A new study to be published by the American Academy of Pediatrics has found that sexting among teens has become the new “first base” of adolescent sexual behavior.
The study says teens who send and receive sexually provocative text messages do not necessarily engage in risky sexual behavior later on in their lives, The Washington Post reported. Researchers found that sexting often came before actual sexual contact, similar to a virtual “first base.” The primary danger is that the images can be stolen and shared.
“This behavior isn’t always new, it’s just a new medium,” said Jeff Temple, psychologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and the study’s author.
A group of nearly 1,000 Texas teens answered anonymous surveys detailing their history of sexting, sexual activity and other behaviors. It found that one in four teens had sent a sexually charged message to someone else, The Post reported.
“Sexting preceded sexual behavior in many cases,” Mr. Temple said. “The theory behind that is sexting may act as a gateway or prelude to sexual behaviors or increases the acceptance of going to the next level.”
The study found, however, that among those teens having sex, most weren’t engaging in risky sexual behaviors, The Post reported.
“I think the really cool thing about this study in answering the question of what comes first is … this could hold the key to prevention programs,” Mr. Temple said.
If a teen is found to have sent a sext, that behavior could be a way to talk to them and promote healthy sexual behaviors, he told The Post.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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