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November 8th, 2010
06:15 PM ET
Study: Girls take more chances during first sexEven though teenage boys are known for their risky behavior, it’s girls who are more likely to engage in unprotected first sex, according to research presented Monday at an American Public Health Association meeting in Denver. Nicole Weller, a doctoral student at Arizona State University, analyzed government data and found adolescent girls were 30 percent more likely than boys to have sex without contraception during their first sexual encounter. Weller said that surprised her. “It does because of the history of boys engaging in risky behavior across the spectrum and then seeing that females are having first unprotected sex is telling a different story,” Weller said. For example, teenage boys are more likely than girls to drink and smoke. But Laura Lindberg, senior research associate at the Guttmacher Institute, said boys may still have a lot to do with it. She said teenage girls are less likely than boys to want to have sex when it happens for the first time and may not do as good a job advocating for birth control. Lindberg added that contraception at first sex is 80 percent condoms, meaning birth control largely depends on the boy. In the research presented Monday, sexual education at school did not affect use of contraceptives during an adolescent’s first sexual encounter even though more than 80 percent of adolescents receive some type of sex ed, Weller said. Nor did it matter what type they received. Weller broke down sexual education into abstinence-only, birth control methods, and information about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The study looked at data from 5,012 boys and girls aged 11 to 19 from the National Survey on Family Growth who reported any sexual activity. The average age of first sex in that group was 16 for both boys and girls. Studies have shown that the older a teen is before sex, the more likely they are to use birth control. Weller plans to look at whether girls are more likely to engage in unprotected sex if they are in a relationship. “The hypothesis is that relationship status will override sexual education. I love my boyfriend. I trust my boyfriend. I’m not worrying about getting an STD from him,” she said. Her research also found African Americans were 40 percent more likely to engage in unprotected first sex than whites. Weller’s presented her research as a poster at the conference, meaning it was not peer reviewed. The doctoral student said she expected to complete the research by the end of the year and submitted to peer reviewed journals early next year. Weller conducted her work at Arizona State’s Interdisciplinary Research Center, which is funded by a grant from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
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when you are a teen age boy you brag about how many girls you score with
I love how the picture posted with this article depicts a girl dressed in shorts short enough to see her cervix, and she is holding a condom in an alley with some skuzzy looking boy. I guess if your first time involves turning a trick in an alley, then yes. That is pretty risky "first sex."
Haha I love this statement.
"teenage boys are more likely than girls to drink and smoke."
That is because:
"teenage girls are less likely than boys to want to have sex "
Nicole Weller, it doesn't take a doctor to give these facts. You can ask any teen girl or boy.
I love how everyone "thinks" what could cause these girls to not want to use a condom.
First of all everyone knows it feels better.
Second you really don't plan on having sex at that age, its in the moment or when your parents hav finally left the house
Yes in the movies a boy carries a condom in his wallet, but what most sixteen year old has a job? Or the guts to go into a store and buy it himself. Usually its a coaching older brother..haha
To most teens, at that moment its just to feel good or the feeling of being loved.
These sex eds in school. It lets kids know what can happen and what you can receive from a partner. Its not stopping kids from being sexually active. Its a want that everyone lusts for. You can be 80 years old and not ever had sex, but doesnt stop you from thinking about it. I was 16 three years ago. All i remember from those classes was diseases and pregnancy's. Still today people are doing it unprotected and giving birth. Its nothing to blame but those damn hormones. And who are these kids learning things from? You. Its neither the boys or girls fault. The thing to blame doesn't have a gender. Geez. If anyone could remember being sixteen it was a mutual feeling having sexual wants.
You are brilliant! THIS is what every parent of a teen needs to be reminded of. THIS is why we need to be more proactive and outspoken in educating our children without bias........because we all remember what it is like to be a teen, and we know what those hormones will do. This is it right here. THIS is why people who strictly teach their kids to abstain need to be smacked.............because $h*t happens and it is completely ignorant to deny it and plan for it. So what do you do? Educate your kids the best you can. Witholding info is just plain dumb. Assuming a teenager is going to live by your rules of abstinence is insane. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst is a better plan.
im in college but im not really mature enough for sex ( i like legos XD) i use the free condoms they give out in little art projects. I made a crude model of the titanic out of em.
