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Why some teens start sex early in
life
16 November, 2007
A study has uncovered the
predominant factors in life – rather
the “risky factors” – that prompt a
teenager to start sex rather early in
life.
These aspects include not feeling
close to parents, low self-esteem, and
watching television for long hours.
Children with these “problems” are
likely to be sexually active by the
age of 15.
Janet Shibley Hyde, a psychologist at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
the United States, and co-author
Myeshia Price said in a study released
in the second week of November 2007,
“It isn’t any one thing. It’s
cumulative, and the more risks there
are, the greater the chances that
they'll begin sex early.”
Janet Shibley Hyde and Myeshia Price
reported their 2-year study of 273
children at the Society for the
Scientific Study of Sexuality meeting
in Indianapolis, the United States.
Student were asked about their sexual
activity by the researchers, when they
were 13 years old. They were then
asked the same questions again when
they were 15.
By the age of 15, one out of five boys
had participated in oral sex, and
about one in 10 said they have had
intercourse.
As for the girls, the numbers were
lower compared to that of the boys.
Researchers said that the students
that were part of the survey hailed
from the middle class and were white,
which is why their sexual activity was
lower than the US average.
The study found that each “risky
factor” (such as not feeling close to
parents, low self-esteem, and watching
television for long hours) raised the
odds of sexual activity by 44%.
Myeshia Price told the meeting of the
Society for the Scientific Study of
Sexuality that she believed teens with
low self-esteem might start sex to
boost their self-images or gain
popularity.
Children who are defiant and having
attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder, those whose parents had
little education or those who
regularly watched certain types of TV
also attempted sex earlier in life.
The researchers asked the children
about viewing six kinds of television
programming and channels – MTV, BET,
music videos, wrestling, daytime soap
operas, and sports shows. The more
television watched, the greater the
likelihood of starting sex between the
ages of 13 and 15, according to
Myeshia Price.
Reacting to the study, Vicky Rideout,
vice-president of the Kaiser Family
Foundation, said children aged between
13 and 15 usually watch about three
hours of television a day. “And, there
is a lot of sex on TV,” Vicky Rideout
added. “But, it is unfair to blame
just TV. Heavy viewers may be left
unsupervised a lot by parents.”
The website usatoday.com quoted
Bill Albert, of the United States
National Campaign to Prevent Teen and
Unplanned Pregnancy Kids, as saying
that “children who start sex early
have more partners than those who
wait, and that they are much more
likely to get pregnant or catch a
sexually transmitted disease.”
In the opinion of Janet Shibley Hyde,
feeling close to parents may offset
pressure for sex. She adds, “You have
to remain close to your kids. You
can’t just say, ‘They are teenagers,
they are obnoxious.’ I’m checking out,
and I’ll see them again at 20.”
“Warmth from parents and clear, firm
guidelines can make a big difference
to children in the 3-15 age group,”
stressed Janet Shibley Hyde in the
report.
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