16
it allows them to keep their virginity intact. Others have oral sex
because they believe it is a good way to engage in sexual ac-
tivity without risking pregnancy or an STD. For an article about
teens and oral sex, writer Kori Ellis talked to several teens. One
sixteen-year-old boy told her, “Girls want to remain virgins until
they’re married, but want to have some fun, too. I’ve run into
quite a few who are willing to have oral or anal sex all the time,
but still consider themselves virgins.”
10
Although it is true that
oral sex cannot result in pregnancy, in both males and females
Sexting
Many teens say that they have used their cell phones to send or receive sexually
suggestive photographs or messages. This is called sexting. Some people warn
that sexting can be harmful to teens because sexts can easily be viewed by peo-
ple other than those intended, resulting in bullying or damage to a person’s repu-
tation. Counselor and author Raychelle Cassada Lohmann explains how: “Once a
photo is out, there’s no way of knowing how many people have saved it, tagged
it, shared it, etc. Unfortunately the photo could re-surface years after it was taken
and posted.” In many states, sending a nude picture of a person under eighteen
is considered child pornography and is thus illegal. Conviction for such an offense
can result in jail time.
Despite the potential risks, sexting remains common. Some people point out
that because teens communicate so much by cell phone, it is natural for some of
that communication to be about sex. They see sexting as a type of irting. In 2014
researchers from Drexel University in Pennsylvania surveyed 175 college students
and found that many had sexted and that very few of them said they had suffered
negative consequences. “We were struck by how many of those surveyed seem
to think of sexting as a normal, standard way of interacting with their peers,” says
David DeMatteo, one of the study authors.
Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, “The Dangers of Teen Sexting,”
Psychology Today
, July 20, 2012.
today.com.
Quoted in Randye Hoder, “Study Finds Most Teens Sext Before They’re 18,”
Time
,
July 3,
2014.