The sanctity of marriage is a load of baloney. For the majority of human history and even to this day most marriages have never been about love but have been about money. To each their own. But one shouldn't have to be married to enjoy sex, If one chooses to commit themselves to another it should not be because they want to have sex and not feel guilty. But because they love the whole package that the significant other brings to their life. The reason the divorce rate is high is because young couples are being pressured to marry at a young age so their religious parents don't look down on them for wanting to enjoy something thats been in human nature way before religion ever came to be.
Personally I feel like its about resposibility for both parties. I've been on the pill for a while, and with the same person so we know who is resposible for birth control. However our first time we did use a condom. I didnt want to take any risks! But I do agree that a lot of girls are pressured into it (I'd love to see an article about how many girls regret their first time) and therefore dont insist on birth control. Also consider the parents and how many dont and wont provide birth control. Not all girls can simply go on the pill or get condoms, so it falls to the guy to be responsible if he wants sex.
As for teaching it, I think it just falls to how kids are raised. If parents can talk to their kids about sex and make it so they can come to them if the kids have questions or need birth control then the parents can handle it. Unfortunately that just doesnt happen.
Even though teenage boys are known for their risky behavior, it’s girls who are more likely to engage in unprotected first sex, according to research presented Monday at an American Public Health Association meeting in Denver.
Just a thought here.. teenage boys, short of commiting rape, are with a willing partner, which in this case, is a girl, who would be having sex w/o protection with him.. that's kind of an equal decision/same ratio thing.. or am i just perceiving it wrong?
it's like a 5:1 ratio. duhhhhh
Girls, no boy is worth this much trouble. Just get yourself a baseball bat and some vaseline.
Do I absolutely LOVE the feeling of a seatbelt around my chest when I ride in a car? No. Is it sometimes annoying or itchy or constrictive? Sometimes. Do I oftentimes barely notice it's there or sometimes forget about it completely if the scenery is beautiful or the conversation in the car interesting? Often. Do I wear one EVERY SINGLE TIME I RIDE IN A CAR? Yes.
Who needs birth control now that the liberal school system is teaching that abortion is a form of birth control.
HA! Abortion/contraceptives aren't spoken of in public schools who receive TitalX money.
Fact: It is impossible for a girl to get pregnant the first time they have sex.
hope you don't believe that!
I second that! You are a JACK HOLE!! Buy a real book and read it.
Rather than behaving like dogs and cats who keep mating here and there,being human and having the gift of intelligence its more appropriate if sex eduction is more oriented towards abstinence rather than building condom factories. This is nothing new, it worked so well in the past . Times have changed, but there is no certainty that this would go on forever. As humans we would soon rediscover the value of abstinence. This is just a cycle.
I don't doubt the validity of this research; I am reminded of my own first time. I think my parents missed the boat on the second half of the birds-and-the-bees chat; I had to learn on my own. Not cool.
Women will never reach their potential or ascend to positions of importance and authority until they stop looking at themselves as victims and that others, mostly males, are responsible for their problems. Take responsibility for yourselves and stop blaming males for everything.
have as much sex a possible! woohoo. starting young gives you more years to have more sex. it's a good strat.
Remember to use a plastic sheet the first time for a girl. Not in, but under her/you.
What are you 12 or 13?
I like
I would just like to add that if this statement was written the other way around (i.e. if it said, "Her research also found caucasions were 40% more likely to engage in unprotected first sex than blacks.") there would be some NAACP law suit already filed and someone's job lost.
"Her research also found African Americans were 40 percent more likely to engage in unprotected first sex than whites."
I'm a caucasion, not just a "white", and I feel discriminated against.
The discussion that is not happening here is the use of non-vaginal sexual alternatives. Disease may still be a problem, but other types of sex at least take pregnancy off the table.
Here's the thing:
1) Condoms are not just for birth control, which is a lesser issue for men (come on guys, we know this is true)
2) Condoms are uncomfortable and lead many men to have erectile problems (thus the unpopularity)
3) Men have one choice in protection, and it is very noticeable.
4) This protection helps the man and the woman, but only the man has to use it.
