressure dealing with sex is no different than the peer pressures concerned with drugs. Sex can be damaging to your health, both physically and mentally. There are many STD’s that you should be aware of and watch out for. If you take part in sleeping around, it could damage you mentally and socially. You may become known as the “town bicycle; everyone in town has had a ride.” For females especially, being known as a whore can hurt your credibility. Guys who sleep around can be seen as people who don’t respect women and are not capable of a long term relationship. These aspects can damage your personality severely over time.

Did we forget a couple other reasons of why waiting to have sex might be a better choice for you? We sure did. If you’re a religious person, this is certainly an act that is frowned upon. If you don’t want kids, don’t gamble with sex. A lot of emotional baggage can go along with sex. If you wait, that first time with the person you truly love and want to spend your life with can be amazing. Yes, there are lots of forms of protection and this is a scare tactic but in all honesty it is reality. It is still possible to get pregnant while on contraceptives. Remember, a girl can forget to take her pill or the condom can break or slip off so neither will protect you 100% of the time.

Some girls might fear that a boy will dislike them if they don’t succumb to their desires sexually. They just need to remember that it is their body and they shouldn’t objectify themselves. Some boys feel like they need to lose their virginity in order to hang with the “cool” guys. Who cares about those kids, and yes, some of their bragging is only fantasy? They will probably grow up to work at a fast food restaurant and spend the rest of their lives flipping burgers. Once you go off to college, you will probably never see them again. In fact, you will probably start to forget about them.

It is now socially acceptable to dress with next to nothing on. Guys need to understand that just because they dress the part doesn’t mean that it’s a buffet. On the other hand, girls need to dress more conservative to avoid being pressured into sex. There are guys who don’t have good intentions even without the underdressed girl. Please do your best and not make yourself a target.

If you respect your body, you should make a decision based on what is good for you; not your friends. On the other end of the spectrum, don’t pressure others into sex. If the feeling is right for them, they will know all on their own.