"No one has compared typical teens before, because we stop being so concerned about their sexual behavior after they leave high school," said lead study author Jennifer Bailey. "But it is important that we know what they are doing because late adolescence and the early 20s are the peak times for acquiring a sexually transmitted infection. HIV is a big risk. Chlamydia can affect fertility. The prevalence of gonorrhea and chlamydia are increasing. And some forms of human papillomavirus are related to cervical and other cancers. So it is important that we know what puts young people at risk for these sexually transmitted infections and what social structures may help protect them." The study found that college students were more likely to always use a condom and less likely to engage in casual sex or high-risk sex than teens who did not attend a two- or four-year college.
What is casual sex and high-risk sex? For this study, casual sex was defined as having sex with someone not considered to be a boyfriend or girlfriend, having sex with someone they had known for less than two weeks or having more than one sexual partner in the previous month. Criteria for high-risk sex included casual sex and inconsistent condom use, as well as having sex with a man who had sex with other men or having sex with a partner who was HIV positive or who was an intravenous drug user.
Parent alert: Find out the favorite time for teens to have sex.
Significant findings:
--23 percent of the college students reported inconsistent condom use, compared with 35 percent of the non-college subjects.
--15 percent of the college students engaged in casual sex versus 29 percent of the others.
--5 percent of the college students had high-risk sex versus 16 percent of the others.
--53 percent of the college students engaged in sex in the previous month versus 70 percent of the others.
"Generally what students do six months after graduation is what they did in high school. The kids who were doing risky sexual behavior in high school are continuing to do it. And the kids who were engaging in that behavior in high school generally are less likely to go to college," she said. While the study focused on the differences between college and non-college attendees, data showed drug and alcohol use in high school was an important contributor to risky sexual behavior. Those who used drugs, alcohol or marijuana in high school were six times as likely to engage in casual sex and four times as likely to engage in high-risk sexual behavior as non-users. Bailey said the findings emphasize the need for continuing efforts for HIV and sexually transmitted disease prevention programs in high school and beyond. The study findings were published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
You won't believe how many teenagers are physically abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