5) There are no "good side effects"to condoms (unlike, period regulation, breast enlargement, libido rising for pill use)
Condoms are a neccesary protection, like wearing a hazmat suit. That's not exactly an exciting or sex-inducing thought.
I feel that this study went down the right path but took the wrong exit. How many girls out there view pregnancy as a way of anchoring down their BF into commitment? Doesn't anyone remember the pregnancy pact that happened a few years ago? These girls have this artificial dream of settling down with a family at any costs. I will admit as a guy myself... most guys only think with one organ before sex and it isn't the brain. Also, what many are failing to realize is... it takes two for sex. It is not just the guys fault when a teen girl gets pregnant in a relationship (obviously I'm not talking about rape or sexual assault). We need to treat teens as kids... not adults as I've seen so many parents do.
Girls can afford to be less protective... they won't be paying for the baby! Boys have to pay... it's called child support, and the baby daddy pays.
The adolescent brain doesn't fully develop until the mid-twenties. Until then, boys and girls will make stupid decisions that will affect their lives forever. I think the girls think that they will lose their boyfriends if they don't give in. I'm glad to hear that many guys here have been ardent users of condoms, but they really don't/can't protect from all STD's. What's so wrong with teaching and advocating abstinence until the kids mature and can make better and informed decisions? It's the LIBERAL culture that has been created and the peer pressure kids face. It's the ignorance of the consequences (back to brain development) and the idea that nothing will happen to them. PC or not, it is pregnancies (plural) that keep some minorities in poverty. We need to reach out to these kids, teach them self worth, encourage them to stay in school and keep their legs crossed. Otherwise, the cycle repeats itself over and over. Babies don't anchor someone to another person. Girls need to get this concept. We also need to teach our boys to be consistent with their condom use. I think it is much easier for a boy to obtain condoms (somewhat expected) than a girl, who would be judged as SLUT, and rightly so if they are extremely young. Our kids CAN be taught the benefits of abstinence until they are older. Why is it so hard to get parents to be the teachers?
Actually pre-frontal cortex maturation happens anywhere between the ages of 17-25. And used correctly condoms DO protect against ALL STD's. No disease particles are small enough to slip through. Unfortunately there are other membranes that touch that aren't covered by a condom. (Hence female condoms).
Also human beings are SUPPOSED to be "mating" during this period in thier lives and have done so for hundreds of thousands of years. Unfortunately, though, puberty has come years quicker (due to hormones in food and reaching the appropriate weight quicker) and marriage has been pushed back almost a decade. Humans don't as a whole "Keep their legs crossed during their most fertile life period! Get real!
Perhaps you better review your neuropsychological data. The brain is the brain; their are no adolescent brains. Your brain will never stop developing, and you are actually more likely to make stupid mistakes (ie, ones in which you should know better) due to habitual actions learned throughout your life. This is why the LIBERAL culture teaches critical thinking.
The idea of abstinence is not a bad one, just not a realistic one. As curious beings, humans will do things others tell them is not a good idea. This does not always lead to bad things, as it leads many people to create new and ingenius methods and technologies.
So according to your argument, people xpect boys to be sluts, because girls should be ashamed of having the same feelings at their age? (btw, child sexual brain development begins at birth).
You are right about a few things, though. Adolescents do need to know they have worth and they have rights. One of those rights is to purchase contraceptives be they male or female without judgment! They should be applauded for making a good decision to use them. I do think the subject of sex and relationships needs to be brought up earlier and more frequently today. Too much misinformation and withholding of information about their bodies and sexuality happens to American youth today.
So the girls are supposed to keep their legs closed or be branded a slut, and the boys are allowed to have intercourse as long as they use condoms correctly?
Well, why would any teen be confused about those misogynistic conflicted messages?
You sound like a simpleton, who wants to make females behave and live to a higher standard,but wants the male to undermine it!!
I would say to teens always use condoms, because it is a health issue and you could pay with your life in the future for the mistakes you make today, and then I wouldn't judge either gender for their sex life.
