Teenage sex increases depression
Posted by MK on September 21, 2008
Daily Mail – Young girls who are sexually active are far more likely to suffer from depression than those who remain virgins, according to a controversial new study. American academics found that teenage sex leaves many girls with feelings of guilt and low self-esteem. Following a study of more than 14,000 adolescents aged between 14 and 17, researchers said that these feelings could be directly ascribed to sexual activity, rather than outside influences, such as family difficulties. The findings, which will fuel the debate about sex education in schools, were hailed as ‘groundbreaking’ by British experts who promote abstinence.
This makes perfect sense and I wouldn’t be surprised if this extends to older women as well. Whether we like it or whether it’s unfair, the reality is that when men sleep around and have lots of partners, they are envied but when women do it, they’re portrayed as morally loose, sleeping around, sluts etc. I know feminists have tried their best to make promiscuity among women as sort of empowering and losing count of the people you sleep with as being something to aspire to, but I think that’s just making a bad situation worse. The way I see it we shouldn’t be encouraging men or women to be promiscuous and merely relying on sex education earlier and earlier in a child’s life as the answer, it clearly is not the only or main answer.
Chuck said
This is interesting but I see a chicken and egg scenario here. Does teen sex cause depression or are depressed teens more likely to engage in sex? More lilely, as with most things like this, it is a combination of both. We see the same things with smoking and alcohol and drug abuse among teens. Often with the depressed, alcohol and drugs are what we call “self-medicating”. They are not doing the drugs because they are deviants or weak, they are doing drugs to quite the demons in their heads. We see this all of the time in the Emergency Room. The alcohol and drugs numb them for awhile and gves them a break from their crappy existence. I am not condoning this behavior in any way, I just think this study is a starting point for finding a way to try to help these kids.
Unfortunately this behavior is destructive, it leads to pregnancy, STDs, and as mentioned in your article, feelings of decreased self-worth, which in turn increases their depression. While I am a strong supporter of abstinence only sex education, this study does these kids no favors by being used by the abstinence supporters to further their cause. This approach is simplistic and ignores the need to address the depression. The depression will not be solved by keeping the kids from having sex. Teen sex is more liley a symptom, not a disease in itself.
Good read. Thank you.
Angie said
I feel sorry for the young girls today in that they do not have many role models. Their hero’s tend to be celebrities who have children without the benefit of marriage. The Media in every form, from soap operas to magazine articles, covers, music, movies and TV shows. Peers do not help. Without a strong value system, a strong faith and both parents they are being torpedoed in every direction. Schools should get back to the business of educating our children and leave the sex education they promote to the parents. Instead they have chosen to ‘dumb them down’ for the last few decades.
I agree with you MK. Good post.
MK said
Thanks folks.
I agree Chuck, discouraging teens from promiscuity is but one step, not the only step. Personally, i think it requires a change in mindset amongst adults.
Like Angie said, teens have few good role models, they aren’t helped by the media, by their peers and society in general.
Aurora said
Good post and actually I’m astounded that you were able to find this in the MSM! The tendency is towards the frantic shove towards more and more sexualization of not only teens but the whole of society. But education of young (and older) girls is going to take far more than a small comment in the newspaper. It’s going to take a paradigm shift and there are so many forces dragging us in the complete opposite direction right now.
MK said
“….I’m astounded that you were able to find this in the MSM!”
So am i Aurora. That was thanks to the Daily Mail, which was described as a ‘joke’ by a social liberal, whatever that means.
Leticia said
It is a very sad and troubling situation.
I have been told personally that I am ignorant because I believe in teaching my boys about staying pure for marriage. That abstinence is vital and important. I can trust God to work in their hearts and to give me the wisdom to teach them sound doctrine.
I hate it when I am told that my boys are going to have sex whether I teach them or not and I should quit being stupid and tell them about having safe sex instead. “Give ‘em a condom.” blah…blah…blah.
I have to make stand and I will do my best to educate and protect my boys, with God’s Grace and help.
Olof Bjorklund said
I agree Chuck, the correlation between sexually active young women and depression is just a correlation. Not cause and effect. It can be a combination of many variables.
“…abstinence is vital and important.” I could not agree more, Leticia.
However, I do not understand the standpoint to educate abstinance, but not safe sex (use of condoms).
Where abstinance is most preferable, safe sex is second most preferable, that is use of condoms, and unprotected sex is not preferable at all as it can lead to sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. Do you not agree?