Religion and adolescent sexuality
Stayton, W.R.
Seminars in Adolescent Medicine 1(2): 131-137
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0748-6480 PMID: 3843481 Document Number: 425799
The average age that a child starts puberty has fallen from an average of 16 or 17 100 years ago to 12 or 13 in 1985. The reasons for the change revolve around a better understanding of fetal development, maternal health care, better nutrition, and health during infancy and childhood. This has had a profound effect on adolescent sexuality. Another factor to be considered is that the average age of marriage has risen from 18 or 19 in 1850 to 22 or 23 in 1985, these two factors have extended the period of adolescence from 2 to 4 years to 10 to 15. This change has created some problems in relation to religion. Religion is a fundamental part of many people's lives. However, the religious institutions have not changed with the times. Religious institutions have neglected to consider the implications of the increased duration of adolescence by not creating any new value systems or guidelines for behavior or decision-making. Another factor to complicate matters is that now young people can engage in sexual activities and prevent pregnancy, which was for a long time a reason to abstain. Now that the threat of pregnancy has been removed, adolescents are free to engage in sexual activity for recreation instead of procreation. The author's final conclusion is that since religious institutions are not helping young people cope with their new protracted adolescence the medical profession must fill this gap. Health care professionals should actively support family planning and sex education for adolescents.