May 25, 2005
Teen Pregnancy Drops by 30%
The teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. has dropped nearly 30% since 1990. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is setting a goal to bring the rate down another third in ten years.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 08:53 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 27, 2005
Abstinence Groups Question Oral Sex Study
A study released earlier this month that reported on teen attitudes towards oral sex is drawing fire from abstinence groups. The study found teens have a casual attitude toward oral sex and suggested teens are turning to oral sex to preserve their virginity.
Richard Ross, co-founder of True Love Waits, counters that their material has always preached purity in all areas of sexuality. New York Times columnist David Brooks came to the defense of teens (subscription required), pointing to stats that indicate teens are having less sex than previous generations.
Bicker, bicker, back and forth. Sigh. Adults can argue all they want over whether or not teens are doing it, how to do sex ed, and all that. But sometimes we miss the point—it's your life. Know what you're getting yourself into and talk to an adult you can trust if you've got questions. Not everyone is doing it. Sex is a big deal, and maybe instead of arguing over numbers, adults should be honest about what's at stake: you.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 09:03 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
April 26, 2005
Public Virginity Pledges Likely to Fail
A new survey of virginity pledges shows that those who make a formal public promise are less likely to stick to it. Of the teens surveyed, 17% had made a formal public pledges and 74% made a casual, private commitment. Those private commitments were more likely to wait, showing the importance of a private, personal choice as opposed to the pressure that can come with a formal public choice.
While the article doesn't give a lot of details, it appears from the numbers that 91% of teens have made a commitment, whether public or private, to wait for sex. That's amazing.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 08:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 25, 2005
Pornography is Ho-Hum for Teens
The Internet has made pornography so accessible for teens it's ho-hum:
"I mean, porn is really easy to get now. It's like, who cares? [It's] like cigarettes, which everybody can get if they want them. Porn is just another form of entertainment now." -18-year-old Ben Meredith
Admittedly the effects of porn are hard to discern—today's teens are having less sex than previous generations of teens. But all that easy-access porn is only serving up a stilted perception of reality. The negative implications for body image and attitudes towards sexuality can't be good.
If you're struggling with porn check out the #1 Christian porn site, xxxchurch.com. It's not what you think.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 08:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 05, 2005
Everyone Is Not Doing It
70% of girls ages 13-20 say they are virgins.
(ElleGirl, April 2005)
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Let's Talk About Oral Sex
20% of teens have had oral sex and 32% intend to in the next six months, according to a survey of California teens (see the full survey). Comparatively 14% of teens have had vaginal intercourse and 26% intend to in the next six months.
I find three things intriguing about this study:
- When asked whether or not their peers were having sex, teens over-estimated big time. Teens thought 41% of their peers have had vaginal intercourse (it's only 14% according to the survey), and 47% of their peers have had oral sex (it's only 20%). Apparently everyone is not doing it.
- Teens were asked to gauge the risk of contracting various diseases when having vaginal intercourse vs. oral sex. Teens correctly saw much less risk in having oral sex, but despite the lowered risk, there is still a chance of contracting herpes, hepatitis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV from oral sex. Yikes. Sexual activity is simply not risk free.
- Only 40% of teens thought having sex (vaginal or oral) would make them feel good about themselves. More than half thought they'd feel bad about themselves and feel guilt (just under half for oral sex). 'If it feels good do it' is a questionable philosophy to begin with, but sex for an unmarried teen may not feel good in the end.
Bottom line: Sex is a big deal, regardless of what you see everywhere else. Aside from the risk of various diseases, sex goes pretty deep psychologically and spiritually. Oral sex seems to be on the rise, but let's not kid ourselves that it's safe or easy or not really sex.
This is a weighty topic that I'm hesitant to talk about, but I don't think that helps anyone. If you're struggling with sex, wondering if you should do it, wondering if you should stop, or whatever, I'd encourage you to talk to someone. Freak your parents out and ask them about sex.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 03:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack