MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT SEX, DRUGS & YOUR HEALTH

 

The adolescent period is a time when your friends want to go out drinking, and your parents want you to stay home and study. You're supposed to look like the sexy models you see on TV, but you're not supposed to have sex. When it seems like everyone is pulling you in a different direction, you might hope these pressures would just go away. They won't until you decide how you'll handle them. No matter how much you say you know, teenagers often wonder what is going on. It's hard to do but when you have a question, try asking your parents or another older person you can trust. You deserve to know the facts.

 

Some of the facts teenagers need to know include: AIDS (a fatal disease) is on the rise, marijuana is stronger than ever, "crack" cocaine is used by kids across the country and the result is always fatal. Get the facts before you get involved - with sex and drugs.

 

No doubts you've heard some pretty wild stories going around in school. Teenagers like to talk about sex and drugs but a lot of these stories are not true. That is why you need to know about these issues.

 

Making safe decisions about sex and drugs brings you fact to face with some of life's toughest questions, hard for people of any age to answer. It's not a straight path: you're pressured one way, you swerve back the other way...but there is a decision making process that will help you make choices you can life with in the long run. Take time and think over our decisions. Talk with our parents and other adults, and ask how they felt and what they decided to do. Learning to talk over big decisions is part of growing up. To make decisions, you need to:

 

Know your values: What means the most to you? Try making a list of your values: close friends, time with your family, a career, education, being in good shape. The best decisions are based on your personal values.

Know your goals: Try listing your goals in life. List both short term goals (what you want to do before you finish schooling) and then long term goals (what you want to do by the time you are 25 or 30). This is not really an easy task as even adults find it hard. Don't just get discouraged.

Try talking to your parents: Sometimes parents forget what it is like to be young, but they really want to help. Even if your parents seem a little archaic, conservative or "out of tune" with current developments; try telling them what you think about sex and drugs. Most parents care more than you know.

Explore all options: For each decision you face, you have several options for handling it. Use your initiative to determine how you could say "No" to sex or what you could do besides drinking or taking drugs to have fun at parties.

Decide for yourself: Choose the best option for you, based on your values and goals. Your decisions may be different from what your best friend or other people are doing but growing up means being true to your own values.

Check it out: Once you make a decision, test it on your parents and at least one or two friends. A safe rule of thumb: if anyone disagrees, it's probably not such a great decision. You'll feel better if people you trust support your decision.

Use your resources: Everyone gets 'stuck' sometimes and don't know what to do. Be mature enough to ask for help from people who care about you and your well being. You're not alone: These people can help.

Being a teenager isn't easy: You've got one foot in childhood and one foot in adulthood. It's an exciting and sometimes confusing time. A time to find out who you are and what you want for yourself in the future. It's the best time to make decisions you can live with, decisions that can make you proud of yourself and your choices.