Advice on Sexuality for Young People

As a psychiatrist working in the public health field, it is sometimes difficult to really say to your patients what you want them to hear. This is because what I really want them to hear comes Not only from what I have learnt in medical school and subsequently, but also from what I believe, which has its roots in my faith. Naturally, one is not allowed to say anything that favours a particular faith and could be misconstrued as trying to proselytize when you work in the public sector.

Unfortunately, as others have written, the seeds sown by the so-called Sexual Revolution of the 60s and 70s, are now yielding a harvest of too many individuals who see sex as nothing more than another of life's pleasures to be sought after. They don't know what they are really missing.

Of course, too often this results in sex outside of the marriage bond, where Our Creator intended it to occur. For many, it is simply too "old hat" to talk like this. However, even if we leave aside things like the 7th of the so-called 10 Commandments given but The Creator to the  Hebrew prophet Moses, perhaps early in the 2nd millennium BC, there are still many reasons to take another look at this.

There is evidence that the rate of divorce among those who don't wait until marriage before “consummating their relationship” is higher than among those who do wait. The partners of those who wait simply appear to have greater trust in the fidelity of each other than those who have not waited. Just think about how much better life would be for so many families, couples and their children, if there were no divorce. I know I certainly would have a lot less work.  That would be fine with me.

Another reason for waiting and containing one's sexual relationship within the marriage bond is the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections. There would be no STIs if everyone followed The Creator's rule in this regard. Think of the misery and public health costs that STI's create, especially with the recent HIV/AIDS epidemic.

There is also good evidence to suggest that the rates of cervical cancer and papilloma virus infections would be much lower and perhaps nonexistent as well if we could contain our passions until and within marriage.

People like to think that being able to have sex with whomever whenever is a sign of freedom. They know how much freedom they really have in doing so. Sometimes there is force used, which certainly does not indicate freedom. Sometimes there is suspicion, or fear, or the simple feeling that one has to yield to pressure. That is not freedom. Real freedom is doing whatever one wants out of the kind of love that only exists within the marriage bond.