Christian youth organization Alpha and Omega International Student Association explored the social and psychological issues surrounding sex at a Sexual Freedom Forum on Tuesday.
"It is impossible to touch the body without touching the soul," AOISA National Director Carlos Arias said. "Your sexuality is not only physical, but emotional and spiritual."
Despite being taught sex education in high school, students still have misconceptions about sex because they have a limited understanding, he said.
"Nobody wants to talk in regards to a policy about sex education," Arias said. "It’s an issue that no one wants to tackle."
Students forget that the human structure is not just biological and that it employs the body, soul and spirit, he said.
"Every time you touch the body, you are touching the soul," Arias said. "There is not a condom for the spirit."
Schools promise many misleading things and tell students they may have sex as they please, but they must be responsible, protect themselves from sexual diseases and prevent unwanted pregnancies, he said.
"Students are slaves to sex," Arias said.
This education disregards the psychological aspects of sex, Arias said.
"(Sex) involves emotional and mental ways for men and women to be related to others," Arias said.
Acknowledging how students’ sexual lives develop is a key function to a better education, Arias said. Factors such as emotional imbalance, rejections, low self-esteem, parental influences and cultural teachings are all part of how a person’s sexual life forms, and they often lead to an improper conception of sex, Arias said.
"Women may offer sex to receive love, and men may offer love to receive sex," Arias said.
AOISA wants to promote sexual activity that is not just free of unwanted pregnancies, abortions or sexual diseases, but one that is also free of emotional hurt and depression, Arias said.
"We want to send a message," chemical engineering senior Julian Martinez, president of the UH chapter of AOISA, said. "We want to form leaders and provoke change."
AOISA strives to teach students to be free of sexual problems, both physical and psychological, Arias said.
"If you don’t respect yourself, who is going to respect you?" he said.
The choice is in the hands of students, Arias said. Although his choice was to wait until marriage, Arias said he is not necessarily concerned with whether someone is married before they have sex, but whether they are emotionally ready.
"So many kids today are having sex when they are not mentally prepared," Arias said.
Students can be free of sexual problems and learn to love, or they can choose lust and be another statistic, Arias said.
"If you make the right choice, you will enjoy life," Arias said.
