Let's begin by pointing out the obvious. Life sucks. Understood. Can we all agree that it sucks equally for all parties involved? Yes. Therefore, life is fair in that respect. Now. About self-respect. Only you can give yourself that. No peer pressure will ever steer you in the self-respect corner. You must take yourself there. And that is the key to your teenage happiness.
Allow me to elaborate. Making wrong choices will send you in a world of shame, lies and doubt. All these emotions can send you in the abyss of teenage angst and depression. No high or sex drive will ever replace self-respect. Don't think you can get away from yourself, your own memories, your own self-conscious. And those are the very thoughts that will drive you mad. Not what other think. Not what others do. But what you have done to violate yourself, your mind, your body and your heart.
No. You are not prepared to have sex, because you are not ready to be a mother or a father. Abstinence will make you strong, respectful and damn attractive. Who wants to be the subject of a locker room tell-all? No one has ever ended such a conversation with the sentence: "now there's a girl to marry" or "that's husband material". Self-respect is the way there. You'll never need to lie about how many partners you've had. How many STD's you might have/have had. How many pregnancy scares. You will have your turn. Pace yourself. There are plenty of ways to have fun as a teen. Make out. Making out is the highlight of life. Make out as much as you can as a teen. Those are the years to do it. Savor it. Save sex for later. Life will be so boring if you rush it. Trust me.
