Desire is the name of the game, a dangerous game played by numerous. People who are having sex before marriage nowadays are increasing alarmingly. 9 out of 10 people in America have had pre-marital sex.

Some blame it on curiosity; others do not see the problem. In this 21st century, sex seems to be a casual affair. Blame it on the media. Blame it on the society. Sex is easily available, even with the click of a mouse. Shows are telecasting content which are more sensual and open.

The acceptance of sex before marriage can differ in different countries and customs. As quoted from Patrick, a German, ‘they can still have sex before marriage plus be religious.’ Despite this being an open secret, people do not talk about it openly as it is normality in their country. Compare this with Singapore, and you can be sure we are more reserved.

Closer to home, views from different genders differ and a female friend, HuiZe, thinks that sex is appropriate if the couple is ready, especially in terms of finance, in case of a pregnancy. They also need to be mature in their thinking to cope with the various issues.

Billy, 17, thinks that the society today is too open to care about the term ‘virginity’ anymore. As long as precautions are taken, it is perfectly fine.

The traditional mindset of saving the first time for your spouses are also replaced by lust, love or even loyalty in some cases. However, there are objections as well. Randy thinks that sex is sacred and should be left for your future partner. There should also be basic respect for each other by saving the ‘first time’ for your spouse.

Different religions have different views on this matter. Take Christianity as an example. They are not permitted to have sex before marriage. Marriage is the appropriate frame for sexuality. Despite this, many of them are still engaging in sex before marriage.
However, Buddhists are allowed to have sex before marriage. The most important thing is the handling of sexuality, both during marriage or before.

The issue can also be blamed on influences. As peers have sex, an individual would be exposed and be curious. Also, peer pressure plays a huge part.

Sex before marriage can also lead to multiple partners and this increases the risk of sexually-transmitted diseases like AIDS and HIV. Just two years back, the amount of people diagnosed with HIV was an 18 percent increase from the previous year, making up a total of 422. There are currently a total of 3,482 people infected in Singapore.

The society has taken note of this current issue and is now implementing more campaigns to help curb this problem. A non-profit organization, Action For AIDS was formed.

The questions in relation to sexuality pose dilemmas for people as to whether sex before marriage is acceptable. There is no correct way nor is there a conduct that they should follow – it all depends on the individual involved.