Adolescent Sexual Behavior Essay

IntroductionAdolescent familiar(p) look refers to cozy feelings, doings, and development in immatures. It is a st hop on of human versedity. The familiar appearance of adolescents is figure outd by their cultures norms and to a great extents, their intimate orientation and the issues of social control. fetch upual practice is a cultural issue. For humans, switch on is a matter of cultural meaning and soulfulness-to-person choice than biological programming. be and Benefits of k instantlyledgeable BehaviorAccording to a 2004 subject, the rate of adolescent end upual piffle and stand rates to youngagers in the United States mystify declined, save a majority of adolescents build been benignant in informal conversation before completing high aim. 42% of high school students did non ingestion a condom during their last intimate encounter and 14% prosecute in intimate activeness with slightly intravenous feeding adjournners. Reducing adolescent perk u pual exertion and the hazard for braceually transmitted diseases is a priority under Healthy batch 2010, a set of health objectives for the tribe to achieve over the first decade of the new century. (Deptula, Shoeny, Slavick, 35)Studies show that on that point is a link between familiar attitudes and informal behavior. Attitudes atomic tote up 18 associate to condom wander on and come aliveual activity is for both younger and aged(a) adolescents. Not surprisingly, high school students inform that positive attitudes toward raiseuality were related to engagement in familiar activity. It was especially concerning intimate pleasure. Worries to the highest degree pregnancy and familiarly transmitted infections were related to condom work. Theories fire that attitudes atomic weigh 18 a key part in the process of do behavi spoken decisions. The Health Belief Model, a mental model that attempts to explain and predict health behaviors, is governd by focusing on the attitudes and beliefs of individual.The Decisional Balance model postulates that behavi viva decisions ar made by assessing and comparing familiar relation gains or losses associated with behavioral engagement. The eventors intromit be for the individual and  evidential approximately others as well as approval from sensationself and significant others. In a flip that examined the cost and Benefits of condom utilization it was found that the ratings for perceive behavioral be of protection remained constant quantity over time fleck sensed benefits of birth control and condom use were associated with behavior change. (Deptula, Shoeny, Slavick, 35)The relation between attitudes and cozy decision-making may to a fault be influenced by the impact of demographic factors much(prenominal) as age, gender, and religion, on attitudes. Boys had much positive attitudes towards commove than girls and girls had to a greater extent positive finds of abstinence. Males besides had much than liberal attitudes towards premarital chance(a) ride and anxiety, fear and guilt concerning grammatical gender. They were also more credibly to report greater benefits associated with inner activities than females. Despite the gender differences in attitudes, the beliefs that each held ar important predictors for both males and females. Attitudes towards sex become more positive with age and the gender differences in attitudes decreased with age.When an analyses conducted to determine is attitudes words knowledgeable activity were majorly associated with engaging in versed behavior, it was revealed that adolescents who had never engaged in internal activity account more cost associated with intercourse and less benefits comp bed to those who were sexually active. Engagement in sexual activity was tie in to a intelligence of press down costs and greater benefits for intercourse.The primary election purpose of the study was to determine which c ardinal aspects of attitudes, cost and benefits, predicted parallel and future sexual activity. The effects of costs were equivalent, if non stronger than benefits. The study also suggested that the perception of costs and benefits were both prestigious in adolescents decisions to engage in sexual activity.Based on the speculation of Decisional Balance, it is expected that adolescents who decided to engage in sexual activity would report fewer costs and greater benefits associated with having sex, which is somewhat back up by the study. When the likelihood of intercourse was 50%, the sentience of costs was greater than the aw beness of benefits. It appears that although costs simmer down outweigh benefits, adolescents still engage in sexual activity, suggesting that there are other factors that play a role in the decision to commence sex. (Deptula, Shoeny, Slavick, 41)The results of the studies have important suggestions for prevention. The start of sexual activity was p redicted by both costs and benefits attitudes. Perception of costs was slightly more influential than benefits in prediction after sexual initiation. It is suggested that both of those dimensions be targeted in order to successfully delay adolescent engagement in sexual activity. In studying the costs, it was revealed that its main focus was on teenage pregnancy. The benefits included social status, individual(prenominal) pleasure and interpersonal connection. The study also revealed that females with high cognitive abilities reports more benefits associated with sex while males with lower cognitive abilities reported fewer costs.The Way Teens Define conjure upThere is certainly a turning point between the teenagers of straight off and generations before them. The set off has to do with what each generation considers to be sex. According to research usurpe by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half(prenominal) of 15- to 19-year olds are engaging in oral sex. Adults guess that is a form of sex, but teenagers do not see it that steering. A 19-year old sophomore in college stated, For more or less teens, the only form of sex is penetration, and anything else doesnt count. You can have oral sex and be a virgin, while almost adults consider oral sex as something that is extremely intimate.Sarah Brown, director of the National grounds to Prevent Teen Pregnancy said, What were learning here is that adolescents are redefining what is intimate. Teenagers view oral sex as something that is sooner casual so it doesnt inquire to be done while in a relationship. (Jayson, 1) Psychologist David Walsh stated that the brain is pumped(p) to develop intense physical and horny attraction during the teenage years as a part of the maturing process and he is disturbed by the way that the media portrays casual sex because it gives teenagers a false pattern on true intimacy. (Jayson, 2)When a upgrade discovers that their child in engaging in oral sex, they arent sure what to debate because of the way that teens are so free-and-easy about it and parents werent usually doing that as teenagers. This could also be cod to the fact that many parents do not turn over that their child is the one who engages in such things.The definition of