If you ask today’s teens, you’ll find that dating is rare. More teens are doing things in groups. Assuming the activities are OK’d with a responsible adult, and supervised, these activities can be very positive. There has been a rising concern over the newest “trends” in teen sexual behavior.

“Hooking Up”
A portion of today’s youth culture is a “hook up” culture. The term can mean anything from kissing to having actual intercourse. The context is always in a casual way. “Hooking up” is essentially sex with no strings attached: no commitment and therefore no assumed emotional attachment or vulnerability. The long-term ramifications of the hook-up are unclear. While there are no stated commitments involved, frequently one person will expect, or simply hope for, a deeper relationship to develop after the act.

“Buddy Sex”
Stemming directly out of the hook-up culture is the phenomenon of “buddy sex,” or “friends with benefits” to name the two more printable terms. While hooking up can happen with mere acquaintances, or even complete strangers, sex buddies are usually friends who see occasional sex as a mutually beneficial arrangement, a release of hormones to alleviate stress, or just a bit of fun. This can be a long standing arrangement and is not considered a monogamous romantic relationship. How common is this? Aside from a growing body of anecdotal evidence, a recent study by Bowling Green State University showed that a third of sexually active teens in the survey had sex with someone whose attachment went no further than friendship.

“Oral Sex”
While sexual intercourse is being delayed by more teens, the prevalence of oral sex is actually increasing. Some teens who won’t have intercourse, in order to maintain their virginity, will engage in oral sex. They see it as an activity that doesn’t really count as sex. Many teens also believe that oral sex is risk-free both from pregnancy and STIs/STDs. While the former is true, the latter is not, evidenced by the rising numbers of STIs/STDs found in the mouth, throat, and rectum. (For more information on Oral Sex and STIs/STDs see the Medical Institute’s Spring 2003 publication “Oral Sex and Sexually Transmitted Diseases” at http://www.medinstitute.org/medical/index.htm.)