How can something that feels so good
be so wrong? Isn't being in a committed relationship the same thing as
being married? Many teenagers are faced with these questions when it
comes to making the decision whether or not to have sex. It's kinda
hard to say no when you are in love, engaged, attracted to or committed
to someone. So why should you wait? Here are some reasons why:
The Purpose of Sex
Simply put, God's purpose for sex was
so that human beings could have children. He gave us the commandment to
'be fruitful and multiply' (Genesis 1:22) and, as an extra bonus, he
made sex pleasurable for both men and women. Men and women are uniquely
designed to enjoy the sexual act with one another and a significant
bonding occurs when a couple has sex. But the effect is not equal!
Women feel one thing the morning after and men feel something entirely
different.
What Happens When You Have Sex
One of the hormones released during
sex is Oxytocin. Oxytocin causes a person to want to touch and be
touched. Oxytocin also causes a person to become emotionally,
physically and emotionally bonded to the person he or she has had sex
with. So, both men and women feel close to their partner after sex, but
men also produce the hormone vasopressin, which causes them to feel
'responsible' for the person they have had sex with. It's a good thing
when that man is married, but not when he is single. The last thing
most single men want to feel is 'responsible' for a woman they are
casually dating. Sometimes, that that feeling of responsibility may
drive the man away if he is not serious about the person he is dating.
Because of these hormonal interactions, women usually feel more
'clingy' after sex and men seem more 'distant'.
Teenage Pregnancy and STDs
Here are some of the other potential
downfalls to having premarital sex: In 2000, 84 out of every 1,000
females between the ages of 15-19 became pregnant. This is not to say
that you do not want or would not take care of your child. But wouldn't
want your child to be in a home with both parents, if at all possible?
So, you can get pregnant or you could cause someone to be pregnant. Or,
you could get a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD). Here are some
frightening statistics about STDs (From the Pure Intimacy Website):
* Approximately 18.9 million new
cases of STDs occur each year.
* Forty-eight percent of new STD
cases in 2000 were among 15- to 24-year-olds.
* There are currently more than 25
types of STDs; some are curable, others are not.
* In 2000, approximately 822,000
pregnancies occurred among 15- to 19-year-olds.
* Seven out of ten adolescent mothers
drop out of high school.
God's Plan
God created sex so that two people
could take pleasure in the marriage experience. He created sex as the
perfect bonding experience so that a couple could grow strong together,
bond with one other and create a loving home environment for their
children. When a couple has sex, they truly become 'one flesh', meaning
that they are spiritually connected with each other. In the 1
Corinthians 6, we are reminded that you are joined as one flesh with
whomever you have sex with. That chapter then goes on to say that all
other sins are committed outside our body, but having sex outside of
marriage is a sin against our own bodies! And you wouldn't want to hurt
yourself, now would you?
Remember - the act of sex causes a
person to become physically, emotionally, and spiritually joined with
every person he or she chooses to have sex with. No matter how good or
bad he or she treated you, no matter if you still are friends with that
person and no matter if you wish you had never met him or her - you are
connected.
So, the next time you are faced with
the decision of whether or not to have sex, think about it carefully.
Make a decision to honor and respect yourself and the person you are
involved with by honoring God's word.
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