compiled by Connor Martin ’13

The Warrior interviewed twelve students from various grades to find out about the range of views at Sherwood on sex.

How has your view on sex changed as you’ve gotten older?

Senior Boy: Well, as a kid I only knew what my parents told me about it, but as I’ve grown older I’ve been able to see the reality of it. But I still don’t know what my opinions are on sex.

Sophomore Boy: I remember going through puberty and with all the hormones I often felt like ‘I need to have sex now!’ but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that it’s better to wait. I don’t want to run the risk of knocking the girl up and ruining my future.

 

What do you think about people who are committed to only having sex after marriage?

Junior Girl: Those people should gain a lot of respect because it’s really hard and it’s a good decision. Sex is always going to be there as a temptation for teenagers but it’s good to abstain. Also, it’s in my religious background that God created marriage for sex; you should save it until marriage because it makes it more special and I feel like if you have sex with someone before you’re married, you’re kind of committing adultery.

Senior Girl: I think it’s fine. Nothing is wrong with that, but then again, you’re only going to have it with that one person, so you’re going to miss out on different relationships, different experiences, etc.

 

How often do people talk about sex seriously versus talking about it as a joke?

Freshman Girl: People tend to take sex lightly; they do not treat it as a serious thing because they don’t think about the consequences sex can have.

 

What is your personal opinion on couples at Sherwood, including public displays of affection (PDA)?

Sophomore Girl: I think it’s ok to hold hands in the hallway or hug or kiss but I don’t want to see people making out in the hallway. That’s just gross. I don’t think that’s ok.

 

Are opinions on sex different between your female friends and your male friends? How so?

Junior Boy: Most definitely, they are completely opposite. A lot of my friends and I are really open to it but a lot of girls are just not the same way at all. I have no idea why that is; maybe that’s just the way their brains work.

Sophomore Girl: Yes, guys are very immature. They don’t take it seriously at all. They just want to have sex with every single girl they see and then girls just always say no.

 

What is the general perception of people who are sexually active?

Senior Girl: Usually people are considered slutty [or] promiscuous, but I think as long as you do it with someone you actually like or someone you have a relationship with and [do] not just do with just anybody, it’s fine.

Junior Boy: I think a lot of people think it’s a really bad thing, and it doesn’t make sense to me why people think that, because it’s a natural instinct; it’s something that you’re supposed to do.

 

What percentage of students do you think are having sex?

Junior Girl: 40 percent. It’s widely accepted at our school and people think it’s ok as long as they’re [using protection].

Freshman Boy: 50 percent. I don’t know anyone who has done it, but I think a lot of upperclassmen are probably having sex.

 

*The interviewed students on average thought that 46 percent of students at Sherwood are sexually active, which is only one percent off from the actual national average of high school students who have had sex: 47 percent according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.