The missing data is the number of girls COERCED into first sex. When they are coerced they are at a significantly younger age (think 12-14) With older male partners. They are not empowered to insist on condoms. also only 50% o15 year olds report having ANY conversations about sex with their parents. This would probably be a reason for a majority of the doctors findings. As for the African-American findings, this is no surprise either. previous studies report they don't feel SAFE to demand their partner wear a condom. There is a reason African American girls are the most likely group to contract HIV these days.
@nightnurse–you are exactly right with your comments on what the girls are thinking/feeling. I think the missing data IS that they are coerced into sex, that is why they did not prepare for it. Society should change its view on the double standard. We can best protect our young people by educating them (esp. girls) about sex and MEN. Give them the confidence they need to stand up to the boys, and stop condoning men acting like irresponsible pigs.
I kind of feel bad for the boys involved that are teens. How many of them have Dad's informing them of sexual etiquette and "no means no?" Instead they talk to other little boys in the locker room...great source material...
Last time I checked condoms don't protect against sexually transmitted viruses.There's something they don't teach in school.What about being selective about and limiting partners instead of sleeping with every form of filth on the planet then crying about getting a incurable STD?this applies to both men and woman.
That is incorrect data. HIV is one of the many viruses that condoms protect against.
Then put your money where your mouth is and sleep with someone with AIDS using a condom bet my next pay check you won't.
I'm a nurse. I handle the body fluids of Pt's with HIV with proper protective equipment that has been scientifically proven frequently. The pores in latex are waaaay to small to let virus particles through. Your risk are through a condom ripping or misuse.
Black girls 40% more likely to engauge in sex without contraception.I would love to see the facts about spanish girls. I can see it now "On your first encounter did you use contraception" No I used my Papito's sofa.
In the heat of passion, either with teens or adults, the mere thought of conception goes out the window. Girls are afraid if they say "No" the boy will find another girl who will say "yes". Seeing down a t the Malls so many young girls with infants (and no guy ins sight) is troubling. It seems Out of Wedlock births are on the upswing & made more popular by "copy cat" girls who want a baby because their friend has one.
Our Movie Stars aren't making things easier for kids to say No, as the "stars" reproducing Out of Wedlock children. This gives the teens ideas that this is an acceptable practice.
When will it end.....never!
First I'd say that in any case where there is no condom, BOTH sexes are engaging in risky sex, and the percentage of girls vs boys should be exactly the same unless you're including homosexual activity in this study. Secondly, if I am missing something and the study is correct, perhaps girls are just more anxious to get pregnant at that age, being stupid teenagers (everyone was a moron as a teenager, I'm not generalizing any gender).
OOOOOOH!NASTY! NASTY ung cuntz!!!
SEX is natural and a wonderful thing. but just be very selective of who you have sexy time with
Let em ALL catch AIDS!!! To 'ell with em all!
People are dense. Most girls aren't prepared (ie, with condoms) because they aren't planning on having sex! And because largely, at that age, they're being coerced into it. Not forced, but coerced. They think if they do it, the guy will love them forever, they're already imagining the house with a white picket fence, while the guy isn't thinking much beyond 'She said yes!'
I doubt teenage girls are thinking picket fence. They are thinking more of love and acceptance.
Look at the way young girls dress (see above picture)... girls are flaunting their bodies, seeking sexual attention, and in fact coercing boys. Girls just need to wear pants that go lower than their vagina and a shirt that covers their abdomen, show a little less cleavage. Look at the way girls dress, they are WITHOUT QUESTION, planning on having sex. They're trying to lure boys in, and not wear a condom to have their babies.
Am I the last 20+ year-old virgin by choice, (for moral reasons, and not religious practices)?
You are not alone
Ohhh yes. Single parenthood is what every girl dreams of. Get real. Girls coercing boys to have sex? The data stands against that one, buddy.
Who said anything about single parenthood? Girls think they're in love with a potential father because they don't know better at that age. And girls absolutely dress provocatively, trying to get noticed. Look up the word if you don't understand it's meaning. They are intentionally trying to sexually stimulate men by dressing in skimpy clothes, and that is 100% a form of coercion.
A male finding a female attractive is COERCION? Buddy that's just biology. I think you need to look up coercion, no offense.
