share: a new Era of Women

Retrorubie, thanks for your post.

Many of your questions are simply a matter of personal choice. Whether it's the kind of sex people enjoy, or whether they get bikini waxes or not.

Believe it or not, we are actually not living life any faster, in many ways. Only a few hundred years ago the average girl was married with a child by the time she was 14! That only became unusual quite recently.

Body waxing was invented by the ancient Egyptians.

In Roman times, homosexuality was not only accepted, it was the norm. Many leaders and army superiors had young boys as lovers. (thankfully that's not allowed anymore).

Before the 1960s smoking was not only accepted, it was encouraged. It was considered good to keep your weight down and thought of as a relaxant.

The reason girls are getting periods earlier and developing faster in general is not all to do with the fact that we are more mature or advanced. Sadly it may have much to do with chemicals, hormones in the food we eat, and obesity.

Being on birth control at the age of 13 can be an issue for many reasons. A 13 year old is still developing and growing, as well as the fact that it is currently illegal for a 13 year old to have sex. Her body may be ready but her mind is not, no matter what she says. The mere fact that many young teens think they are emotionally ready for sex (and all it's consequences) is usually proof that they are nowhere near ready.

There is nothing wrong with any of your questions. People who think it's slutty may have their own inhibitions or personal reasons for making such judgments.

While we think teens are growing up so fast these days, don't forget that only 150 years ago, kids went to work as farmers and chimney sweeps, maids and gardeners as young as 5 years old. They shared the heavy burden of having to bring home a salary at that age. Unfortunately, many children in third world countries today still live like that.

Having the 'right' to sex also means bearing the responsibilities of pregnancy, sexual transmitted diseases and infections, as well as financial responsibilities for possibly having to raise children when the parents are still kids themselves.

The sad reality is that most teen parents do not go to college, many never graduate high school and many end up on welfare. These are reasons why sex as a child is not a good idea!

Enjoy being young and all the freedoms it brings. Having sex at 13 doesn't make you a grown up or make you feel better about yourself. Some kids having sex do fine, many do not. There are so many reasons for children to not have sex, it's difficult to know where to start.

Here are some book titles that may help you further. Good luck and keep asking questions. There is nothing 'perverse' about it!

The Sex Education Dictionary for Today's Teens & Pre-Teens by Dean Hoch & Nancy Hoch

The Underground Guide to Teenage Sexuality by Micheal J. Basso