Subscribe to RSSYES, I did say S-E-X!*
Today, not enough people talk about sex…YES I did say S-E-X! Why is it so hard for youth to talk about sex these days? I personally don’t think that it is difficult to talk about at all. On the other hand, some youth do not see it this way. I remember having Sex-Ed class from as young as 6th grade. Honestly, at this age no one in my class was mature enough to have a serious talk about it. The first reaction would be, “Can we talk about something else?” or “OMG! This is so nasty !” But what is so nasty about it? What I did not understand then, was that for children as young as I was, sex was not something that was talked about regularly at home. Sometimes, sex was never mentioned in a conversation with their parents. Although I have never had many talks about sex in my own home, I have learned from the short “talks” that the time to engage in sex is “NOT NOW !” I never understood why I was always told this, but now I know that it was because there are so many things that can happen when engaging in sex. For example, a woman can get pregnant, diseases can be passed through sexual intercourse, and when using protection, simple mistakes can be life-changing. This is when my understanding of HIV and AIDS came about.
When I first learned about it, I did not know how to react but now that I am older, I understand that there is no reason to have a disgusted look on my face when talking about HIV and AIDS or even about sex. It really is not difficult to talk about as long as you are in a safe space and surrounded by people within your age group. There are even organizations/programs that help youth talk about topics such as this one for example, TDN- Transdiaspora Network. This non-profit organization is all about HIV prevention and trying to reach out to those who do not know enough about this topic. People, especially youth around my age, need to know about these topics. Topics such as sex and HIV are not talked about enough and it needs to be since it is a fast spreading epidemic. If you have been looking for a place to talk about things such as the topics mentioned above, you have found the right place. Transdiaspora Network will satisfy your needs to be more educated on these topics.
*Written by Nia John, Communications Assistance (CAP intern), 16 years old, Crown Heights, Brooklyn.