Abstract
Adolescence is the stage between childhood and adulthood. This period in a person’s life plays a major role in the formation of who that person will become. People of all backgrounds, cultures, and every race go through this stage in their life. I would like to display the issues and affects I faced as an African American female adolescent. I will discuss events that I experienced such as, sexuality, drugs, peer pressures, body image, family dynamics, issues of diversity, and how they shaped me into the person I am today. I will also provide theories that support the structure of my paper.
Sexuality
Adolescence is a time when young people develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills to become sexually healthy. African American females are viewed differently in terms of being sexual, and this is due to the behavioral outcome of their sexuality. African American adolescent females are at a higher risk for adolescent pregnancy, early sexual experiences, HIV/AIDS (sexually transmitted diseases), and multiple partners, different from their Caucasian and Hispanic counterparts. Growing up in a predominately black community for part of my adolescent years was a traumatic time for me. My parent’s expectations of my sexual behaviors were extremely stern. They instilled values in me that were very different from my peers. A significant event that I experience during my adolescence was witnessing my closest friend’s promiscuous behaviors. My friends were dating earlier then myself, and experienced different sexual encounters such as oral sex and intercourse. These sexual behaviors led to teen pregnancies, abortions, and sexually transmitted diseases. This was such a common issue within the community, but very complex for me to understand. Raising a child when you’re not an adult was always difficult to comprehend. One of my closest friend’s became pregnant at the age of 15. I think I was more devastated the she was, because of my morals...