The poster that this thread is related to, JustMe (above), said girls are not forced but coerced into sex. She's seriously suggesting that generally speaking, boys coerce girls into sex. I know she means pressured, because she can't possibly be suggesting that sex is rarely if ever consensual. But in keeping with JustMe's logic, girls are coercing boys by dressing provocatively because boys are coercing girls by asking for sex. If you're going after me for misuse of coercion, then don't be so sexist about it and go after justme for saying that boys coerce girls. So if boys coerce (pressure) girls into sex, then girls coerce (pressure) boys into wanting it.
By true definition of coercion, yes, women also coerce men into sex. I can't post the link, so google "cut throat eat my" and discover that women indeed, do coerce men.
And no offense, but you need to look up provocative (which is what I asked you to do earlier), because I never said being attracted to someone was coercion, I said dressing like a slut to grab the guys attention, with the intetnion of making him notice your body and your sexuality is coercion (if we use the word consistently with the previous post where coercion was differentiated from force). You are manipulating the guy's penis by dressing like a slut, and you know it... you do it on purpose. That's why she shouldn't be complaining of boys "coercing" girls into sex. Look at the picture, the girl dressed like a slut holding a condom... you can't tell me she was coerced into that.
Coercion: is the practice of forcing another party to behave in an involuntary manner (whether through action or inaction) by use of threats, intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. Such actions are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way. Coercion may involve the actual infliction of physical pain/injury or psychological harm in order to enhance the credibility of a threat. The threat of further harm may lead to the cooperation or obedience of the person being coerced
Also this article is in reference to FIRST sex. research shows ( check the Guttmacher institute) that almost 20% of girls' first sex is indeed coerced. Also you are correct in a way, there are teen boys coerced into sex. Two of my male friends were coerced in high school. One was literally surrounded by 6 guys and pushed into a room with a girl four years older than him. It does happen. However, a girl dressing "provocatively" (which varies by an individual, religious, cultural, generational expectations) is not coercion. Looking at a random girl on the street does not coerce a guy into having sex with her. Big difference
i practically raped my boyfriend in high school. i wanted it and he was a 21 yr old virgin. i was on the pill and he asked if he needed to wear a condom and i said no.
I don't know what planet Bill Brasky is from, but from my observations, many young girls get pregnant their first time, because they are more "in the mood" then (nature at work) when they are fertile.
When I was young (50's) there were girls who were 11 (and older) who were putting out. (Not a new thing).
I am very lucky, but I never have used rubbers (hate the things) but I am also very selective where I put myself. That said, with the various of problems that can come up, their use is certainly something to think seriously about. When I first got to Vietnam, we were shown a slide show of all the reasons you didn't want to go poking anyone. People with incurable problems CAN NOT return to the US. Be it, VD or Aids or anything else.
Circumcisions & vasectomies should be performed at the same time. Then/IF, when a male reaches 18, registers for selective service, proves an IQ over 80, is employed full time, in the military, or full time student at a 4 year school only then should the vasectomy be reversed for free & that person allowed to breed. If you do not meet portions of that criteria your vasectomy may be reversed on a sliding fee scale based on your available criteria. Boom, no more welfare babies, dumb kids, neglected kids or kids born to unfit parents. I also feel that ALL first trimester prenatal exams should include an IQ test for mom as well as a test to balance a fake check book, and a focused driving test and based on those results the woman is directed to a qualified ob/gyn to continue her care or to planned parenthood to terminate the term.
The only fix for you is a female with a knife pal. Lorena Bobbit.
Girls, just know that you are forfeiting a chance of being loved honorably by any worthy man for a lifetime by not protecting your virginity for marriage. Playboys, you won't have a dedicated wife since you can't dedicate yourself to anything true.
couldn't wait till i got it and haven't stoped since. now i'm with one person but i sure couldn't have waited the 15 yrs it took me to find my one.
<~~~~ Gold member of the P.I.O Club "pull it out"
You would be much safer if you were a member of the "Gold Coin" club Omar.
"But Laura Lindberg.... said teenage girls are less likely than boys to want to have sex when it happens for the first time..."
Really? What a totally outdated sexual stereotype!
..."Lindberg added that contraception at first sex is 80 percent condoms, meaning birth control largely depends on the boy."
