Unhappy Valentine’s Day, Page 12

I remember over on the gURL.com discussion of this comic, some readers voiced their (very valid) concern that I come off as anti-sex, verging on sounding like an abstinence-only advocate. I admit, I felt strongly that you should limit your sex partners, but that was mostly because I saw a lot of young people in my community doing stupid things, like getting pregnant while still in high school as a ploy to “keep a man.” (Which, btw, rarely works out in anyone’s favor, least of all the child’s.) It was frustrating to witness, and this was the most productive way for me to vent those frustrations.

The problem, I think, comes down to two things: poor sex education and low self-esteem. When people value themselves and their bodies and know how to protect themselves, they can start engaging in mature sexual conduct. I tried to focus on that more in later comics like Always Pack Protection, because treating a symptom isn’t as effective as treating its cause.