Rampant teenage promiscuity is a myth. This may come as a blow to afternoon talk shows and conservative busy-bodies.
But there are some problematic findings when you look at the statistics: Teens aren’t having more sex than they were back in the good old days, but the teen pregnancy rate has crept up for the first time in a decade.
“There is a group of kids who engage in sexual behavior, but it’s not really significantly different than previous generations,” said Maria Kefalas, an associate professor of sociology at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and co-author of “Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood Before Marriage” (University of California Press, 2005). “This creeping up of teen pregnancy is not because so many more kids are having sex, but most likely because more kids aren’t using contraception.”
Hmmm, wonder why.
As for the oral sex panic (rainbow parties! “hooking up”!), yeah, the kids are doing it — but only 16% of teenagers who haven’t had intercourse say they’ve had oral sex. And a lot of them may choose oral sex because of the lower risk factor for pregnancy and STIs.
But, pssh, boring! Moral panic over teenagers doin’ it is a whole lot more fun. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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God, I remember people talking about “rainbow parties.” I think I first heard the term while watching either Oprah or some similar show with my mom – she was shocked that these things were allegedly going on all over the place, and I simply found the concept incredibly bizarre. It wasn’t even a term I had ever heard before, not to mention the whole idea is just seriously pointless and impractical. I told her that I sure as heck didn’t know anybody who did anything similar, or anybody who’d even heard of it, and I thought that if anybody was going to do something sexual, it would probably be, y’know, actual sex? But of course, why listen to your teenage daughter who actually lives in the real world when you can shut your brain off and listen to TV?
This makes a whole lot more sense than the alternative, I mean, when you think back to being a teenager, the first thing that comes up – for most people – is the crippling awkwardness. I never really understood how it could be possible that an age group defined by its inability to successfully maneuver through most social interactions could be filled with sexual virtuosos, or something.
Love the headline Jill! I think you’re absolutely right that the concept of responsible teenagers doesn’t fit the American cultural understanding of adolescence as an age for rebellion and risk-taking. Or the desire in the media for sensational, panic-inducing narratives.
Yeah, Jamelle, that’s what I always wonder too. I mean, maybe it was just me who was cripplingly awkward, but my teenage sex life didn’t go beyond making out with boys once or twice at parties. And even that felt pretty big-time.
I think my mom, though, was absolutely convinced that I had one of these crazy teenage sex lives, because she watches a lot of Oprah. I wish, mom, I wish.
The one thing that has stayed consistent throughout history when it comes to childhood and adolescence is that adults consistently freak out about how much worse it is for children nowadays, and it’s not like the old days.
The thing to remember anytime this comes up is that its been over 25 years since Phoebe Cates preformed fellatio on a carrot in Fast Times, so those teenagers being represented there have teenagers of their own.
Ah, but speaking of the crazy things teenagers (or at least teenagers denied actual sex ed) get up to, let’s not forget about saddlebacking:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=1031968
Background:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=880970
Yes, it seems teenage pregnancy is actually on the rise among gay teenagers, due to being both pressured into pretending to be straight and denied information about birth control.
Exactly.
And, of course, it’s appropriate to speak for teenagers, what with them being all sexed up and not being able to communicate themselves. They’re also politically apathetic and just smelly.
But seriously, would it be too much to communicate with your kids rather than listen to the fear-mongering?
An oldie but goodie:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/features/students070899.htm
I was a teenager during the whole ‘rainbow party’ thing. I got positively incensed at the various “specials” on prime tv about this rampant teen sexuality that was doomed to destroy us all. Especially girls.
[...] writes about teenage sexuality not being as wild as people, especially nosy conservatives, assume it to [...]