Tara, 17, and her boyfriend Jared, 18, have been dating for two or three months.  At first they were always with lots of their friends, but lately he only wants to be with her.  He takes her somewhere secluded.  When alone, his kisses get long and passionate and his hands wander all over her body.  They both become very excited. Last time Jared started to unzip her jeans, but she held his hand hard to stop him.  Tara feels very confused and is not sure what she wants to happen next. She asks herself, ”What do I do?  How do I know if I’m ready for this?

”Sex is everywhere.  Sex sells magazines. It is in advertisements, in the movies and on television. There is nothing left to the imagination anymore. On shows, people get into bed with people they don’t even know.  It leads you to believe that everyone does it and it is the answer to all of your problems.  WRONG!  Everyone does not do it, and it can make more problems than you can imagine.  TV shows and movies have so many sexual scenes that it clouds your mind into believing that this is normal behavior.  You feel out of it when you choose not to do it.  There is pressure from your peers and your boyfriend.  It is very hard to sort out your feelings when there is so much pressure everywhere.