Adolescents and young adults are particularly interested in sexual intercourse. It is often a new experience for them – the intense levels of physical and emotional pleasure experienced by sexual intercourse, and then there is the fact that today’s society claims those who have sex are simply popular than those who do not have sex.
According to Good Choices Good Life[1], many young adults also participate in sexual intercourse in order to feel more mature or simply out of curiosity.
For some, sexual intercourse helps to boost their self-esteem and gives them a sense of being loved. Whatever the reason – sex is a natural activity that the majority of people throughout the entire world are participating in.
A review paper[2] by Oakland University explains that the majority of individuals have their very first casual sex experience as an adolescent.
They explain that a large number of studies have been conducted in order to provide more insight into the behavior of young adults and adolescents in regards to their sex lives.
The review paper explains that recent studies found 38% of teenagers who are sexually active to have experienced at least one casual sexual activity in their lifetimes. When looking at young adults between the ages of 18 to 24, the statistics increase to 54%, with 39% claiming to have had a casual sexual experience within the past two years.
It should also be noted that men were more likely to experience casual sexual activities than women. With a relatively high number of sexually active young individuals in mind, the many of these individuals claiming to have casual sexual experiences, sex-related education becomes vital.
By providing proper sex education to young adults, the number of individuals affected by sexually transmitted infections will reduce, as well as the number of teenage and unplanned pregnancies. Today, we want to provide some vital information that all young adults should know about sexual intercourse.
A Guide to Safe Sex for Young Adults
Sexual intercourse is most commonly known for two particular aspects – the physical and mental pleasure delivered to both parties involved in the activity, as well as the fact that sexual intercourse is the primary method for a woman to become pregnant.
While these are two commonly associated elements of sex, it is important to note that there is much more to this activity than pregnancy and pleasure. Sex has a great number of benefits that it offers the human body – these benefits extend to both the physical and the mental wellbeing of both parties participating in sexual intercourse.
What are the Benefits of Sexual Intercourse?
Mercola explains that the following are all potential benefits that people can experience from regular sexual intercourse:
- Sex acts as a physical activity; thus by participating in sexual intercourse, your body is obtaining some of the benefits associated with physical exercise. This may assist with burning a few calories, improving heart health and boosting muscle mass.
- Sex has been linked to improvements in both sleep quality and sleep duration. With sleep being an essential part of the human body’s wellbeing, sexual intercourse can help to reduce symptoms of insomnia and ensure you gain an adequate amount of sleep.
- Sex has also been linked to a significant reduction in stress levels. Chronic stress is known to contribute to heart disease, obesity and many other health conditions. By having more sex, you can lower your stress levels; thus also lowering your risk of developing these conditions.
- The immune system has also been strongly linked to sexual intercourse. Scientific studies have proven that people who have more sex are also more likely to exhibit stronger immune function.
What are the Risk Factors of Sexual Intercourse?
While there are many benefits to gain from having sex on a regular basis, young adults need to be aware of the fact that sex also holds a number of risks. When protection is properly used, these risks are reduced significantly.
Condoms can be utilized in order to reduce the risk of spreading sexually transmitted infections, as well as to reduce the risk of an unplanned pregnancy. Contraception, also known as birth control, can also be utilized in order to help further reduce the risk of becoming pregnant during sexual intercourse.
First of all, it should be noted, even though condoms are the recommended method for ensuring sexual intercourse is safe, they are not always 100% reliable. Condoms can break, which can considerably increase the risk for obtaining STDs, as well as for becoming pregnant.
Additionally, it should be noted that, even though birth control pills are considered an effective method for preventing pregnancy during sexual intercourse, Kidshealth[3] reports that as much as 9% of women who takes birth control pills still get accidental pregnant.
Apart from pregnancy, it is also important for young adults to be aware of common sexually transmittable diseases and infections. Young adults should realize what symptoms are associated with these conditions, as well as ensure they get tested for the most common types of STDs frequently.
One of the most well-known STDs would be HIV, but there are many other STDs that can be just as problematic. WebMD[4] explains that the most common types of STDs that are diagnosed amongst both men and women include:
- Human Papillomavirus, also commonly referred to as HPV
- Gonorrhea
- Chlamydia
- Herpes
- Syphilis
- Trichomoniasis
Even though these are the most common STDs, young adults should not limit their education to these alone. There are many other STDs that can also be obtained through sexual intercourse.
Read Next: Adapt These 7 Behaviors Of Sexually Healthy Man For Being Stud
Conclusion
While sex has numerous benefits to contribute to the human body, both physically and mentally, it is important to note that this natural activity also comes with numerous risks. Unprotected sexual intercourse can lead to unforeseen complications, such as pregnancy at a young age, as well as the transmission of sexually transmittable infections.
In this post, we provided important information regarding sexual intercourse that all young adults need to be aware of – including both the benefits of sex, as well as the risks involved with this activity.
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In-post Image: www.unitypoint.org, Shutterstock.com & iStock.com
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