Teens face many issues throughout their transition from child to adult including pressures like teen sex. Teen sex can result in dangerous consequences for teens that don’t understand how to take proper protection during sexual intercourse to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
Teen sex is one of the biggest pressures that teens face as their bodies grow and develop and they experience a myriad of hormonal effects that drive them toward an interest in sexual acts and sexual relations with their peers. Unfortunately some teen sex acts can result in dire consequences since many teens are not taught the importance of having safe sex. Teens are more likely to get pregnant because they don’t use proper protection or don’t use it correctly or consistently. Teens are also likely to contract STDs because of improper condom usage, which is the only way to prevent STDs aside from abstinence. Many public schools focus on an abstinence-only sex education instead of teaching teens about proper birth control and condom usage. This is why it is important for parents to take responsibility and teach their teens about safe sex. While most parents are probably against their teens having sex so young, it is still important for parents to teach their teens about safe sex practices rather than ignoring the possibility of their teen having teen sex with their peers.
Teen Sex Statistics:
Early teen sex statistics show that 13 percent of teens have sexy by the time they turn 15 years old. However, most teens initiate sex in their later teen years before age 19. By that time, about seven in 10 males and females have had sexual intercourse. The average age for most first-time intercourse experiences take place at age 17. However, most individuals do not marry until their mid-20s. Having multiple partners from age 17 until their mid-20s indicates the risk of contracting diseases and having unprotected sex that can result in an unintended pregnancy.
Unfortunately about 7 percent of female sexual experiences from ages 18 to 24, are reported to be involuntary and often took place with males that were at least three or more years older than the female. While both teens in the U.S. and in Europe report similar levels of sexual activity, those teens in Europe are more likely to use contraception and have substantially lower pregnancy rates.
Fortunately the usage of safe teen sex practices has been increasing with the use of contraception among those that engage in teen sex practices. The number has risen from about 56 percent to 76 percent. When it comes to teen sex and contraceptive use, a sexually active teen who isn’t using contraception or birth control has 90 percent chance of becoming pregnant within a year.
Safe Teen Sex Practices:
​To continue this method of safe sex practices, it is important for teens to know how to practice safe sex with the use of condoms and birth control. Taking a hormonal birth control to prevent unwanted teen pregnancy must be consistent especially with types of birth control like the pill. Condoms must also be learned to be used correctly. Many condom malfunctions result because the user does not use the appropriate size, uses and older condom that is more at risk to break during intercourse or does not leave enough room at the tip to accommodate for the ejaculation. Only one or two pregnancies out of 100 will occur in sexual relations where the condom is used correctly.
It is important for teens to take an active role in learning more about safe sex so they can prevent the spread or contraction of STDs and unintended teen pregnancies. Teens should not assume that the withdrawal method of birth control is effective, because the risk rates are very high especially if the precum is abundant at the beginning of intercourse. Teens should also not assume that just because they have had sex before without getting pregnant or contracting an STD that they are infertile or not capable of getting pregnant. There are many factors that go into achieving a pregnancy and if the factors are all lined up, teens are more likely to end up with an unplanned teen pregnancy. Taking active roles to avoid these risks in an important part of engaging in safe teen sex practices.
Sources: guttmacher.org