To become sexually active is to become an adult.  Sexual experimentation is talked about within adolescent circles.  Often words such as oral sex, petting, masturbation, and sexual intercourse are heard from peers.  Youth know very little about what they feel happening within their bodies (Semin & Taris, 1999).  Schools are not allowed to teach youth about sexual activity.  Health teachers are asked to use outdated material to teach from.  This material does not answer the questions teens are asking today.

Sexual Behavior Defined

Adolescents experience sexual behaviors.  But do they know what the words they say, really mean?  According to Herant Katchadourian, the American culture as a whole does not talk about sex with adolescents.  By not providing youth with information about their changing bodies, sex has evolved as a dirty act rather than a natural process (Feldman & Elliott, 1990).  Youth need to be as informed as possible, so that they can make adult choices during their transition and experimentation.  By informing adolescents, each person can have a base knowledge of what sexual words and activities mean.
 

•  What are erotic fantasies?

• Erotic fantasies are sexual urges experienced through thought.  In the course of this source of arousal, youth are able to satisfy needs without mutual genital contact.  This way of satisfying needs allows youth to experience pleasure without the consequences of disease or pregnancy.

• What is masturbation?

• Masturbation may be a result of erotic fantasies.  After being aroused by sexual thought, masturbation is reaching a point of orgasm through stroking or stimulating one's own genitals.  By masturbating, individuals are able to experience sexual pleasure without mutual genital contact.

• What is petting?

• Petting is the progression from individual stimulation to being with a partner in arousing situations.  Petting can be defined as kissing, another’s hand touching genitals, and partial nakedness.  Because there is no real set definition of this word, youth use it freely in conversations with their peers.  One individual's perception of petting may not be another’s and this creates confusion within communication.

• What is oral sex?

• Oral sex is the stimulation of genitals by using the mouth and tongue.  Youth may use oral sex in place of intercourse to prevent pregnancy (Newcomer and Udry, 1985).  However, some will not engage in oral sex because they find it to be more intimate and invasive than sexual intercourse (Cubis, Lewin, & Raphael, 1985).  Oral sex is preventative of pregnancy, but it is not free from diseases.

• What is sexual intercourse?

• Sexual intercourse is pleasing and satisfying sexual needs through mutual orgasm and insertion of the male penis into the female's vagina.  Due to the sharing of bodily fluids pregnancy and disease may occur.

Worldly Concerns

 Adolescent sexual behavior is not just a concern within the United States.  All over the world youth need to be educated about sexuality.  The more informed of a decision youth can make, the more likely they are to save lives.

South Africa reports:

• 1/3 of the college age youth do not use condoms while having intercourse (Peltzer, 2000)

• 1.8 million reported cases of HIV/AIDS in the KwaZulu-Natal province (Leclerc-Madlala, 1997)

• Youth accept death from HIV/AIDS, and refuse to abstain from intercourse even when suspected to be infected (Leclerc-Madlala, 1997)

Australia reports:

• One quarter high school age youth report having experienced sexual intercourse

• One in fifteen females high school age youth report having been pregnant

• Just over half high school age youth report using condoms (Cubis, et. al., 1985)

Wrapping it all up

Adolescents are going to be sexually active.  There is a need to create an open forum of discussion where youth can ask questions and seek answers.  Youth need to be informed so that the transition into adulthood can be sexual, but not deadly.  Adolescents are going to make their own decisions when it comes to being sexually active.  What sexual activity means and what role it will play in their lives will depend on the choices they make.  These choices should be educated and well thought out.
 
 

References

Biggar, R. J., & Rosenberg, P. S. (1998).  Trends in HIV incidence among young adults in the United States. JAMA, 279 (23), 1894-1899.

Billy, J. O., Landale, N. S., Grady, W. R., & Zimmerle, D. M. (1988).  Effects of sexual activity on adolescent social and psychological development.  Social Psychology Quarterly, 51(3), 190-212.

Campbell, D. E. & Campbell, T. A. (1986).  Adolescent interest in human sexuality:  The Questions Kids Ask.  Journal of Sex Education & Therapy, 12(2), 47-50.

Chambers, C. V. & Gruber, E. (1987).  Cognitive development and adolescent contraception:  Integrating theory and practice.  Adolescence, 22(87), 661-670.

Cubis, J., Lewin, T., & Raphael, B. (1985).  Correlates of pregnancy and sexual experience in Australian adolescents.  Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 4(4), 237-254.

Katchadourian, H. (1990).  Sexuality.  In S. S. Feldman & G. R. Elliott, At the Threshold:  The Developing Adolescent (pp. 330-351).  Cambridge, Massachusetts:  Harvard University Press.

Leclerc-Madlala, S. (1997).  Infect one, infect all:  Zulu youth response to the AIDS epidemic in South Africa.  Medical Anthropology, 17(4), 363-380.

Newcomer, S. F. & Udry, J. R. (1985).  Oral Sex in an adolescent population.  Archives of Sexual Behavior, 14(1), 41-46.

Peltzer, K. (2000).  Factors affecting condom use among South African University Students.  East African Medical Journal, 77(1), 46-52.