Posts Tagged ‘Sex Education’

I just updated the “Questions of the Week” in my SEX ADVICE COLUMN.  Please check it out. Search or browse all of the categories to get your sex questions answered.

Here’s my definition of “Sexting.”

Sexting Definition: “Sexting” means sex texting — sending or receiving a text message that has sexual content. “Sexting” can also be defined as sending nude, semi-nude, or erotic pictures or video via cell phone. “Sexting” could mean sending and receiving a series of sexually explicit text messages for sexual gratification in the same manner as having phone sex. (“Sexting” is not used to refer to having sexual conversations over the cell phone, since that would still be called “phone sex.”)  “Sexting” may be intended to be flirtatious or provocative, or it may be used to request or arrange a sexual encounter.  — Dr. Sari Locker

In today’s New York Times’ article, “In Tangle of Young Lips, a Sex Rebellion in Chile,” it was revealed that teenagers in Chile are using social networking sites to arrange huge make-out “poncea” parties.  Well, actually, the NYT is a little late to the party: Newsweek covered the same story six months ago.  Also, the NYT story did not emphasize that the subculture of teens who call themselves “Pokemones” —  the majority of those at these parties — do not represent the majority of Chilean teens. Chile has been known as a country with conservative policies, little sex education, and high priced birth control. Recent research has shown that Chileans are striving to improve sexual issues in their country. Much help is needed. The average age of first intercourse in Chile is about 17 — but studies have found that adolescents in Chile do not have the sexual knowledge or attitudes to help them use contraception and condoms for HIV prevention.  It would be great if the widely read NYT story brings attention to teens in need of education and health care. Yet my concern is that the style of the article seems highly exploitative. They describe the hot action at the parties as follows, “boys and girls ages 14 to 18 are stripping off their shirts, revealing bras, tattoos and nipple rings. A tangle of lips and tongues and hands, all groping and exploring.” Plus, a sexy slide show accompanies the online version of the article. Rather than promote the need for sex education in Chile, the NYT’s sexualized images of topless Chilean teens titillate and exploit an adolescent subculture. That slide show could even potentially do harm by alerting American “sex tour” operators to add these Chilean teen make-out parties to their itinerary.

The New York Times Freakonomics Blog today is running my article about the future of sex.

You can read my latest article in today’s New York Times Freakonomics Blog. It’s about the past, present and future of sex. They rounded up seven people “who have thought a good bit about sex and society” to discuss the topic in their Freakonomics Quorum. The others in the group are Taggert Brooks, Andrew Francis, Steve Landsburg, Rita, Pepper Schwartz, and Wendy Shalit. I also posted my piece alone in my Articles page on my website.  I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on it, so feel free to contact me here with your comments.

Posted by: Dr. Sari Locker

I just got off the air from the appearance during which I discussed the MTV Video Music Awards. See the photo below of me standing in front of the camera. Host Mike Galanos is based in Atlanta, so I was on via satellite from CNN’s gorgeous studio in NYC. In two segments, Perez Hilton and I discussed Jordin Sparks’ remark defending purity rings. Also on the air for the first segment was Joanna Weiss who wrote about this story for the Boston Globe. I agree with Perez Hilton that Jordin was right to say something, and given the fact that her remark was unrehearsed, she did fine. However, it is wrong to classify people — as she did — as either virgins or sluts. It’s the myth of that dichotomy that often keeps us from discussing the reality of most teens’ and young twentysomething’s sex lives. Most teens and twentysomethings have sex in the context of relationships, and at least 87% use birth control. Perhaps teens could feel more comfortable talking about sex with mom and dad if their parents understood that when teens have sex it is not always harmful or ”bad.” Perhaps teens would also feel more comfortable reaching out to get sex education if they knew that our culture would not categorize them as a “slut” if they responsibly choose to have sex.

Adding more media chatter about teen sex and abstinence, last night on the Video Music Awards, Russell Brand, Jordin Sparks, and the Jonas Brothers, all weighed in. I’ll be on CNN headline news today to discuss whether the media has an impact on teens’ sexual choices. Plus I’ll have the chance to comment on this remark by our American Idol, Jordin Sparks: “It’s not bad to wear a promise ring, because not everybody – guy or girl – wants to be a slut.”  Stay tuned…