Adolescent sexuality

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Main articles: Human sexuality and Adolescence

Adolescent sexuality refers to sexual feelings, behavior and development in adolescents and is a stage of human sexuality. Sexuality "is a vital aspect of teens' lives"[1] Questions of human sexuality generally and adolescent sexuality in particular are of concern to the wider society. The sexual behavior of adolescents is influenced by their culture's norms and mores, their sexual preference, and the issues of social control such as age of consent laws.

Sexual activity generally is associated with a number of risks, including sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV/AIDS) and pregnancy through failure or non-use of birth control. Particularly for adolescents, who may not be psychologically mature or independent, there are added risks of emotional distress or future poverty from teenage pregnancy.

Contents

[edit] In the United States

Main article: Adolescent sexuality in the United States

Changes in the expression of adolescent sexuality in the United States find their origins in the sexual revolution and is a focus of the culture wars. The U.S. federal government policy under George W. Bush has emphasized sexual abstinence or pre-marital chastity, particularly in sex education with a focus on abstinence-only sex education rather than the harm reduction approach of the safe sex focus. It has extended this approach to foreign policy, using foreign aid to pressure NGO's into ending condom education in third-world countries.

Both boys and girls in the U.S. are "entering puberty at least two years earlier than previous generations and are physically ready for sex earlier,"[2] mostly due to better nutrition and fat intake. Some argue that they are, however, not ready "emotionally or cognitively".[2] Teenage sexual encounters are increasingly taking place outside the context of romantic relationships as sexual hookups."[3] Of sexually active 13-16 year olds "roughly half... have been involved in a casual sexual relationship",[4] representing "profound shift in the culture of high school dating and sex."[5]

In 2002, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health reported a "dramatic trend toward the early initiation of sex."[6] According to the American Academy of Pediatrics "early sexual intercourse among American adolescents represents a major public health problem. Although early sexual activity may be caused by a variety of factors, the media are believed to play a significant role. In film, television, and music, sexual messages are becoming more explicit in dialogue, lyrics, and behavior. In addition, these messages contain unrealistic, inaccurate, and misleading information that young people accept as fact. U.S. Teens rank the media second only to school sex education programs as a leading source of information about sex."[7]

Between 1991 and 2001 the number of high school seniors in the United States who reported that they have had sexual intercourse dropped from 54% to 46%.[8] The vast majority, 87%, of 13-16 year olds have not reported having sexual intercourse and 73% report having not been sexually intimate at all. Three quarters of them say they have not because they feel they are too young, and just as many say they have made a conscious decision not to.[4] 14% more girls than boys (81% vs. 67%) say they have made a conscious decision to wait and and 15% more say they believe they are too young (82% vs. 67%). Girls who date or hang out with older boys are "more likely to be pressured into having sex, more likely to get a sexually transmitted disease, and more likely to experience an unwanted pregnancy."[9]

Relative to vaginal intercourse, oral sex has increased in popularity.[10] Teen pregnancies in the United States decreased 28% between 1990 and 2000 from 117 pregnancies per every 1,000 teens to 84 per 1,000.[11] STDs and 'anything but intercourse' behaviors are a major concern.[12]

Of sexually active 15-19 year olds almost all (98%) use at least one form of contraception. The most popular form, at 94% usage, are condoms and the birth control pill is second at 61%.[13] Contraceptives lower the risk of conceiving a child. Condoms lower the risk of sexually transmitted diseases,[14] but provide little protection against the human papillomavirus (HPV), a major cause of cancer and genital warts that are now countered by new vaccines.[15]

From "1991 to 2005, a significant linear increase and a significant quadratic change were identified" of students who used drugs or alcohol before their last sexual intercourse.[16] "Among the 33.9% of high school students nationwide in 2005 who had had sexual intercourse with one or more persons during the three months preceding the survey, 23.3% had drunk alcohol or used drugs before last sexual intercourse.[16] Among the 33.9% of students, 14.1% of Black students, 25.6% of Hispanic students, and 25.0% of White students reported using alcohol or drugs the last time they had intercourse.[16] Overall, the prevalence of having drunk alcohol or used drugs before last sexual intercourse was higher among male than female students.[16]

Most teens (70%) say they have gotten some or a lot of information about sex and sexual relationships from their parents. Other sources of information include friends at 53%, school, also at 53%, TV and movies at 51% and magazines at 34%. School and magazines were sources of information for more girls than boys, and teens "who were sexually active were much more likely to say they got information about sex from their friends and partners."[4]

