We are all sexual creatures. Really, at our most basic, all we have to do is make babies. But unlike other animals, we also play mating games.

We get turned on and turned off. We buy pills to ensure erections, and counsel those who like sex just a little too much. We’ve got a movie for every fetish, but love to shun those who cross the line.

But where is the line?

In our over-sexed society, we are continually pushing boundaries.

We show our children what the idealized human body should look like; they watch steamy make-out sessions on TV from an early age and it’s considered normal for tweens to wear push-up bras and thongs. It’s no wonder children want to explore their sexuality. And doing so – to some degree – is both natural and healthy.

Enter the rise of “sexting.”

It’s a phenomenon wherein people take pornographic photos of themselves and send them to each other over their cell phones.

In this age of anything goes sexuality – and often false senses of security – it’s no wonder people are taking advantage of the technology.

But they are also taking advantage of themselves.

Young kids are unaware of the dangers that arise with such lewd photos. Some kids are even being charged with producing, distributing and possessing child pornography. In the States, 13-year-old kids could be branded as sex offenders for life, in some cases for simply being on the receiving end of such a text.

“According to these recent interpretations of the law, a curious teenage girl who embarks on an ‘Our Bodies, Ourselves’ journey of vaginal self-discovery, and simply replaces a hand mirror with a digital camera, is a kiddie pornographer,” an article on Salon.com points out.

Couple that with the mixed signals our kids receive about the actual act of having sexual intercourse and it’s no wonder they’re confused. Until Obama took office, only abstinence was taught to children in the American public school system.

How contradictory can you get?

Teenagers love to rebel. If you put the kibosh on sex, it just makes them want it more. And it’s a normal thing – just maybe not for people their age.

Instead of sending children mixed messages, lay it on ‘em straight. Boys and girls don’t have peepees and weewees, they have penises and vaginas; an over-sexed woman who gets a lot of attention isn’t necessarily happy, nor is a Don Juan who gets all the gals; sex and self discovery are important, but despite what society says, they’re not necessary until you feel they are. Instead of teaching kids abstinence and having them sign chastity pledge cards (which many will no doubt break, only furthering unhealthy and sinful ideas about sex), arm them with the knowledge and ability to make informed decisions about their bodies.

As commercialized as it might sound, February is the month of love. With love comes sex and relationships – two things society loves to talk about. We at The Uniter had a great time putting together a variety of pieces about both those topics, and everything in between. In this issue, we debunk the myth that all teenagers are having sex, and take a look at how sex education can be better tackled in Winnipeg and some birth control options that aren’t the pill. We also talk to some people who have chosen to stay single, and others that have experienced arranged marriages here in Canada. For fun, we also look at some famous relationship archetypes through the ages. As always, your comments, questions and concerns are always welcome. E-mail [email protected].

Published in Volume 63, Number 21 of The Uniter (February 26, 2009)