One is that this age group often seems much more childlike than adolescent. Plus, there are concerns about health issues like unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. People also bring their own worries about emotional trauma, as well as the moral impact, of early sex to the table. And additionally, many of us assume thanks to media-induced fear-mongering that the earlier someone starts having sex, the more likely they are to end up involved in everything from drugs to crime. And while I can assure you that early sex does not a later criminal make, a lot of the concerns around early sex are, indeed, valid and understandable. Yet, a lot of parents get pretty upset thinking about a middle schooler having sex — to the detriment of the situation. And this is why understanding a bit about why this happens — and how to talk to kids when it does — will go a long way towards helping families navigate this territory in a healthier manner. But the fact is, this is a normal part of adolescent development and one way that preteens and teens demonstrate their growing independence.
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This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own. Would you give a boy in the 6th grade a condom? San Francisco Unified School District and other school districts now provide 6th graders with condoms. All students need to do is talk to a school counselor and a 6th grader can get a condom. Why are schools considering this option? They are considering this option because research is showing that teens are becoming sexually active at younger and younger ages. It is not uncommon for kids in the 6th grade to be sexually active. This is not taking into account oral sex.
Objective: It is unknown if "sexting" i. To date, no published data have examined these relationships exclusively among a probability sample of middle school students. Methods: A probability sample of students was collected alongside the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in Los Angeles middle schools. Logistic regressions assessed the correlates of sexting behavior and associations between sexting and sexual activity and risk behavior ie, unprotected sex. Students who text at least times per day were more likely to report both receiving odds ratio [OR]: 2. Students who sent sexts OR: 3. Compared with not being sexually active, excessive texting and receiving sexts were associated with both unprotected sex ORs: 4. Conclusions: Because early sexual debut is correlated with higher rates of sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancies, pediatricians should discuss sexting with young adolescents because this may facilitate conversations about sexually transmitted infection and pregnancy prevention. Sexting and associated risks should be considered for inclusion in middle school sex education curricula. Keywords: adolescents; cell phone; middle school; sexting; sexual risk.
Middle school youth are engaging in sexual intercourse as early as age 12, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health. Christine Markham, Ph. In the study, Markham and colleagues defined sexual intercourse as vaginal, oral or anal sex. According to their research, by age 12, 12 percent of students had already engaged in vaginal sex, 7. The study found one-third of sexually active students reported engaging in vaginal or anal sex without a condom within the past three months, and one-fourth had four or more partners. The more experienced students in all three types of intercourse were more likely to be male and African-American. The study recommends that sexually active students also need to receive accurate and factual information and services related to STDs and pregnancy testing, as well as skills for future abstention and risk reduction for those who intend to remain sexually active. More than one-third of youth in the study reported engaging in precoital touching behaviors. Among the students who engaged in precoital behavior, 43 percent reported having engaged in sexual intercourse.