system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: Society should treat sex as something important for the quality of life, and try to meet and understand this basic human need.

I believe that sex is important enough for humans that it should be assumed to be a part of average person's life and a basic desire. Well isn't that already how things are? I don't think so. While this is a general assumption, many other social norms and common views go against it. I will try to give some examples:

1. In all debates about abortion, child support, etc, main comment by the people who are against it (note that it's not even the same groups of people, a lot of people who do support abortion support obligatory child support) is that if you aren't ready to have children you should not be having sex. Please lets not turn this into a debate focused on these two issues because I had that last time, just the general sentiment that sex just for sex isn't so important that a human can't abstain from it.

2. More concrete example in line with the first one is that with all the technology and overpopulation, contraception remains pretty imperfect. The options we have are not 100% safe, even when close to it, they cost money, have other potential complications, and I have serious doubts that this is the best we can do. As long as it's all in the hands of pharmaceutical companies, I don't think we can hope for a simple solution. But hey, we don't absolutely have to have sex, right?

3. Prostitution is illegal. I really understand that there are reasons for that concerned about human trafficking etc. Still, if a random girl or a guy starts trying to earn money that way by themselves, they can get into trouble and so can their potential customers. Plus, prostitution can function in some developed countries, so I assume that the potential difficulties could be somewhat regulated (as opposed to keeping it illegal and not regulated at all.) Again it seems like one of those "it is complicated" situations that really isn't if there was a desire to work it out. In addition, there is a huge social stigma on the idea of seeing a prostitute which I think is silly. 

4. The strong promotion of the idea that sexual desire is dangerous and that objectifying someone sexually is degrading. I especially mind this because it is purely directed towards women, and many really do believe they are thought less of if they are noticed to be attractive - in combination to still having natural and social desire to be found attractive. That creates some unnecessary mental conflict. I don't think  it is always appropriate to show sexual attraction of course, and not in any intimidating way, but I think this got blown out of proportion based on things I am reading recently. Why is sexual objectification degrading when we objectify people most of the time and are still able to step out of it if needed? 

5. In regard to 4, general sexual paranoia. Stories of teenagers getting into trouble for showing sexual imagery, society that tries to repress and deny sexuality of teenagers.. Going so far to even inadvertently sexualize children by thinking that toddlers wearing two piece bathing suits in inappropriate (?) Fear that your child will see any sexual image and it will somehow take away their innocence also seems very weird to me. There are people who think a child seeing a topless woman on a beach will be traumatized. No, a child won't see it sexually and will get used to seeing a human body in both sexual and non sexual context. Making nudity and sex so forbidden can only additionally confuse when the kid finally discovers porn.


There must be many more examples, but I wanted to show that while in theory "everyone wants sex" is accepted, people encounter a lot of problems and obstacles as they try to go about it. Every time one of these obstacles is met - people who don't want children and want sex, people who don't have a partner and want sex, people who don't want relationships and want sex, teenagers who want sex - the general sentiment is that no one is entitled to sex, that sex is not essential and therefore it is reasonable to expect you not to have it, or in some cases even *want* it.

I will just quickly give a few reasons why sex is essential for the majority of human beings, and then we can discuss it all further in the comments.

1. Biological need for sex is strong and pretty obvious. The choice to have children though is something that isn't in itself as strong of an instinct (varying in people) and in a modern society we can take a rational approach towards this decision. But we can't rationalize our need to have sex, it is there, in us all. 

2. Socially, sex is important part of our development, finding our place and getting validation that gives us social confidence. This part is somehow not ok to say. The advice to experiment with sex until you are comfortable, to have sex to boost your ego, to see a prostitute to learn how... this is supposedly wrong, although I think it would make things much better for people.

3. Psychologically , sexual repression can be very harmful. Sex is essential in personal development. It is a big part of us to explore and get to know. People who for some reason can't have sex are in an objective disadvantage. In that way, everyone should be somewhat entitled to sex, in a sense that their need should be acknowledged and addressed, not repressed.

4. In romantic relationships, sex is also essential. It is that physical part of intimacy and bonding between two people that separates it from a regular friendship. This doesn't mean all sex has to be meaningful - I think that is another mistake. I tried to demonstrate that depending on the context, sex can have many meanings, and all of them are important.

TL;DR: 
**Point of all this and what to challenge? My point is that we should have a more sexually open society that acknowledges sex as a basic human need and important quality of life issue and tries to accommodate that need by making it easier and safer for people to do so. Improving contraception and distributing it for free by government, legal prostitution, good sexual education, healthy attitude towards nudity and sexual imagery, less paranoia for people (especially teenagers) displaying their sexuality and more understanding/guidance.. are some of the ways I think this issue would change and people would enjoy better and healthier lives.**

Edit: Of course you can say that society already is sexually open, but I think the only openness is exploitative. Society is sexually teasing so to say - yes, sex sells, so it is used in that way, and it especially sells when it is so exotic to many. But when it comes to practically implementing frequent sex in your life, unless you meet very specific lifestyle requirements things get much harder.
gpt
I could argue that sex *isn't* a necessity, evidenced by the plenty of successful and fulfilled people who remain virgins by choice or circumstance.

However, I'll take another view:

If sex is a necessity - nigh on a right - as you say, then who is to provide it? At some point, somewhere, someone would be forced to provide sex for someone else. This is rape.

Sex is fundamentally a choice. From a biological perspective, it is two individuals choice to reproduce with one another. From humanist perspective, it is two individuals choice to give themselves to one another. Either way, it is a choice. 

A right, like freedom of expression, is not a choice. It is enforced. A 'right to sex' could not be enforced without rape.