# God damn it, let the kids have their oral sex **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 19, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-damn-it-let-the-kids-have-their-oral-sex/322446 "2005-09-19T23:44:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-damn-it-let-the-kids-have-their-oral-sex/322446/41 "2005-09-21T20:53:37Z")
Sure, make fun of the mission statements if you want, but what studies such as this do is pretty mainstream. Basically, looking for correlations between various aspects of human behavior, and in this study, it found what other studies have found; that teenagers engaging in early sexual activity are also likely to suffer from depression or behavioral issues such as alcohol or marijuana usage. Here are some more studies that I pulled off of PubMed: Depression and high risk behaviors including sexual behavior in college students- > **[Chronic self-destructiveness, hopelessness, and risk-taking in college...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16050612/?dopt=Abstract)** > > The relationship of chronic self-destructiveness and hopelessness to risk-taking behaviors was examined. College undergraduates (131 men, 114 women) completed the Beck Hopelessness Scale (Hopelessness), Chronic Self-destructiveness Scale... Major risk factors for adolescent suicide attempts- > **[Risky behaviors and factors associated with suicide attempt in adolescents -...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16020162/?dopt=Abstract)** > > The objective of this study was to identify the behavior risk factors associated with suicide attempt in adolescents and to determine gender-specific patterns of risk factors. In 2001, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted... More college data- > **[Aspects of suicidal behavior, depression, and treatment in college students:...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15843320/?dopt=Abstract)** > > The National College Health Assessment Survey (NCHA), sponsored by the American College Health Association, measured depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among 15,977 college students in the academic year 1999-2000. Similar to the... Overall risk factors for depression or HIV risk behaviors- > **[Depression and HIV risk behaviors among patients in a sexually transmitted...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15121659/?dopt=Abstract)** > > Depression in STD clinic patients is associated with HIV risk behaviors but not STD diagnosis. Identifying depression and developing strategies to intervene effectively may reduce HIV risk behaviors and improve health outcomes. Etc. The study quoted from FN is actually the best at addressing our specific question because the data was controlled temporally. From the abstract: > **[Which comes first in adolescence--sex and drugs or depression? - PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16168864/?dopt=Abstract)** > > Engaging in sex and drug behaviors places adolescents, and especially girls, at risk for future depression. Future research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of the relationship between adolescent behavior and depression, and to determine... “Overall, sex and drug behavior predicted an increased likelihood of depression, but depression did not predict behavior.” Basically, depression alone won’t tell you the chances that somebody will be having sex early or using drugs, but people that do so are more likely than peers to be depressed at a one year follow up. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-damn-it-let-the-kids-have-their-oral-sex/322446/42 "2005-09-21T21:04:51Z")
> [@Coil](#): > > That’s my beef with most of the surveys about teen behaviour, be it drinking, drugs or whatever. It is very likely they will lie, especially about sex. Absolutely. This is no doubt a serious issue for research on adolescent behavior. But this isn’t quite what’s beign described by other posters: The researchers crowd into a class of high-schoolers into a room, pull out a pad of paper, and say, “Ahem, so then, who’s had a group sex in the last week?” ---
**Author:** ![mojave66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mojave66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojave66)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-damn-it-let-the-kids-have-their-oral-sex/322446/43 "2005-09-21T22:49:59Z")
It doesn’t surprise me that early-onset sexuality and dpression are correlated. It surprises me that they left out the BIGGER issue, which is that low socio-economic status and early-onset sexuality are also very highly correlated. Unless that paper draws its subjects from diverse classes and does some sophisticated linear regression, I’d be suspicious. I’ll have to hunt down that paper at the university’s library. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-damn-it-let-the-kids-have-their-oral-sex/322446/44 "2005-09-21T23:11:29Z")
Hmmmm… the study authors say that they controlled for SES via highest parent education level as a proxy for SES. “Model 1 used the 16 risk clusters at Wave I to predict Wave II depression (yes/no) controlling for depression at Wave I, age, biological sex, race/ethnicity, highest parental education, family structure, and perceived physical maturity.” I wish that I could post the entire article because I have access to it, but that might cause Elsevier to go Mideaval on my ass. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-damn-it-let-the-kids-have-their-oral-sex/322446/45 "2005-09-22T00:54:07Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > So basically, what I’m saying is when teens are asked these questions, they lie. > > I remember last year or maybe two years ago, there was a story in the NY Times Magazine about teen sex. The author (a man in his early 20s) was interviewing a pack of teenagers about their sex habits. All told wild tales (that he believed) about hooking up with random people every other night. Yet he never actually saw any of these so called lotharios speaking to or meeting any of their conquests. They all “went to other schools.” > > Right. :wally Amen. Speaking as someone who was a teenager (technically, still is) _much_ more recently than likely anyone involved in this report: So what? Regardless of age, someone who makes stupid and/or regrettable decisions about sex is going to be more likely to be depressed. Also, they’ll be more likely to get STD’s, because more sex + more partners = more risk. I, for one, freely admit to glorifying my romantic exploits a bit when talking to peers (not close friends). Sure, you’d done this and this and this with _x_ people. Teenagers have _always_ had sex. I refuse to believe that up until this generation, no 15-year-old had ever recieved a blowjob. To quote a fabulous line from _Buffy_: “I’m 16. Looking at linoleum makes me want to have sex.” Until teens start dropping dead in the streets from overzealous sexuality, I’m not going to be concerned. Also: [interesting piece from Slate on this whole kerfuffle.](http://slate.msn.com/id/2126643/) ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-damn-it-let-the-kids-have-their-oral-sex/322446/46 "2005-09-22T00:59:59Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Amen. > > Speaking as someone who was a teenager (technically, still is) _much_ more recently than likely anyone involved in this report: So what? Hey, watch it young lady, I only turned 20 this summer. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-damn-it-let-the-kids-have-their-oral-sex/322446/47 "2005-09-22T07:28:16Z")
> [@neuroman](#): > > I think that deserves a hearty _cheers_. Sounds like they’ve got the problem licked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-damn-it-let-the-kids-have-their-oral-sex/322446.md?page=2)