Girls of my mum's generation didn't know what they wanted. There's more choice and less judgment about having sex. The sexual freedom enjoyed by independent, confident single women such as Carrie, the central character in TV's Sex and the City, may be filtering through to the expectations of teenage girls. Dr Bagshaw is concerned that as girls catch up to boys in alcohol, cannabis, and violence statistics, they are overtaking them in being sexually active. In Diana's assessment, there are more boys than girls who are virgins at her age.
Boys are more talk and less action.
Nicola sees her daughter as experiencing the benefits of women's liberation without understanding its origins. It's openly accepted among Diana's peers that having sex is their choice. I can afford to have fun and do what I want as long as I'm not hurting anyone. The high profile of sex on television, in films, and in magazines means teenagers experience sex second-hand at a much earlier age. The real thing is the obvious next step.