Under the right circumstances, sexual relations can be a wonderful part of a relationship. It can provide a couple with intimacy, a unique bond and emotional fulfillment. However, sex and sexuality are emotionally charged parts of life. Engaging in a sexual relationship at the wrong time, with the wrong person or under the wrong circumstances can cause you a lot of grief. No matter what your age, there are always issues that you must consider before becoming sexually intimate with someone.
Sex and Teens
Many teens believe that they are ready to be involved in a sexual relationship. Yet, often, teens fail to think about the possible consequences of sex and just what they would do if they found themselves dealing with an unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease.
Although most teens are aware of birth control, much too frequently they fail to consistently use it if they even use it at all. As a result, teens are not only at a higher risk of becoming pregnant but they are also the most at risk of contracting an STD. Even when used perfectly, no birth control can offer 100% protection against pregnancy. Abstaining from sex and sexual contact is the only sure way to avoid pregnancy as well as STDs.
If you are a teen and are thinking of becoming sexually active, one issue you must consider is how you would handle an unplanned pregnancy. To learn more about the other issues you need to deal with, read Responsible Sexual Choices and You.
Sex and the Single Girl
While young adults are more inclined to use birth control than teenagers, they are also more likely to use it inconsistently. This is why single adults are at greater risk of dealing with an unplanned pregnancy than teens. Moreover, abortion is a much more common solution to an unplanned pregnancy for this demographic than any other.
Unfortunately, both an unplanned pregnancy and abortion can put a relationship under extreme strain and may even lead to the dissolution of the relationship. If you are pregnant, you may find yourself dealing with the prospect of becoming a single mother. Even if a pregnancy does not occur, having a sexual relationship can cloud your judgment making it harder to see the relationship objectively.
It is not unusual for a woman to have regrets about being physically intimate with someone once a relationship has ended. Sex and Single Adults discusses the many different issues and emotions adults face when they engage in a premarital sexual relationship.
Sex and the Married Woman
Under most circumstances, sex within marriage provides the best situation for those who are sexually active. Because many married couples often plan to have children anyways, an unplanned pregnancy is more often seen as a joyous occasion rather than one to worry about. Of course, this does not mean that all marital relations are perfect.
A marriage can be put under strain when a couple decides on abortion to deal with an unwanted pregnancy. Other issues that can cause problems in a marriage include infidelity and different attitudes towards sexual practices. Read Sex and Marriage for more insight into all the sexual issues that can arise during marriage.