DEAR CHRISTINE, HOW WOULD you handle the following?
My daughter, age 15, was just diagnosed with the herpes virus, and she is devastated by the news. I had cautioned her to wait until she was older to become sexually active because I understand that decisions made in haste cannot be unmade, and some – as in this case – carry lifelong consequences.
I also know that many, if not all, teenage girls do not cope very well with all the baggage that goes along with having sex.
At the time we had that discussion my daughter brushed me off. She said I couldn’t look at the situation clearly because my feelings were influenced by my own mistakes and regrets. Now she sees that I knew what I was talking about.
Besides having to deal with a lifelong contagious disease and the possibility of infecting someone else, she has to deal with her irresponsible boyfriend who is threatening to tell people that they are infected and it’s all her fault.
Please tell me what I can do to protect my daughter from further harm. And please caution other teens about the risks of unprotected sex while letting them know that mums and dads really do know what is best for them.
– H.M
Dear H.M.,
I am so sorry to hear about your young daughter. Things like this happen when teenagers refuse to listen to their parents and indulge in unprotected sex.
We can tell young people to wait until they are married to engage in sex but that is not enough. They should be told why it’s so important to wait. They also need to know the pain of unplanned pregnancies.
There is nothing I can say to “protect” your daughter from further harm.
I can, however, caution other young people about making the same mistake. Will they accept cautionary measures? Perhaps not!
Many young people today are experiencing sexual encounters before they reach their teen years. Who is to blame? That is still the million-dollar question.
Let’s hope that young people and adults who read this column become more aware of the risks involved in early sex.
– CHRISTINE
