Sexual and Reproductive Health Concerns of Boys and Girls during Adolescence

Definitions
Sex
Sex is the biological difference between women and men. The term ‘sex’ is also used commonly to refer to sexual intercourse.
Sexuality
Includes the sum total of a person’s personality, thinking and behaviour towards sex.

Sexuality means different things to different people. Many people equate mating, being able to reproduce and common sexual behaviour (romance, kissing, physical relations, provocative behaviour, marriage) with sexuality. But it is more than this. Sexuality is a very broad term, which includes the sum total of a person’s personality, thinking and behaviour towards sex. It includes the identity, emotions, thoughts, actions, relationships, affection, intimacy, body image, touch, feelings, caring, sharing, intimacy that a person has a displays. The negative aspects of sexuality also exist and include sexual coercion, eve teasing, sexual harassment, rape and prostitution.
There are innumerable ways of being sexual – from looking at each other to holding hands, going fro walks, kissing, fondling. Sexual intercourse is just one of the ways but not the only one. Once we understand that having a sexual dimension to our personality is normal, we can build more options of a responsible sexual behaviour.

Sex is a basic drive upon which race preservation and personal happiness depend. If sexuality does not develop and evolve properly, the whole process of growth and development is affected adversely. Suppression of sexuality tends to impair freedom ad the proper functioning of an individual whereas too much freedom can interfere with normal demonstration of love and affection. Disturbances in sexual development can lead to personal and social maladjustments.

Sex has more than reproductive functions; it is an important factor in the partnership between man and woman to lead a happy life by:
• Sharing interests and ideas
• Mutual acceptance of responsibilities
• Self realization
• Love

Human sexuality is also defined as “a function of your whole personality that begins at birth and ends at death”
It includes:
• Genital and reproductive processes such as intercourse and childbearing
• How you feel about yourself as a person
• How you feel about being a man or a woman
• How you get along with members of the same sex and the opposite sex
• It also includes communicating your needs to others and respect for others.

Sexuality: Some Facts
• The sexual and reproductive organs are related but not the same
• Sexual responsiveness exists throughout life
• Boys may be more responsive to physical stimuli
• Girls may be more responsive to emotional stimuli.
• The sexual response systems of males and females are different
- female response is often slower to begin but lasts longer
- male response tends to be quicker but of a shorter duration
• For a simultaneous orgasm during sexual intercourse the partners have to work together

A person’s gender has an impact on expressing sexuality
Gender influences the traditional roles, reproduction and parenthood, behaviour and interaction with other gender, language being used, work and job taken and social roles. Males are under pressure it performs, hide feeling, females are under pressure to have children, be sexually appealing and so on. Stereotyped sex hinders people from developing their natural abilities and personalities. It is best to take people as persons rather that “boys” and “girls”.

Sexuality and the adolescent
The adolescent has and awakened sexual drive, a certain restlessness of character, variable moods, difficulty in concentration leading even to a decrease in their school performance.

The adolescent does not understand that sex has physiological, psychological, emotional, moral, social and legal consequences. The sex drive in adolescents is usually manifested by sexual attraction having “crushes” on people, hero-worship, dating, going steady and similar behaviour.

The goal of the sex-drive is biological sexual maturity i.e. the capacity to love, mate reproduce and care for the young ones.

Sexual changes in adolescents
• Sexual desire increases
• Sexual activities begin
• Onset of masturbation
• Homosexual experimentation
• Heterosexual relations
• Change in attitude to sexual behaviour: the tendency to experiment and explore
• Change in attitude of others to adolescent sexual behaviour
• Attitudes may differ between:
- Boys / Girls
- Men / Women
- Older / Younger
- Urban / Rural

Sexually healthy adolescents
• Appreciate and take care of their bodies.
• Take care of their reproductive health through checkups.
• Avoid manipulative relationships.
• Identify with one’s own values and act in accordance with them.
• Take responsibility for one’s own actions.
• Communicate effectively with family and friends
• Negotiate sexual limits
• Accept refusal for sex
• If indulging in sexual intercourse protect against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.
• Seek information resources and services about sexuality as and when needed.

Key messages
• Sexuality includes the sum total of a person’s personality, thinking, attitude and behaviour.
• Sexuality is a normal part of human behaviour.
• Sexuality is a positive behaviour and need not be suppressed.
• Individuals are responsible for their own sexual health.
[Source: ‘SHAHN’ Safdargang Hospital Adolescent Healthcare Network, New Delhi]