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Ha, that got your attention didn't it? 'Course it did my friend, the urge to join in the procreative hunt being one of the core programs with which we are imbued. Love it or hate it, that cute little three-letter word can evoke some strong feelings. And even for those of you too young to know what all the fuss is about, no doubt you will be picking up on all the baggage that the grown ups are carrying: at the very least you'll be able to have a good snigger that I used the word at all. (Do if you want! Have a snigger on me. Let it all out.)
Strange thing: as a writer of Young Adult novels it is easier for me to persuade publishers and editors to include violence in my books than to include sex. (So-called "bad" language is maybe harder than anything!) I find that fact rather disturbing, don't you? Seems that in the UK, at least, references to sex are all around us (as they are in most societies) in our advertising, our media stories, our popular culture and our liking for suggestive word play. Sexually-based internet meeting sites are on the rise. Oh yes, sex is everywhere. You can taste it in the air. But don't we have the wierdest of attitudes, as a nation? Take the tedium of the John Terry case (for those of you reading this in some other country, John Terry was our national football team captain, recently alleged to have been "bedding" the ex-gf of a team mate, now stripped of his captaincy)... this kind of story sells papers in the UK. Our adult public want to read about people like Terry having sex, they want to hear TV confessions, they want detail, they want colour, the murkier the better. And then... THEN, bizarrely, they want to disapprove and judge.
Why? What is this prurient interest in what other people are getting up to to let out the ol' hormones or express beautiful feelings to fellow travellers?
All kinds of accurate and inaccurate things are said about the state of Britain's youth. But one big BIG favour we could do them, as early as possible, even before those new chemicals start leaping about their bodies in their final primary school years is to stop giving this flawed, self-destructive message that sex is worthy of constant attention but is somehow shameful, and instead tell them the truth. Sex is wonderful. A blessing. At worst a wonderful recreational way (good for the heart too) to spend a wet afternoon, at best a means of connecting in the most thrilling and moving way with someone we love. There is not one bad thing about sex. Everybody does it, and that's fine. We are a sexy lot, aren't we (you can answer if you want, tell your computer what you think). When we are clear about that side of things, then we can get on with giving our kiddies the tools to make their choices wisely and never to be victims. What else is education for?
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