Study finds many young teens casual about oral sex

	Tweet

Teenagers as young as 14 seem to be relatively cavalier about oral sex, seeing it as much less of a physical, emotional and social risk than intercourse, researchers reported Monday.

The findings, they say, suggest that adults should include the topic of oral sex in the traditional birds-and-bees discussion.

The study of 580 ninth-graders in California public schools found that students were more likely to have had oral sex than vaginal intercourse—about 20 percent versus 13.5 percent.

They also generally viewed oral sex as far less risky than intercourse, and as a “more acceptable” behavior for teens their age.

The findings are not surprising, said Dr. Bonnie L. Halpern-Felsher, the study’s lead author—one reason being that oral sex is indeed less likely to spread sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and it eliminates the chance of pregnancy.

Some recent media reports, she noted, have also highlighted the popularity of oral sex among adolescents.

But the new findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, provide some hard data on how teens perceive the issue, according to Halpern-Felsher, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco.

When it came to physical risks, the teens in the survey correctly viewed oral sex as less likely than vaginal sex to transmit HIV or chlamydia. But about 14 percent thought oral sex carried “absolutely zero chance” of transmitting either infection—finding the study authors call concerning.

The teenagers also perceived oral sex as being more acceptable among their peers, and less likely to give them a “bad reputation.” On an emotional level, they tended to think that, compared with intercourse, having oral sex would be less likely to make them feel guilty or bad about themselves, or to harm their relationships with a girlfriend or boyfriend.

“It’s concerning that teens think it’s no big deal,” Halpern-Felsher told Reuters Health. In particular, she said, the emotional impact of having oral sex at age 14 or younger is potentially great.

“You are still having sex,” she said. “You’re still opening up.”

For teenagers, according to Halpern-Felsher, it’s the possible emotional and social consequences of having oral sex, more than the potential for STD transmission, that may grab their attention and shape their decisions.

It’s important, she said, for both parents and health professionals to start broaching the topic of oral sex when they talk with children and teens about sex. Talking only about “sex,” she pointed out, may not be enough, because many kids do not even regard oral sex as sex.

Oral sex may not be a particularly comfortable topic for parents or doctors to bring up, Halpern-Felsher acknowledged. But, she said, “We’ve got to.”

SOURCE: Pediatrics, April 2005.

RELATED STORIES:
Meth’s Sexual Effect Explains Addictions   Creativity linked to sexual success   Smoking ups impotence risk in younger men   Sex infections continue to rise   Psych disorders common with erectile dysfunction   Unsafe sex not main reason for syphilis outbreaks   Viagra useful for ED in men with MS   “Immaculate contraception” birth pill ad withdrawn   China university puts halt to condom handout   Syphilis through oral sex on the rise   Parents’ disapproval of sex may cut kids’ STD risk   Britain says sexual health will be a key priority

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]