In 2010, half of new sexually transmitted infections occurred in people ages 15 to 24. Oral sex can transmit chlamydia, genital herpes, gonorrhea and syphilis, according to the report.For background, read Oral Sex no Longer 'Safe' and also read Abstinent Teens the Norm, Moral Sex-Ed Works: Study as well as Fictional 'Safe Sex' - Gov't Losing War on STDs
-- From "CDC: Dip in Oral Sex Among Teens, but Numbers Still High" by Susan Donaldson James, ABC News 8/16/12
The National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] and Prevention, released data today that revealed an overall decrease in oral sex among adolescents between 2002 and 2010, reflecting a similar small decline in vaginal intercourse within the same age group.
Experts said two-thirds of all youth between the ages of 15 and 24 had had an experience with oral sex, risky behavior that the federal government said is contributing to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Some data suggest that many adolescents engage in oral sex because they believe it is safer and preserves their virginity, according to a CDC 2009 fact sheet.
"In our culture, there was a time when the president suggested that oral sex wasn't sex, and that is still with us, to some degree," said Geoffrey Michaelson, a Vienna, Va., psychologist who specializes in sexuality.
"From my point of view, any exchange of body fluid, touching, fondling or arousal, that is sex," he said.
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From "More teens have oral sex earlier than vaginal intercourse" by Karen Weintraub, Special for USA TODAY 8/16/12
The data speak to changing social mores and the need to educate teens about the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease from oral sex, experts say.
There's no such thing as totally "safe sex," [says Craig Roberts, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's University Health Services department and a member of the American College Health Association]. . . he notes that people who perform or receive oral sex are still at risk for other sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes, gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Other research suggests that more young people are deferring all types of sexual activity later than their parents and grandparents did.
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From "Teens Turn to Oral Sex Seeking Safe Alternative, Study Finds" by Elizabeth Lopatto, Bloomberg News 8/15/12
“Research suggests that adolescents perceive fewer health- related risks for oral sex compared with vaginal intercourse,” wrote the authors, led by Casey Copen in the division of vital statistics for the Atlanta-based CDC. “However, young people, particularly those who have oral sex before their first vaginal intercourse, may still be placing themselves at risk of STIs or HIV before they are ever at risk of pregnancy.”
The percentage of teenagers who have had vaginal sex dropped from 51 percent in 1988 to 43 percent in the period from 2006 to 2010, the report said. Condom use increased, according to the report, though the rate of sexually transmitted diseases remained about the same.
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From "Sex Life of Teenagers Is Subject of Study" by Douglas Quenqua, New York Times 8/16/12
Over all, 49 percent of boys and 48 percent of girls ages 15 to 19 have engaged in oral sex, according to the data. Among the younger teenagers in the survey, the ones ages 15 to 17, those numbers drop to 38 percent for boys and 33 percent for girls.
“There’s been a perception for many years that there’s some kind of epidemic of oral sex among teens,” said Leslie Kantor, vice president for education of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, who was not involved in the study. “If nothing else, this data provides a realistic sense of the numbers.”
Rates of oral sex among teenagers have been dropping over the past 10 years, as they have been for intercourse too, according to the C.D.C. In 2002, about 55 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds reported having engaged in oral sex. Between 2006 and 2010, that number dropped to 48 percent for boys and 46 percent for girls.
The survey included only opposite-sex interactions.
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