[edit] Effects

The "early initiation [of] sexual behaviors [takes] a toll on teens' mental health. The result... can be 'dependency on boyfriends and girlfriends, serious depression around breakups and cheating, [and a] lack of goals.'"[12] When teens engage in sexual activities that are not part of intimate relationship then "they're not then developing all of the really important skills like trust and communication and all those things that are the key ingredients for a healthy, long-lasting relationship."[17] When having causal sex teens are "pretending to say it's just sexual and nothing else. That's an arbitrary slicing up of the intimacy pie. It's not healthy."[18]

"Teens - and preteens - are too young to fathom the consequences, both physical and emotional, of their (sexual) behavior."[12] As "teenagers are not mature enough to know all the ramifications of what they're doing,"[19] "early sexual activity - whether in or out of a romantic relationship - does far more harm than good."[20]

The "impersonality of twenty-first-century adolescent sex victimizes girls" and "plenty of harm" is done to boys as well.[21] When taking part in hookups "the kids don't even look at each other. It's mechanical, dehumanizing. The fallout is that later in life they have trouble forming relationships. They're jaded."[22] It "almost always unilateral[ly]" boys who receive oral sex, and the girls who give it.[23][4] When girls provide oral sex "they do so without pleasure, usually to please their boyfriend or to avoid the possibility of pregnancy."[24] This is the "heterosexual script that entitles boys and disables girls"[25] and has "absolutely" put "girls at a disadvantage."[26]

The Youth rights movement, including Author Judith Levine, express that sexual activity among adolescents and even children is natural and causes little to no harm if contraception is used. Levine believes that since humans are sexual beings that even the smallest children will most likely end up taking part in sex rehearsal play with other children out of their own explorations and that it causes no harm.[27] Deborah Tolman, director of the Center for Research on Gender and Sexuality and a Professor of Human Sexuality Studies at San Francisco State University, explains that we are sexual beings and should be educated about the nuances of our sexual feelings, choices and behaviors.[28]

[edit] In Britain

It has been suggested that Adolescent sexuality in Britain be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)
Main article: Adolescent sexuality in Britain

In 2006 a survey conducted by The Observer showed that most adolescents in Britain were waiting longer to have sexual intercourse than they were only a few years earlier. In 2002, 32% of teens were having sex before the legal age of consent of 16; in 2006 it was only 20%.

The average age a teen lost their virginity was 17.13 years in 2002. In 2006 girls lost theirs at 17.44 years on average and boys lost theirs at 18.06 years. The most notable drop among teens who reported having sex was 14 and 15 year olds.[29]

Of Western European countries, Britain has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase.[30] One in nine sexual active teens has chlamydia and 790,000 teens have sexually transmitted infections. In 2005 the "biggest rise [in STIs] was seen in syphilis, which rocketed by more than 20 per cent, but increases were also seen in genital warts and herpes."[31]

[edit] In India

Main article: Adolescent sexuality in India

[edit] Motivation and frequency

Sexual relationships outside marriage are not uncommon among teenage boys and girls in India. By far, the best predictor of whether or not a girl would be having sex is if her friends were engaging in the same activities. For those girls whose friends were having a physical relationship with a boy, 84.4% were engaging in the same behavior. Only 24.8% of girls whose friends were not having a physical relationship had one themselves. In urban areas, 25.2% of girls have had intercourse and in rural areas 20.9% have. Better indicators of whether or not girls were having sex were their employment and school status. Girls who were not attending school were 14.2%(17.4% v. 31.6%) more likely and girls who were employed were 14.4%(36.0% v. 21.6%) more likely to be having sex.[32]

In the Indian socio cultural milieu girls have less access to parental love, schools, opportunities for self development and freedom of movement than boys do. It has been argued that they may rebel against this lack of access or seek out affection through physical relationships with boys. While the data reflects trends to support this theory, it is inconclusive.[32] The freedom to communicate with adolescent boys was restricted for girls regardless of whether they lived in an urban or rural setting, and regardless of whether they went to school or not. More urban girls than rural girls discussed sex with their friends. Those who did not may have felt "the subject of sexuality in itself is considered an 'adult issue' and a taboo or it may be that some respondents were wary of revealing such personal information."[33]

[edit] Contraceptive use

Among Indian girls, "misconceptions about sex, sexuality and sexual health were large. However, adolescents having sex relationships were somewhat better informed about the sources of spread of STDs and HIV/AIDS."[32] While 40.0% of sexually active girls were aware that condoms could help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and reduce the likelihood of pregnancy, only 10.5% used a condom during the last time they had intercourse.[32]

[edit] Legal aspects of adolescent sexuality

Main articles: Age of consent and Marriageable age

The age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be capable of legally giving informed consent to any contract or behavior regulated by law with another person, specifically laws regulating sexual acts rather than the age of majority, age of criminal responsibility, or the marriageable age.

Sexual relations with a person under the age of consent are generally a criminal offense, with punishments ranging from token fines to life imprisonment. Many different terms exist for the charges laid and include statutory rape, illegal carnal knowledge, or corruption of a minor.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ponton, Lynn (2000). The Sex Lives of Teenagers. New York: Dutton, 2. ISBN 0452282608. 
  2. ^ a b Ponton, Lynn (2000). The Sex Lives of Teenagers. New York: Dutton, 3. ISBN 0452282608. 
  3. ^ Sax, M.D., Ph.D, Leonard (2005). Why Gender Matters. Doubleday, 132. ISBN 038551073X. 
  4. ^ a b c d Katie Couric (2005). Nearly 3 in 10 young teens 'sexually active' (html). MSNBC. Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
  5. ^ Alexandra Hall. "The Mating Habits of the Suburban High School Teenager". Boston Magazine (May 2003). 
  6. ^ Adolescent Sexual Behavior and Sexual Health, Renee E. Sieving, Jennifer A. Oliphant, and Robert Wm. Blum, Pediatrics in Review 2002 23: 407-416.
  7. ^ Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media, PEDIATRICS Vol. 107 No. 1 January 2001, pp. 191-194
  8. ^ Trends in Sexual Risk Behaviors Among High School Students--United States, 1991-2001, Center for Disease Control, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2002]
  9. ^ Why Gender Matters, Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D., 2005, Doubleday books, page 136. See also Mike Males, Adult Liaison in the Epidemic of Teenage Birth, Pregnancy and Venereal Disease, Journal of Sex Research, 29:525-45, 1992.
  10. ^ Sax, M.D., Ph.D, Leonard (2005). Why Gender Matters. Doubleday, 121. ISBN 038551073X. 
  11. ^ http://www.kff.org/youthhivstds/upload/U-S-Teen-Sexual-Activity-Fact-Sheet.pdf
  12. ^ a b c Anna Mulrine. "Risky Business". U.S. News & World Report (May 27, 2002). 
  13. ^ http://www.kff.org/youthhivstds/upload/U-S-Teen-Sexual-Activity-Fact-Sheet.pdf
  14. ^ http://www.ashastd.org/hpv/hpv_learn_myths.cfm
  15. ^ http://www.cdc.gov/STD/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm
  16. ^ a b c d The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS): 2005 (pdf). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2005). Retrieved on 2007-01-20. page 198.
  17. ^ David Walsh, a psychologist and author of the teen-behavior book Why Do They Act That Way?, as quoted in Sharon Jayson (10/19/2005). Teens define sex in new ways (html). USA Today. Retrieved on 2007-01-20.
  18. ^ Paul Coleman, a Poughkeepsie, N.Y., psychologist and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Intimacy, as quoted in Sharon Jayson (10/19/2005). Teens define sex in new ways (html). USA Today. Retrieved on 2007-01-20.
  19. ^ Paul Coleman, a Poughkeepsie, N.Y., psychologist and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Intimacy, as quoted in Sharon Jayson (10/19/2005). Teens define sex in new ways (html). USA Today. Retrieved on 2007-01-20.
  20. ^ Why Gender Matters, Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D., 2005, Doubleday books
  21. ^ Why Gender Matters, Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D., 2005, Doubleday books
  22. ^ Dr. Marsha Levy-Warren, as quoted in Anne Jarrell. "The Teenage Face of Sex Grows Younger". New York Times (April 2, 2000). 
  23. ^
  24. ^ The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls, Joan Brumberg, Random House, 1997, p. 190.
  25. ^ Anne Jarrell. "The Teenage Face of Sex Grows Younger". New York Times (April 2, 2000). 
  26. ^ Amy Benfer (January 10, 2001). A teen sex guru speaks (html). Salon.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
  27. ^ Levine, Judith. Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex. University of Minnesota Press. 
  28. ^ “It Just Happened…” A Review of Deborah Tolman’s Dilemmas of Desire: Teenage Girls Talk About Sexuality (html). American Sexuality Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  29. ^ Denis Campbell (January 22, 2006). "No sex please until we're at least 17 years old, we're British". The Observer. 
  30. ^ Christine Webber, psychotherapist and Dr David Delvin (2005). Talking to pre-adolescent children about sex (html). Broaching the subject. Net Doctor. Retrieved on 2007-01-17.
  31. ^ Jonathan Thompson (November 12, 2006). "New safe sex ads target teens 'on the pull'". The Independent. 
  32. ^ a b c d R.S.Goya, Indian Institute of Health Management Research, Jaipur, India. Socio-psychological Constructs of Premarital Sex Behavior among Adolescent Girls in India (pdf). Abstract. Princeton University. Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
  33. ^ Dhoundiyal Manju & Venkatesh Renuka (2006). "Knowledge regarding human sexuality among adolescent girls". The Indian Journal of Pediatrics 73 (8). 
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