Sexual Behavior Of Adolescents Research Articles

The Sexual Behavior of Adolescents in Middle America: Generational and American-British Comparisons

Data obtained from 4,220 middle American boys and girls in communities of different socioeconomic status offer no evidence of a major revolution in the sexual behavior of adolescents. Similar behavior for both sexes, at culturally defined lower levels of sexual activity, was shown. Light petting was the earliest stage at which girls demonstrated the sexual inhibitions associated withthe traditional double standard. Regardless of differences in incidence rates, the developmental progression of girls was similar to that of boys. American-British comparisons show the degree premarital coital activity can vary at different age levels in different societies. Findings support Reiss' proposal that social and cultural support theory is the best single explanation of premarital sexual intercourse.

Sexual behavior of adolescents.

Unwanted pregnancy is a disease with consequences that affect every level of society. Illegitimacy is rising to the point where it is a major social problem. Findings of the National Center for Health Statistics show that in the 1940-1965 period illegitimacy tripled. More than 40% of unwed mothers are teenagers. It is clear that young people who approach doctors for assistance must be treated as individuals who are in a difficult time of life. When a young patient needs contraceptive assistance the doctor should not refuse merely because the patient is young or lacks parental consent. So far there has been no single instance of legal action against a doctor who gave contraceptive assistance where parental consent was lacking.

SEXUAL PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

ACCURATE DATA on teenage sexual behavior is difficult to obtain. Only a small proportion of the problem behavior comes to the attention of the juvenile courts, and schools usually prefer to direct little attention to sexual behavior among students. To equip professionals in the health fields to cope with contemporary problems of American youth, more attention should be directed toward studying deviant sexual behavior, especially homosexuality, drugs, use of contraceptives, sex education, and venereal disease in teenagers. Since most teenage problems related to identification and sexual behavior have their genesis in early childhood, the family physician plays an important role in promoting optimum childrearing practices and identifying potentially problematic behavior. THE NEED FOR RESEARCH There is a limited amount of valid scientific knowledge regarding the sexual behavior of adolescents. Although this subject receives considerable attention from the lay press, few good studies have been published. Information which is available is often based on folklore, prejudiced moral judgments, and retrospective anecdotal reporting. The pediatrician usually has limited knowledge on which to base the counseling and advice he is frequently called on to give regarding these problems. The Committee on Youth recommends that this subject be investigated thoroughly and encourages the development of studies to increase our meager knowledge and provide a basis on which to judge contemporary standards of normal and deviant behavior. SEX EDUCATION Any program of sex education is made more complicated by three recent developments: (1) Conception can now be readily controlled by oral medication. (2) There is an increasing interest in, and detailed understanding of, the physiology of the sexual response in both sexes.