Throughout the months of September and October, HuffPost Teen is highlighting the way teens think and feel about sex through anecdotes written for our series, "Teen Sex: It's Complicated." All of the authors are teenagers who have agreed to be published anonymously. If you want to share your thoughts, join the conversation here.
To me the word "sex" means... a lot of different things.
I think sex is something that teenagers crave, but for all the wrong reasons. Like everyone, we have physical needs, but I think we recognize the wrong ones.
I remember on my 14th birthday my dad sat down with me to have "the talk." I was terrified. "The birds and the bees" were things I definitely did not want to discuss with one of my parents... let alone my father. He began with one question. That question was simple.
I was confused. Why is he asking me this? Shouldn't HE be the one explaining to ME (things I already know... or thought I knew)?
After a (very) long pause. I replied with a very ridiculous answer.
"Well... There's different kinds." I said, stupidly.
It was a long and very awkward... I guess you could say, "discussion," even though the number of awkward silences far out-numbered the words actually spoken.
In the end, my dad said, "Sex is when a man and woman come together."
I was mad. That's the answer? That's what he wanted me to say? It was that simple!?!
But it made me start to think. He's right. I mean, duh! I just thought of it a different way.
I have never had sex and, to this day, the thought of the act scares me. I do wear a purity ring, but I never really know if I'm going to keep that promise. The consequences of premarital sex do worry me. I do, however, enjoy the thought of sharing a special moment of intimacy with someone that you do love.
I feel like I'm rambling, but my thoughts on the subject are exactly that. All over the place.
Sex is supposed to be shared between two people who love each other.
Sex shouldn't be something you're ashamed of.
Sex is hard to talk about with my parents.
Sex is something I joke about often.
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