Remember how losing your virginity was like a well-timed science experiment that was almost impossible to get right? Too soon and you were a go-er, too late and you were fridgid. God, being a teenager was great wasn't it?
According to new research though, teens today might not be as eager to jump into the sack as you and your friends once were. The study, done by the US Department of Health compared data from 1988 and 2013 and found that teenagers are less likely to have sex, and more likely to use contraceptives. Which is wise. And makes us feel some hope for our future children who are otherwise almost certainly screwed.
Back in 1988 (when we were but twinkles in our mothers' eyes), 51% of teenage girls and 60% of boys admitted to having sex at least once; whether that counts that time at their friend Sarah's house where no-one was sure whether it actually went in though is another story. In data collected between 2011 and 2013 though, just 44% of girls were found to have had sex while boys with sexual experience had stoped at the 46% mark in 2002 and hadn't moved since.
When it comes to being careful, 70% of female teenagers and 84% of males used contraception when they first have sex, leading to a 57% drop in the rate of teen pregnancy.
So why are teenagers having less sex and being more cautious? Speculation lies in better sexual health education - a lot of which is being attributed to the stuff they find on their phones. Dr. Brooke Bokor told the Washington Postthat with smartphones, teenagers are free to search privately about sex matters without the worry the their search history will be found by their parents. 'They're looking on the web.' She said. 'They're looking for guidance from parents, guardians and physicians. They can and will make positive decisions for their own health, both sexual and otherwise. We really need to be prepared to treat our youth an young adults as educated consumers.'
So, well done Generation Z; you are a generation far more informed than we were. Congratulations on being better than us at everything. Jeez.
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Picture: Matilda Hill-Jenkins
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.