Regarding the hushed part, it isn't. There is more on sex than anytime in our history. The willingness to talk about it has never been greater. Look at any magazine, watch TV, listen to the radio, go on the net-sex is everywhere because it sells. Not a necessarily good thing. But, in a culture that values freedom, it is wonderful to have the opportunity to pass judgements, as opposed to it never being seen.
Sex has grown to a stature well above pure procreation. It's a topic that tantalizes the masses. It titillates the purveyor of it's secrets. I is unspeakable because we have put a shroud of mystery around it. Look at a magazine ad-she's beautiful, well toned, alluring to the point of godliness. And she's safe. We can't touch her, or even speak to her. Now, put that woman with her flaws & unpixelated physique in a grocery store & say penis-hmmm. An uncomfortable situation to say the least. Why? Because we are afraid of it. It moves mere mortals to the status of gods-we can create a life, then dictate where that life points. Pretty heady stuff for Bob the plumber or Janis the executive.
In hindsight, where all things become clear, maybe the "puritans" weren't so far off base. Granted, they were scary in their collective penchant for deciding the values of the masses, in all circumstances. But, they didn't have a teen pregnancy problem. It is a problem for us. (Between 1991-2000, the U.S. birth rate for teens aged 15-19 declined 21.6 percent to 48.7 births per 1000 teen girls in 1999, after reaching its highest point in two decades (62 births per 1000 teen girls aged 15-19 in 1991). The U.S. teen birth rate rate remains notably higher than the rates in other industrialized democracies.) It seesm that dad with his shotgun was better than a box of condoms.
The reasoning behind the judeo/christian "ban" on teen sex is simple. Teenagers have absolutely no idea how they can change their life with a single act. The morality I will leave to others-but the ethics are easily identified. The long term pyscholgical implications are unending-you cannot become a born-again virgin, no matter how hard you try. Most will have no problems, some experience remorse, many have anxiety(which is gods way of saying you have too much time on your hands), others develop depression & still others wonder if it was worth it at all. Then, as Spirit pointed out, there are innumerable STD's-some of which are an irritation only & one or two that can take your life. AND, there's more-how about embarrasement-*you slept with her?Laughs all around*, or abortion. There's a happy life long thought. And pregnancy-you are now the sole responsibility of another life-you have no life, except that which you provide your children. No senior prom, no graduation commencement, no college, no trip to Europe to thumb around, no going to the bar to celebrate turning 21, no orgies...damn, that would suck. My kid, at 8, knows that we will pay his way thru college (& grad school if we can afford it) but, the minute some girl says she is pregnant with his child, and it's proven thru paternity DNA tests-he's done getting cash from dear old dad. He wants to be a man & enjoy his penis & the things that happen with it, he can be a man & support all his habits & life, without our help.
Sex is a wonderful thing, no doubt. But with it comes awesome responsibilities. It's a choice you choose to take, you had better be prepared for the consequences. They are even more awesome.
I didn't use it, but here's a good rule of thumb-*if you're afraid to tell your dad what you did, it's probably the wrong thing to do.*
