Sexting Often Precedes Sexual Activity in Teens, Researchers Say
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ponsulak/iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Researchers surveyed over 1,000 students in Houston, Texas, and found that teens who engaged in “sexting” were 1.32 times more likely to be sexually active one year later.
Previous research has indicated that at least 15 percent of adolescents sext — sending sexually explicit pictures or messages electronically using a smart phone. The survey of Houston students involved two questionaires one year apart. The first questionnaire aimed to determine whether they had sent, received, or requested a sext message. The second questionnaire asked whether they had engaged in sexual activity.
Sexting, researchers say, may be a gateway to sexual activity. However, sexting was not linked to risky behaviors — such as unsafe sex or drug use or alcohol use before sex.
Further study is needed to determine whether those students who said they had taken part in sexting in the first questionnaire were more interested in sex, resulting in naturally higher numbers of individuals who had engaged in sexual activity one year later.
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