[K. in Cleveland]

You know, I'm really not one for talk shows, but there is one morning talk show I've become a fan of, and that's The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. Today they had a very interesting debate that I feel goes right along with this quite nicely, though at a different angle completely.

I apologize for not having the title of the book or the authors' (and MDs) names.. if anyone out there saw it and can help, please do... but they argue that when an adolescent has casual sex, the hormones released as well as the dopamine, flood the brain and the neuro pathways, and over time actually destroy the synapses that would cause a love relationship. An adolescent girl who lives and promotes abstinence agrees and says she's saving her wedding night for sex to make it special...

However, another MD says this research was flawed and misconstrued and says that teenagers who have sex are no different from adults who have sex. He also goes on to say that couples who were married in their teens have a much lower divorce rate than couples who marry even in their 20's or older... saying this is proof that sex at a young age does not destroy any neuro pathways or in any way inhibit a person from having a loving relationship. A young lady who began having sex at age 15 agrees with this guy. She says she was not ruined by having casual sex or not able to love now...

Now, my question is, how can schools, or parents, give teenagers "true" info if the doctors can't even agree on it!? But, by the same token, I believe that if kids get educated info both at home and at school, they can decide for themselves what to believe... although this then brings up the question of whether or not that teen is mature enough to make educated decisions for themselves. This is an individual thing, some kids are way more mature than some adults by age 15, others aren't even acting their age at 21... so this is a different matter.
However, it really comes down to the more information (educated information, not "if you have sex before you marry your privates will shrivel up and fall off" type stuff) kids get, the better. I mean, don't parents and schools both teach pre-schoolers and young grade schoolers to treat others as they want to be treated, and to respect others? It sticks better if its hit from multiple places...