A recent study conducted shows that teenagers who chose to delay having sex or who professed teen abstinence may still take on risky sexual behaviors when they grow as adults. Accordingly, the proponents of the study also discovered that other factors that included the environment and genetics were the stronger contributing reasons as to sexual risk taking. It was not about being sexually promiscuous when one is younger.
In a news release, the researchers of the study acknowledged that it does not matter whether you delay sex or not in terms of having risky behavior in the future. They have also identified drug and alcohol use during sex, unprotected sexual intercourse and having multiple partners as examples of sexual risk-taking.
The findings, to be published via Psychological Science studied 1,000 pairs of fraternal and identical twins registered in the Minnesota Twin Family Study since they were eleven years old. The respondents were queried about numerous varying factors related to age at puberty and friendships. At age 24, they were asked about their sex lives and any risky behavior they were involved in.
In essence, the concept of teen abstinence may need to be re-evaluated.
