Sex: What Influence Does it Have?

A strong professor asked me recently what sort of influences does sex have on someone--sex, the act. I argued that there wasn't any effects on others rather than the two individuals who were consenting (adults!!) to have sex--but I was wrong.

Now, this doesn't mean that the sex lives of someone is important for the public to know--or even family. Honestly, sex is very natural and it seems odd that it's a taboo topic among adults or a hot conversation because sex is so taboo to talk about.

Sex, however, does have some influences. There are people that sleep with other people's partners, that's an issue. That effects at least one other person, but then there is also the idea of children and other family members that could get hurt by that thing.

Sometimes sex is how people work their way up in the workplace.

Sometimes sex is used against other people--based on maybe someone holding it over another person who has engaged with sexual relations with them specifically. Sometimes the knowledge of someone sleeping with someone else is also used against them.

Even when sex between two consenting adults occurs, there are some influences.

However, the consequences of this seem to be social and social alone. There is rarely an economic consequence of two people having consensual sex--other than maybe someone getting into a position they didn't deserve based on sleeping their way up--but other than that, not really.

The major expense of sex is really just babies--having a child. If preventatives are not used, obviously there's the cost of pregnancy and which way that's taken--abortion or choosing to have the child.

Environmentally, there's no consequences of two people having sex.

Politically, it does depend on type of government and such. Usually sex is really only important in monarchies.

The percentage of consensual sex between adults influencing anything other than those involved in the intercourse is relatively low.

Then, you can argue for the alleged two who partook in consensual sex--what does their morality look like? Then you can get into the philosophical debate on morality which stretches farther than just sex.

So, really--what influences does sex have outside the bedroom that can cause such tension when merely the word, "sex," is presented? As stated, there are some. However, it's very low on a list of priorities.