REFLECTION 2

Reflection

Family, friends, and movies are the top three things that have influenced my views on
sex. As a child, my parents taught me the difference between appropriate and inappropriate
touch. They taught me to speak up when I feel uncomfortable about how someone is touching
me. As I grew, they taught me about sex, the act, and how it is an act ordained in marriage. Since
they have a religious background, they taught me about sex, relationships, and marriage.
Secondly, I learned about sex through friends. We were explorative and rear articles, magazines,
and books that were based on sex. I also watched and watched a lot of movies that have shaped
my views on sex. All these three have shaped my opinions on sex in different ways. For instance,
most movies have normalized sex before marriage.
I believe that the more young people know about sex, the more they will be sexually
responsible for their behavior. I am more comfortable talking about sexuality topics with young
people, peers, and friends. Sometimes I judge a person’s sexual orientation based on their mode
of dressing and how they present themselves. A person’s gender identity is not always tied to
their opinions on sexuality or the relationships they keep.
I think that girls should receive more sex education and at an early age compared to boys.
Girls are more likely to be taken advantage of sexually, hence the need to equip them with the
right information as early as possible. I think that I have this bias towards sexuality because girls
and women are more affected than men and boys. I feel that girls are mostly on the receiving end
in most cases. For instance, in teen pregnancies, the girls’ education and physical and emotional
well-being are affected. In boys, there are fewer effects because they do not carry the pregnancy.
In most cases, the girl is blamed more than the boy. I, therefore, feel that girls need more
education so that they can be empowered to make responsible decisions regarding their sexuality.

REFLECTION 3
I think that the media exposes young people to sexual content, sometimes appropriately
and other times inappropriately. For instance, the media portrays more sexual behavior among
unmarried people as compared to married spouses (Gruber & Grube, 2000). By so doing, it sends
a message to the viewer that normalizes sex between unmarried people. When unprotected sex is
portrayed without highlighting the negative consequences, then the viewer may engage in similar
behavior because they watched it on TV, and there were no repercussions. Religious and
government institutions shape people’s views on sexuality. For instance, religious institutions do
not allow adultery and sex before marriage, and people who affiliate with such groups follow
such teachings. The government shapes people’s views and behavior. For instance, same-sex
marriages have become common after they were legalized.
I do not discriminate against people based on their values on sexuality as long as they do
not affect my values on the same. A person is defined by many other factors in addition to their
values on sexuality (Brown, 2002). As such, I would not disassociate myself from anyone simply
because we have divergent values on sexuality. Doing so would be assuming that my values are
supreme and the only ones to be held by those around me. I think that would be selfish and
irrational, hence the reason why I cannot cut links with a friend simply based on their values on
sexuality.

REFLECTION 4

References

Brown, J. D. (2002). Mass media influences on sexuality. Journal of sex research, 39(1), 42-45.
Gruber, E., & Grube, J. W. (2000). Adolescent sexuality and the media: A review of current
knowledge and implications. Western Journal of Medicine, 172(3), 210.