The article, ‘Trends in Sexual Behaviors Similar for Teens Who Take Few Health Risk and Those Who Take Many’ focuses on exploring the behavioral relationships between adolescents. It is an undeniable fact that engaging in one risky habit may lead to the exposure of an individual to other unhealthy ones. However, Dr. Santelli together with his dedicated team reported that despite strong associations between the two, there remains a strong likelihood that nonsexual behavior might not be the only force driving adolescents into engaging in sexual activities, either protected or not (Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, 2019).

After a rigorous analysis of a survey that encompassed data from the years 1999 to 2008, the authors found that those individuals who engaged in non-risk behaviors like drug abuse stood a higher chance of reporting over four sexual partners in their lives, compared to those who did not participate in behaviors with any threat. This finding was crucial in revealing the connection between sexual behaviors and risky conducts like smoking.

The article also revealed that 13% of students who participate in non-risk activities had sex at least once throughout their lives while a whopping 87% of those high school students who engaged in risky behaviors reported to having intercourse at least once in their lifetimes. It was also a significant finding that social factors have a particularly immense influence on all teenagers regardless of their exposure to risky behaviors. Fortunately, this element helped in eliciting a positive response, ensuring that interventions succeeded in reducing the number of sexual experiences and the overall spread of sexually transmitted diseases. The authors concluded with an affirmation that the use of condoms, the methods of delaying sex and reducing the number of sexual partners were among the top goals, most critical in the fight against HIV and AIDS (Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, 2019).

References

Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. (2019). Trends In Sexual Behaviors Similar For Teens Who Take Few Health Risk And Those Who Take Many. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081219172135.htm