Sexting,
the transmission and receipt of explicit sexual material via cell phones) is
known to commonly occur among high school students; however, a new study has
evaluated the association between sexting among middle school students
and risky sexual behavior.
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| Teenagers Are Sexting |
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The study authors note that the sexting of text or pictures
is commonplace among high school students; however, it is currently unknown
whether the activity is associated with sexual activity and sexual risk
behavior among middle school students. They explain that, at present, no
studies have been published that have assessed these relationships exclusively
among middle school students. Therefore, they conducted a study comprised of
1,285 students who were under evaluation by the 2012 Youth Risk Behavior Survey
in Los Angeles middle schools. The data was subjected to statistical analysis
to evaluate sexting behavior and associations between sexual activity and risky
sexual behavior such as unprotected
sex.
The researchers found that 20% of students with text-capable
cell phones reported receiving a sext and 5% reported sending a sext. In
addition, students who sent text messages at least 100 times per day were more
likely to report both receiving and sending sexts and to be sexually active.
Students who sent sexts and students who received sexts were more likely to
report sexual activity. Compared to students who were not sexually active,
excessive texting and receiving sexts were associated with both unprotected sex
(sending: 4.7-fold increased risk; receiving: 12.1-fold increased risk) and
with condom use (sending: 3.7-fold increased risk; receiving: 5.5-fold
increased risk).
The investigators concluded that because engaging in sex at
an early aged correlates with higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
and teen pregnancies, pediatricians should discuss sexting with young
adolescents because this may expedite conversations about STDs and pregnancy
prevention. They also recommended that sexting and associated risks should be
considered for inclusion in middle school sex education curricula.
Take home message:
This study reports the current prevalence of sexting and
risky sexual behavior among middle school students. In addition to
pediatricians and school education programs, parents should be proactive
regarding sexting activity in their middle schooler. Parents should consider
taking a peek at their child’s cellphone to determine whether sext messages are
contained therein. If so, a discussion should be initiated (without necessarily
mentioning the cellphone examination) to discuss the consequences of
unprotected sex. Not uncommonly, a parent discovers that his or her child is
sexually active when an unintended pregnancy occurs.
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| Increases Risky Sexual Behavior |
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