A Discussion on Human Sexuality

Human sexuality is as complex, diverse, and controversial a subject as any, Often, our introductions to the topic as inquisitive adolescents are tediously filtered into euphemisms such as the “birds and the bees” so as to avoid corrupting the innocence of youth, Some may be told of grandiose yet implausible tales of elegant birds delivering babies to stifle rather than satisfy curiosityt These humorous and prohibitive approaches are functions of sexual culture as it pertains to technology, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity.

These factors serve to associate and dissociate every demographic in our sexual experiences Beginning with the advent of modern medicine in the 19th century and culminating most recently with the accessibility of technological advances such as the Internet, how we are introduced to sexuality has evolved with these drastic changes to our society. This is where the inevitability of technological and medicinal advances may be the most overlooked and yet most vital dynamic in our exploration into the perception of and prologue to human sexuality.

For example, before the introduction of modern medicine which has effectively doubled life expectancy over the past 150 years, sexual culture consisted mainly of pressure to marry and have children before an untreatable disease such as smallpox claimed livest Today, not only are there preventive measures to prevent pregnancies that would have been unheard of but even denounced just a century ago, these same protections are strongly encouraged for sexually active young adults. This glaring disparity in sexual culture as it relates to advances in technology demonstrates how societal advances affect common perception of sexuality Socioeconomic status is a dynamic that surprisingly does not vary significantly from each demographic, As the child of decidedly middle-class parents, one would be inclined to believe the higher the socioeconomic status, the more likely children would be to abstain from sex.

Get quality help now

Bella Hamilton

Verified

Proficient in: Sexuality

5 (234)

“ Very organized ,I enjoyed and Loved every bit of our professional interaction ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

It does, however, contain certain trends that indicate cause for relationship, such as education of parents and family structure with adolescent sexual activity. For example, my own parents are decidedly middle-class, first generation immigrants, However, their socioeconomic status in the United States allows them to live in an urban setting and raise their children in an environment that emphasizes upstanding morality and virtues. Sexuality as a subject is therefore largely subjugated and repressed Recently, public schools have been less restrictive in their approach to teaching children about sexuality, opting for parent-approved programs to educate children about the dangers of unprotected intercourse and importance of contraceptives. Recent studies indicate young adults from any economic demographic “are susceptible to STIs and pregnancy; thus prevention efforts for these health concerns should be universal” (Santelli et a]).

This particular study has its merits; it does note that family structure (living with two parents as opposed to one) led to less sexual intercourse among young adults. Additionally, children of college graduates were less likely to engage in sexual intercourse Ethnicity is more of a personal factor than the aforementioned two. As the foreign-born child of first-generation Chinese parents, my own initial sexual experiences emanate largely from the culture and traditions that my parents instilled in me. In my own experience, whereas Western children may be more inclined to ask their parents about the nature of sex, Asian children are substantially less likely to inquire about sex. This is largely due to disparities in culture and how discussion of often uncomfortable, intimate subjects is facilitated. Furthermore, aside from school—mandated programs, my own sexual introduction was largely the result of sexual jokes and innuendos made by white classmates.

Technology, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity are all factors that have influenced my own sexual introduction and that of others, The continuously changing landscape of sexual culture in conjunction with advances in medicine have led to longer life expectancies resulting in less pressure to engage in sexual activity and therefore less impetus to reproduce, particularly in today’s society Typically, although socioeconomic status has not been found to directly affect sexual endeavor, the relationship between stable, college-educated families and sexually active children is noteworthy Finally, ethnicity serves to underline the striking differences in how children learn about sex. One of Asian or foreign origin is likelier to learn about sex in a different environment and nature than their white, Western counterparts.