Sex in a relationship is essential and certainly natural, particularly in a long-term commitment. It unites the couple in a common bond and brings them closer together.
It gives them pleasure in each other’s company and is a beautiful, expressive act of nature. It is at the root of all living and breathing existence on the planet and is necessary for the creation of future life.With all of this in mind, one would think that the act of sex would be treated with much reverence, care and respect. Unfortunately, in many corners, such is not the case. In those corners, it is treated as if it were some kind of competitive sports game, with the “winning” side claiming the most sexual conquests or exploitations. It is also used by the winning party in many instances to manipulate and control the subdued party, usually to the latter’s detriment.
Unfortunately, it is used in everyday commerce, with little or no regard for the consequences, let alone the feelings of the participants, willing or unwilling. As a result, HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, out-of-wedlock births, abortions and all kinds of sexually transmitted diseases permeate society.
The media’s portrayal of sex also plays into the melee of misconceptions. It glorifies premarital and extramarital sex in many of its programs and gives it a false sense of “what is,” often at the expense of what “should be.”
Sexual responsibility is discouraged while sexual promiscuity is strongly encouraged. Innocent individuals, mostly preteens and teens, get caught up in this dangerous rapture by emulating or acting out sexual acts that they have witnessed on TV shows.
Pornography, once an underground entertainment venue, is now a multimillion dollar industry, due to the strong and rising demand. The result of all this is a gross misperception of sex by the masses between “what it is” and “what it should be,” perpetuated by the media.These and other sorrowful predicaments have taken a drastic toll on marriages and relationships.
Once considered sacred institutions, they have become fragmented with hopelessness and bitterness and plain envy and hatred. Greed, lust and unhealthy, inordinate self-interests have become the rule of law, along with sexual infidelity. Sexual fidelity and true commitment to one’s partner is rarely practiced and basically non-existent, with sex as the basis on which these “relationships” are formed.
The result is many divorces, the breakup of the family, the loss of respect of the family structure and an increase in the single-parent household and the like.
This is not to say that all of the media’s portrayal of sex and relationships are off-cue. In a very select few, they are somewhat on-cue.
This is to say that we should not depend solely on the media to teach us the proper role of sex in relationships. Nor should we depend solely on the media to teach us the proper use of and the meaning of sex, let alone allow it to shape our view of sex. It is up to the individual to find out the true meaning of sex in a relationship, the nature of sex in general and its purpose for human life.
Upon finding out this valuable information, it is then up to them to apply it to their everyday life in the best way possible and to better themselves, their surroundings and those individuals with which they interact.
Jackson can be reached at jjackson@campustimes.org.
