CTQ 11b

When thinking about what influenced my perception of sex, the first think that comes
to my mind are my parents. I live in a very open-minded household; however, sex
was the one topic that was considered as tabu, or at least this was my impression.
When I first heard the word sex (I don't remember my age, but I do know I was pretty
young), I became very curious and started asking numerous questions as most kids
would when something was new to them. My parents, however, coming from very
conservative families did not find it appropriate to discuss sex with their children, as
they were never able to with their own parents. Because they were so adamant
discussing it with me, for a very long time I believed that sex was some sort of a
shameful act. Of course, by that time I didn’t know any specifics and what exactly the
intercourse included, but nevertheless I perceived it as something negative.

It was later on life, around the beginning of my teenage years that sex started being
brought up more frequently and discussed thoroughly among my group of friends.
Not that any of us had yet experienced what sex feels like, but some of my friends
had had conversations with their parents, who educationally explained what the
process is all about. Slowly, my perception began changing, but it wasn’t until my
first time having sex that I fully got rid of the preconceptions.

Apart from my family and friends, as I was growing up, movies also played a huge
role in shaping my outlook on sex and love in general. The women were presented
as these delicate creatures that exuded class and modesty, while men were the
proactive and aggressive ones when it came to pursuing intimacy. Even though, this
might be still a popular view on gender roles, I no longer believe that either sex
should be perceived by default as more in charge of things when it comes to sex.
Everyone should feel free to express their intentions, while respecting the privacy of
the opposite person, should not be judged upon the way they do so. Girls can also
be aggressive in pursuing what they desire and there is nothing wrong with that, just
as some men are timider and less confident to take matters in their own hands. In
that respect, I believe that media can sometimes have negative effects on the
younger audience as it enroots certain types of prejudices related to gender roles,
thereby diminishing equality and personal identity.