Girls can't buy condoms? Or demand their use? Or is Lindberg saying that girls are less able to use their brains than boys? Or that girls should get a free pass on being responsible that boys shouldn't get? Seriously. Why in the world would anyone posit that one sex should be more responsible than the other? That only reinforces the bad message we already send girls that they're not expected to be fully accountable for their actions because they've got ovaries rather than testes.
Lindberg, and anyone who takes her seriously, should be ashamed of their sexist stereotypes.
The photo here is innapropriately provocative. As a mom of a young girl, I am disappointed in your choice.
well post a pic and we could compare
Every generation talks about what sluts the younger generation are. it never changes.
any more pics of her CNN? hot!
@danster
"YOU ARE SO RIGHT! And by right I mean involuntarily welfare seeking hardly educated teen moms who didn't have access to the contraceptive resources that their wealthy white peers did. I am a middle class white male teacher, and i know that the white kids go to the clinic and pay for their birth control while their lower class teen peers do not."
What a bunch of crap! You can go to any local health department and get birth control for free, or at the most a $5.00 fee. At our local health department you won't be turned away if you can't afford the $5.00. Also Medicaid has a special Family Planning Program where if you are low income ALL family planning services are paid for and it's easy to qualify for.
Do minorities and low income people have to remain "victims" about EVERYTHING???
So tell me, how many 14-17 year olds are aware of those programs and the fact that the law allows them to seek the aid without their parent's knowledge? They arent exactly informing them in school and most parents arent telling them.
America, the land of super pharisees, cherry picks its moral standards, like the so called pastors theirs. For hypocrite America and when dealing with sex, children can't think for themselves, but if they kill some one, then they are treated like they were hit men from the mafia. The "legal" system throws the book at them. Elizabeth Smart lived with her abductor for months, closed to a police station and now she is treated like she was, is the virgin Mary. There have been dozens of media reports where children love sex just as much as adults, but are treated like they can't think for themselves. Didn't the FBI found dozens of "children" in the the streets of America selling tricks to first come, first served? And what about that 10 year old that is pregnant by a another "child", and the government attorney says that they can't do any thing because the "sex abuser" is another child. Only in America can you find "justice" so stupid. If the black pastor of the mega church were a priest, he would have been in jail before the first Hail Mary. Morality, as beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder, but why the beholder always win regardless of the merits of a case. And what about the ground zero of child abuse? Nobody dares to talk about the most prevalent form of sexual abuse because it's too close for comfort: Incest. That is where morality draws the line. Nobody will touch it with a ten foot pole. If this isn't hypocrisy to the nth degree, I don't kinow what it is. America should drop the charade, facade about sex and treat Romans and Greeks like Europe does. I was stationed in Germany in the 60s and I saw, on T.V. in the morning, never the less, a naked woman and her son and nobody there thought it was pronographic. Here in America, parents are reluctant to take pictures of children bathing because it could be constructed as child pornography. Talking about the Everest of stupidity and false sense of morality. But it gets worse. America that supposedly cares so much for children, could give a damn about the children we killed every day with bombs. This tsunami of hypocrisy has to stop. Children deserve it.
what a bunch of whiners
So...young kids aren't smart enough to plan. If you are about to hit the sheets and don't have a condom...guess what? they're still gonna hit the sheets. I would/did. After a time or two of that, I started buying condoms and having them availible.
Wonder if she has a girlfriend. one can only hope. nothing risky about that
Well if you think about it all... condoms can be purchased at the store. Birth control (pills, shots) requires a pap smear (at least here in Texas), which requires a doctors appointment. So guess what?! Not going to happen, teens dont want to tell their parents that they are having sex and that they need to visit the gyno, it would require alot of sneaking around your parents somehow to schedule the appointments and have access to the health insurance card/ info. Its just easier to get condoms and who says that girls cant force a guy to get a condom before sex? Its a mutual agreement.
in MO there are clinics they can go to to get free paps and pills with out telling a parent
I hope Emile Zola above is not playing Santa or driving an ice-cream truck anywhere near my kids.
The girls are only doing it because everyone else "is doing it". They should take pride and just say NO! Same thing with drugs.