(THE FOLLOWING IS AN R-rated ENTRY!)

I have always loved the magazine medium.

The glossy pages, beautiful photographs, interesting articles, and fun features can sometimes be the one thing I need in my posession to be entertained for hours on end. Sometimes, I dream of a beautiful, sleek, chic, young, women’s magazine that wouldn’t lie to its readers and have their bodies, minds, and souls in its best interest. It’s times like these.

On the rare occasion that my little sister purchases a Seventeen magazine, I cringe. It’s not that I have anything against teenagers wanting to see the latest trend or fashion. Rather, it’s mostly the sex & relationships and health sections that I worry about her reading. Granted, I read them as a teen from time to time out of curiosity. I just pray that she doesn’t take their advice.

Just recently, I’ve been on a survey of women’s magazines, with these two sections as my focus. What did I find? Buckle your seat belts.

1. Seventeen: The health+sex+fitness section gives advice to teens about masturbation, condom use, sex location, ejaculation, oral sex (bust out those flavored condoms, kids!), and how to avoid pregnancy. At least they frequently warn about STD’s…?

I did find one article, though, that was quite consoling: Sex Myths Exposed. In this case, “Sex Myths” are myths about “needing” to have sex. It gives positive advice to girls who are considering losing their virginity and encourages them to think beyond societal messages. Seventeen should also get some props for encouraging girls to take care of their physical health and maintain a positive self-image.

2. Glamour: FULL of sex tips. On their front page, “101 Ways to Have the Best Sex of Your Life.” I couldn’t even stand to survey these “tips” without getting completely sick of the attitude toward sex as a commodity, a hobby, etc.

3. Redbook: This mag is a combination of the hot-and-heavy and the tamer “sexy _____” talk (massage, night, date, etc.) Their focus happens to be the “review” - reviewing techniques and toys. The Love Life Tip of the Day calendar? Not too graphic, which is a breath of fresh air. But May 20 is just so ironic:

Regularly communicate about your choice of contraception and safer sex practices. Nothing is more important to your relationship than your sexual health.

HA! Overall, Redbook isn’t quite as bad as Glamour.

4. Cosmopolitan: should only be viewed by married couples. It is probably the most explicit mainstream women’s magazine out there. The culprit? Its maddening number of sex positions and tips. And in its health section? It includes a bit about abortion options and dismisses any link between breast cancer and the murderous procedure.

5. Marie Claire: Finally…the famously sex-saturated MC. They like to have lots of “articles” like, “How Shacking Up Will Affect Your Sex Life,” which are truly just a sad excuse for some writer to dream up a too-good-to-be-true story for readers craving “sexy” entertainment.

Should women even be attentive to these publications? The expose article “Faking It: Sex, Lies, and Women’s Magazine’s,” describes how writers will contrive and twist tips, testimonies, and other articles in order to boost subscriptions or simply put food on the table.

After this little research project, I became sick of society’s obsession with orgasms. Sexual love was not the focus of these magazines. Instead, sex was entertainment, fun, technique, skill, cheap, easy, and dangerously close to a god. Flipping through the archives of any of these magazines makes me want a Bible…badly. I thank God that I have known the freedom of real love - love that lasts much longer than any orgasm could.

Don’t let society’s obsession with cheap sex affect your desire for the holy and sacred act of husband and wife. Sex is meant to lead us to the Lord, not to replace Him.