Teens who sext more likely to be sexually active

After reviewing data from 1,839 14- to 17-year-old high-school students in Los Angeles, researchers are confirming what may otherwise seem obvious: sexting and sex go hand in hand.

New data suggests that those who sext are seven times more likely to do the real thing too.

(Credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com/Flickr)

But which of these activities comes first -- sex or sexting -- remains unclear.

"What we really wanted to know is, is there a link between sexting and taking risks with your body? And the answer is a pretty resounding 'yes,'" lead author Eric Rice, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles, told Reuters Health.

Rice and colleagues, who just published their findings in the journal Pediatrics, are suggesting that however you slice it, sexting now plays a prominent role in the sex lives of teens, and as such should be discussed in sex ed classes.

Among the researchers' findings: More than half of teens said they knew someone who had sexted,... [Read more]



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