Latest Adolescent sexuality in the United States Stories

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online When it comes to teenagers and sex, several studies have shown teen sex and pregnancy is on the decline. One recent study has shown teenagers are finding safer alternatives to intercourse. And another had seen a recent decline in the number of teens engaging in oral sex. Some previous research has also looked at sexual activity among teens 14 and younger, but most of those studies date from the 1990s and none have shown...

Intuitively it simply makes sense: exposure to sexual content in movies at an early age probably influences adolescents' sexual behavior. And yet, even though a great deal of research has shown that adolescents who watch more risky behaviors in popular movies, like drinking or smoking, are more likely to drink and smoke themselves, surprisingly little research has examined whether movies influence adolescents' sexual behaviors. Until now. Over six years, psychological scientists...

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online In the past 15 years, teenagers have gone from communicating to their friends through AOL Instant Messenger on their family computer, to texting on their very own smartphone. However, new research indicates that the transition may have actually just opened up a new portal for teens to take advantage of. Teens are sexting at a higher rate than ever before, according to new research published in the July 2 issue of Archives of Pediatrics...

During high school the parents of teenagers' friends can have as much effect on the teens' substance use as their own parents, according to prevention researchers. "Among friendship groups with 'good parents' there's a synergistic effect -- if your parents are consistent and aware of your whereabouts, and your friends' parents are also consistent and aware of their (children's) whereabouts, then you are less likely to use substances," said Michael J. Cleveland, research assistant professor...

New Survey Released in Advance of The National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy WASHINGTON, May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teens say parents most influence their decisions about sex and 87% say it would be much easier for them to postpone sex and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents, according to a new survey from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Other results...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the teen pregnancy rate in Mississippi is the highest in the U.S. The agency said Mississippi is more than 60 percent above the national average for teen pregnancies. The state reported 55 births per 1,000 teens aged 15 to 19 in 2010, compared to the nation's lowest teen pregnancy rate of 15.7 births per 1,000 teens. The CDC said teen birth rates were higher in the South and Southwest and lower in the Northeast and...

Young males who have been sexually abused are five times more likely to cause teen pregnancy compared to those with no abuse history, according to University of British Columbia research. Sexually abused boys are also three times more likely to have multiple sexual partners and twice as likely to engage in unprotected sex. Published online in advance of the Journal of Adolescent Health’s June issue, the UBC study explores links between sexual abuse and risky sexual behavior, focusing...

Male high school athletes' ability to recognize and intervene to stop dating violence -- the physical, sexual and emotional aggression prevalent in adolescent romantic relationships -- is improved with the intervention of some of the most important role models in young men's lives: their coaches. A new study conducted in Sacramento, Calif., led by UC Davis researchers has found that a structured program delivered by coaches, called "Coaching Boys into Men," is effective for discouraging...

Derek Walter for RedOrbit.com It turns out that not all teens are too cool for school. According to a recent University of Michigan study, it is parents and teachers, not teenage peers, which hold the most weight in what teenagers think about school and academic achievement. "We were surprised to find that most adolescents continue to be influenced greatly by their teachers and parents when it comes to school engagement," said Ming-Te Wang, the lead author of the study and a faculty...