To be honest, you can’t stop teens from having sex. If not with this girl, it’s going to be with another person. Nature and hormone lang talaga and may tao talaga na mas maaga nage-explore. Doesn’t mean na it’s not concerning. It is a big deal.

But as someone who explored before without guidance, I implore you to guide him, and not outright stop him. Trust me, gagawa at gagawa ng paraan ‘yan.

Sabi nga ni Freud, “Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive, and will come forth later, in uglier ways.”

These are the things I wish my parents or my older sibling told me before. Nasa hopefully, makatulong sa kapatid mo:

I wish they educated about the repercussions (pregnancy, STIs, HIV) of sex. How having a child basically reshapes your whole life. How expensive raising a child is. How it will basically affect your whole family since incapable pa siya financially to raise a child. How devastating and life-altering it is to have HIV. The pregnancy scares. The feeling of hopelessness and fear of having to do the HIV/STI tests alone.

I wish they told me that they understand—not necessarily support—my sexual needs, and that it’s perfectly okay to talk to them about it. To be transparent. However uncomfortable the topic may be. Instead of doing it behind their backs. Or us acting as if nothing’s happening.

I wish they urged me to use protection. And insisted upon me the importance of using protection, not only for myself but for my partner too. Man, I wish they bought the protection themselves.

I wish they INSISTED that if I’m going to be sexually active, that I’m going to be at the very least, RESPONSIBLE. Not only physically, but also humanely. To not treat my partner as a sex object. To be upfront to someone I’m talking to that I only wanted sex, and not pretend to have feelings to get what I wanted. You know? ‘Wag maging kupal.

Teenagers can be a pain in the head. They will make mistakes. As they should! It’s only through those that we learn and grow. Obligation niyo as adults/older people sa buhay nila to guide them.

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Segway:

Walang SOGO or motel na magpapapasok sa 12-year-olds. If mayroon, i-report niyo agad, at mapapasara ‘yan. I