Teens who "sext" are significantly more likely to participate in sexually explicit behaviors, according to a recent study.
Sexting, which is the practice of texting sexual messages, including photos, usually by use of cell-phones, is rapidly becoming popular among adolescents, which should be concerning to parents, doctors and teachers.
This recent report shows there has been an alarming increase since a 2011 study which claimed that only 2.5% of American kids were sexting.
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On the other hand, a study published in July in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, which claimed that 1 in 4 teens have sent a nude picture of themselves to another person, and that sexting results in associated sexual behavior, coincides with the new evidence.
The new trial, published in Pediatrics, looked at data from over 1,800 high school students in Los Angeles. Of the teens with cellphones, 54% said they had friends who sext, while 15% reported that they themselves had participated in sexting.
Adolescents who reported taking part in this type of texting were found to be more sexually experienced than those who do not send the provocative text messages. They were also more likely to engage in unprotected sex.
African American, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals who were involved in the study reported more sexting than the other individuals.
The authors write:
"Sexting, rather than functioning as an alternative to 'real world' sexual risk behavior, appears to be part of a cluster of risk sexual behaviors among adolescents. We recommend that clinicians discuss sexting as an adolescent-friendly way of engaging patients in conversations about sexual activity, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and unwanted pregnancy.
We further recommend that discussion about sexting and its associated risk behavior is included in school-based health curricula.
According to information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 40% of adolescents have said that they are sexually active, and only two-thirds of these teens reported using protection.
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Edited By Cen Fox Post Team