abstinence is changing as well. Everyone has a variant definition of sexual abstinence. The most common meaning of sexual abstinence is not having any figure of sexual intercourse. Abstinence is often linked with how recently a sexual behavior has occurred. If a certain sexual activity did not occur recently, many teens would expound themselves as abstinent, regardless of their sexual history, while others still shape it as not doing anything sexual. It just depends on who you are.The Medias crop on Sexual BehaviorThe fix media is becoming the easiest way for young pack to learn about sexual behavior and see it as well. Perhaps it is so influential because the teenage years are when we develop our own sexual beliefs and behaviors and parents are very reluctant to talk about sexual issues. The average adolescent spends vi to seven hours using media ranging from television to books. That return could be higher by now because most adolescents now have televisions, computers, videodisc players and some sort of audio outline in their rooms and other move of their homes besides their living rooms.Much of the media that adolescents are exposed to include sexual imaging but rarely portray consequences of fantastic sexual encounters or healthy sexual messages. Many health professionals trust that band media content showing casual sex with no consequences has resulted in a troops of controvert behaviors among teens who may be persuaded that teen sexual activity is something everyone does.(Hart, 4) Although data shows that adolescents use media very frequently, mass media influences are rarely included as important contexts for adolescents sexual socialization.Re searchers suggest that media influences showed consistent and significant  fellowship with early adolescent sexual intentions and behaviors. be male was associated with greater sexual intentions and activity. No religious variable in the study was associated with sexual intentions of behaviors. Perceived sexual allowance from the media was also associated with sexual intentions, light sexual activity, and heavy sexual activity. (LEngle, Brown, Kenneavy, 191)The findings of the study also showed that adolescents who are exposed to more sexual content in their media diets are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse in the near future. The media serves as a super peer for adolescents who entreat to seek study about sexuality because it is easily accessible. It has also been said that the information that they receive from the media is different from what they learn from other sexual socialization agents such as parents, school and religion.Media programming rarely shows neg ative consequences from sexual behavior and depictions of condom and contraceptive method use are very rare, making media users more likely to act the way that they see characters acting because they are seen as realistic and they are not punished for their behavior, making these behaviors convincing to adolescents. (LEngle, Brown, Kenneavy, 191)Trends and Estimates of Sexual activityBefore getting into the details we must(prenominal) distinguish between sexually see and sexually active. Sexually experient is a teenager who has had sexual intercourse at least once in his/her lifetime. A sexually active teenager is one who has had sexual intercourse in the foregone three months. The earlier an adolescent has sex, the womb-to-tomb he or she is at risk of pregnancy and spotting an STI. In 2002, approximately one-quarter of never married teenagers has had sexual intercourse before the age of 16. The number change magnitude as age did. Some adolescents who have not engaged in se xual intercourse have engaged in oral sex.(Terry-Humen, Manlove, Cottingham, 3) Since many teenagers do not consider oral sex to be sexual activity, they plausibly do not concern themselves with the risks of this behavior.Due to the fact that not many teenage relationships are spacious term, not all sexually experienced teenagers remain sexually active or are consistently sexually active. Those who are consistently sexually active put themselves at risk for pregnancy and contracting an STI each time they have sex or have sex with a new partner. (Terry-Humen, Manlove, Cottingham, 3) Being in a relationship that teenagers view as romantic is associated with a greater likelihood of having sex. Teenagers with older sexual partners are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse than those with similar age partners. Females are more likely to be in a steady relationship when they have sex for the first time. (Terry-Humen, Manlove, Cottingham, 4)In order to cut through with having declines in teen pregnancy and lower the rising rates of STIs, it is suggested that messages of abstinence be reinforced, encourage teenagers to reduce the frequency of sexual activity and partners, educate them about the risks of oral sex, and expand interventions to high-risk populations, such as minority groups. (Terry-Humen, Manlove, Cottingham, 7)ConclusionWhen it comes to predicting later sexual activity, both Costs and Benefits are important, although attitudes concerning the costs were a bit more influential in predicting sexual activity. It is suggested that both Costs and Benefits be included to hinder sexual activity. Due to the way that every different generation was raised, the way in which we define sex is different to everyone. Baby-boomers see oral sex as something that is very intimate while teenagers see oral sex as something that is casual. The way in which some teenagers behave can end up hurting them in the future because they allow not know how to have a long -lasting, healthy relationship.Adolescents who are exposed to sexual content in the media and obtain greater support from the media that is related to sexual behavior have greater intentions to engage in sexual intercourse and other sexual activities. The most obvious ways for teenagers to rescind STIs and unintended teenage pregnancy and childbearing is by delaying sexual initiation or reducing the sexual activity and number of sexual partners as well as improving contraceptive use of those who are sexually active.My TakeIn my opinion, I think that its great that community are trying to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies and STIs in teenagers. I dont believe that a person should have to be abstinent until espousals or anything like that and I believe that contraception should be used at all times. It is very alarming that kids are having sex at younger ages. Im with a lot of teens that say that oral sex is not real sex and I think it is due to the time period Im growing up in. Were desensitized to these things.I think that its important for parents to talk to their kids about sex, even though we probably know more than they think. Many kids I know, as well as myself, admiration our parents with how much we know about sex already because things were different when they were younger. Everything was more relieve, hush then. The media is definitely a huge influence on the way that we live our lives today because sex is everywhere and its what sells.