Perils of generation sex

One of the findings of the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS3) is that…

“Love remains the driving force behind young people’s sexual initiation.”

“The study found that 23% of young people aged 15-24 have engaged in sex before marriage. Of this number, 45% said that it was the desire to express their love and affection to their partner that prompted them to have sex the first time. Young women are more likely to hold on to the romantic concept of sex and love than young men. 7/10 young women engaged in premarital sex because of love compared with only 3/10 young men.”

More on this nationwide study of about 20,000 adolescents (such “powerful” survey unlike Pulse Asia’s) aged 15-27 here http://www.yafs.com/downloads/first-sex.pdf .

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The first Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) case in the Philippines was reported in 1984. The highest number of Filipinos with AIDS came in 1999. Those who are HIV-positive only and are asymptomatic [or infected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) but with no symptoms] peaked in 2004. This can be seen in this graph http://www.remedios.com.ph/fhtml/hivstat_year.htm .

It is quite interesting to note that towards August 2005, AIDS cases declined while those who only carry the virus gradually increased. Onset of symptoms may come as early as 6 months from the time of infection and as late as 10 years. We won’t be able to predict what fate awaits those who are now HIV-positive.

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With the increasing prevalence of the dreaded STIs ( http://www.remedios.com.ph/fhtml/faq_sti.htm ) one would certainly think twice in engaging in promiscuous sex and using drugs with shared needles. As my doctor-friend fondly say, “don’t turn a night you will never forget into a night you’ll forever regret.”

simbahan kasi natin eh napaka hypocrite
mas hypocrite pa sa mga hindi mo maintindihang math equation na wala talagang katuturan. aba ewan.

wala namang masama sa sex pero hindi siya pinaguusapan sa eskwelahan o kaya pinagaaralan ang merits ng pagsusuot ng condom o pag gamit ng pills.

ilang buhay na ba ang nasira dahil nabuntis sila ng maaga?

ilang bata na ba ang naging homeless at naging kriminal kasi naanakan lang yung nanay nya ng amo niya?

o ilang bata ba ang may aids kasi mas masarap talaga pag walang condom at napaka macho ng society natin kaya dapat madaming partners…

haayy kung hindi dadating sa sitwasyon na wala na tayong ibang gagawin kundi pigilan ang mga batang mag-anak tsaka lang siguro maalis sa isipan yung “go ahead and multiply” mentality.

buset! hehehehe

APIR!

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with all due respect to people who are deeply committed to their faiths, i think that this problem of aids is one of the results of the various churches’ stance towards population control, family planning, and reproductive health.

for instance, wasn’t there a report that quoted some prelate saying that the philippines can support even 200 million people? what a stupid man! learned as he may be regarding theology, the fellow knows absolutely nothing about the concepts like the carrying capacity, resource management, public health and such.

relating this to the issue of AIDS and STD containment and prevention, such people are largely to blame for keeping the public misinformed and misguided. i’ve heard a priest say that all contraceptives are abortifacients; i pointed out, “condoms are contraceptives,” and he replied, “that’s why condoms are abortifacients!” he had presented himself as a priest educated in a prestigious school and a seminary of note, thus i was torn between laughing derisively or spitting; i did neither, fearing that the old women listening with rapt attention would lynch me ha ha. at any rate, i tried to explain what “abortifacient” means; he would have none of it, he yelled and called me a sex fiend, a pimp, a frequenter of whorehouses (i said, right the first time, wrong the rest, ha ha).

the government should stop being cowed by church groups — have these church people reread the constitution, the part about the separation of church and state — as well as encourage NGOs already working for reproductive health. flavier did pretty well with his let’s doh it campaign, in opposition to the late cardinal sin; i heard that during those days people frequenting houses of sin had less to fear from AIDS and STDs (okay, that was a bad pun). a side note: though i profess myself a christian, i never liked the phrase “the only christian country in asia” — the phrase itself marginalizes our brother muslims, the buddhists, taoists in our midst, even those indigenous tribes practicing animism. the phrase seems to imply that if one is not christian, one is not filipino.

to return to the topic: also to blame, i believe, is the machismo culture, the “lalaki kasi ako” deal — sow your wild oats, spread your seed, real men ride bareback and other such nonsense. so stupid! i never believed in double standards; i’d sooner believe that asininity is genetic.

that’s something i doubt government can solve. education in the classroom won’t dent that; that’s something we’ll have to do ourselves, by teaching the kids, influencing our peers, and firmly disagreeing with our elders who don’t agree with the concepts of respect and gender sensitivity.

finally, the idea of AIDS and STDs prevention and containment should never cause people with HIV to be marginalized. heck, this is something everyone can do — all we have to do is share all the true information about the virus, like you can’t get it by kissing or touching, but you can get it via unprotected sex or sharing needles. i’d go as far as saying that, sure, if a girl i was asking out for coffee said “i’ve got AIDS,” i’d probably say, “is that a problem?”

i’ve long believed that if you teach good people the right thing to do, they’ll go do it the right way. it also helps if one can be a good example, not just for others, but mainly for himself.

I’m glad to hear and read my country men and women talking openly about this subject, which when I left the country some 30 years ago you can’t even whisper such in case some will tell Padre Damaso about the dirty boy and might end up doing “the Lord’s Prayer” a few dozen times.
Time indeed has changed, but the STD and STIs has gone for the worse. Now that we had started somehow;E.G. The “workshop in Northern Iloilo”, let us altogether put pressures on our government and our Churches to cahnge their lackadaisal attitudes towards this most important issue facing our youth of today.

We are quick to march in protest when it comes to political issues, especially against the government of the day; my question is : Are we willing to do protest against our churches toward their policy on family planning (e.g. protective sex) or even write petitions? I believe some issues so important as this that we can exercise our freedom to dissent and our freedom of speech to the fullest.
Naykika is native of Alimodian, Iloilo
Now a resident of Toronto. greetings to all …