Everyone knows that sex is good for the health and
well-being. Sex indeed has numerous positive effects to the human body and
mind, and can be considered as miracle weapon against many diseases and
conditions. However, to every rule there is a valid exception. Starting sexual
life too early may trigger noticeable negative reactions in the teens, and may
increase a chance of getting depressed in the teen years, or even later in life.
So, if you are trying to input into your kids’ sex education
process and you are looking for the ways to put your adolescent children off
having sex try this one: “It’ll stop you growing…” And there is scientific
evidence that you are right. Scientists claim teenage romps can also spark
depression and autoimmune system conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS), hardly treatable and very irritating disease. They suspect the problem
arises because “the activity occurs when the nervous system is still
developing”.
Ohio State University
Research
Ohio State University researchers studied the equivalent of
adolescents in the hamsters and came up with their conclusions. They claim sex
so young can be linked to “lasting effects on the body and mood” into
adulthood. This is because the teen body interprets sex as a “stressor”, sending
the immune system into overdrive and causing inflammations that are behind
conditions such as IBS. That can delay the onset of puberty and affect growth
because sufferers miss out on key nutrients.
John Morris, who conducted the study, said: “Having a sexual
experience during this time point, early in life, is not without consequence.
It could be affecting males’ susceptibility to symptoms of depression and could
also expose males to some increase in potential inflammation in adulthood.”
Mr Morris’s team studied hamsters aged 40 days – early teens
in human terms – and 80 days. Both the young ones and the older ones had sex
during the experiment with on-heat females. A third group went without.
The animals were later subjected to a number of tests on anxiety
levels.
Mr Morris said: “Both groups of sexually active hamsters
showed an increase in anxiety-like behavior compared to the control group but
the increase in a depressive-like response was specific to the adolescent
sexually paired group.”
The sexually active animals had more of an
inflammation-causing chemical called interleukin-1, used by the body to fight
infections. They also had “less complex” nerve cells carrying messages from the
brain to the rest of the body.
The experts called for further research into “what these
brain differences mean”. Research assistant professor Zachary Weil said: “Sex
is doing something physiological that these cells are interpreting and
responding to.”
University of
Minnesota Study
The Hamster study results were collaborated by results of
other projects. Another study from University of Minnesota carefully confirmed
that a sexual life started at the wrong age does in fact induce sadness,
clinically known as depression. Girls who have lost their virginity at an early
age present a higher risk of feeling depressed compared to their counterparts,
as the researchers discovered. Still, the sufferance occurred only when the
sexual encounter happened outside a romantic relationship, while the boys' mind
was not affected in any way if they started their sexual activity early.
"I suspected that there might be negative effects of
early sex for some groups. And that's what I found, but only under very
specific circumstances." said co-author Ann M. Meier, an assistant
professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota.
These findings have relevance for the abstinence education
promoted by the welfare reform act of 1996, which states that "sexual
activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological
and physical effects." The results show a mixed situation, while the
average age at which teenagers start their sexual life steadily lowered during
the 1990s, now almost 50 % of American teens report that they already had their
first sexual experience by the time they graduate from high school.
Heritage Foundation
Study
A recent study by the Heritage Foundation found additional evidence
of a positive causal relationship between early sexual intercourse and
depressive symptoms. Although teen sexual activity has declined in recent
years, the overall rate is still high. In 1997, approximately 48 percent of
American teenagers of high-school age were or had been sexually active.
The study examined the linkage between teenage sexual
activity and emotional health. The findings show that:
·
When compared to those, who are not sexually
active, teenage boys and girls who are sexually active, are significantly less
likely to be happy and more likely to feel depressed.
·
When compared to those, who are not sexually
active, teenage boys and girls who are sexually active are significantly more
likely to attempt suicide.
The data used in this analysis are taken from the National
Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, Wave II, 1996. This
"Ad-Health" survey is a nationwide survey designed to examine the
health-related behaviors of adolescents in middle school and high school. Its
public-use database contains responses from approximately 6,500 adolescents,
representative of teenagers across the nation. The survey is funded by the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and 17 other
federal agencies.
Sexual activity and depression
- The Ad-Health data reveal substantial differences in emotional health between those teens who are sexually active and those who are not.
- A full quarter (25.3 percent) of teenage girls who are sexually active report that they are depressed all, most, or a lot of the time. By contrast, only 7.7 percent of teenage girls who are not sexually active report that they are depressed all, most, or a lot of the time. Thus, sexually active girls are more than three times more likely to be depressed than are girls who are not sexually active.
·
Some 8.3 percent of teenage boys who are
sexually active report that they are depressed all, most, or a lot of the time.
By contrast, only 3.4 percent of teenage boys who are not sexually active are
depressed all, most, or a lot of the time. Thus, boys who are sexually active
are more than twice as likely to be depressed as are those who are not sexually
active.
Table below gives a complete breakout of these data. Note
that a full 60.2 percent of sexually inactive girls report that they
"rarely or never" feel depressed. For sexually active teen girls, the
number is far lower: only 36.8 percent. Overall, for either gender, teens, who
are not sexually active, are markedly happier than those who are active.
The link between teen sexual activity and depression is
supported by clinical experience. Doctor of adolescent medicine Meg Meeker
writes, "Teenage sexual activity routinely leads to emotional turmoil and
psychological distress…. [Sexual permissiveness leads] to empty relationships,
to feelings of self-contempt and worthlessness. All, of course, precursors to
depression."
Sexual Activity and Attempted Suicide
The Ad-Health survey also asks students whether they have
attempted suicide during the past year.
A full 14.3 percent of girls who are sexually active report
having attempted suicide. By contrast, only 5.1 percent of sexually inactive
girls have attempted suicide. Thus, sexually active girls are nearly three
times more likely to attempt suicide than are girls who are not sexually
active.
Among boys, 6.0 percent of those who are sexually active
have attempted suicide. By contrast, only 0.7 percent of boys who are not
sexually active have attempted suicide. Thus, sexually active teenage boys are
eight times more likely to attempt suicide than are boys who are not sexually
active.
Social Factors
The differences in emotional health between sexually active
and inactive teens are clear. However, it is possible that the differences in
emotional well-being might be driven by social background factors rather than
sexual activity per se. For example, if students of lower socioeconomic status
are more likely to be sexually active, the greater frequency of depression
among those teens might be caused by socioeconomic status rather than sexual
activity.
To account for that possibility, additional analysis was
performed in which race, gender, exact age, and family income were entered as
control variables. This means that each teen was compared to other teens, who
were identical in gender, age, race, and income.
The introduction of these control or background variables
had virtually no effect on the correlations between sexual activity and
depression and suicide. In simple terms, when teens were compared to other
teens who were identical in gender, race, age and family income, those who were
sexually active were significantly more likely to be depressed and to attempt
suicide than were those who were not sexually active.
Teens Express Regrets over Sexual Activity
The significantly lower levels of happiness and higher
levels of depression among sexually active teens suggest that sexual activity
leads to a decrease in happiness and well-being among many, if not most, teenagers.
This conclusion is corroborated by the fact that the majority of sexually
active teens express reservations and concerns about their personal sexual
activity.
For example, a recent poll by the National Campaign to
Prevent Teen Pregnancy asked the question, "If you have had sexual
intercourse, do you wish you had waited longer?" Among those teens who
reported that they had engaged in intercourse, nearly two-thirds stated that
they wished they had waited longer before becoming sexually active. By contrast,
only one-third of sexually active teens asserted that their commencement of
sexual activity was appropriate and that they did not wish they had waited
until they were older. Thus, among sexually active teens, those who regretted
early sexual activity outnumbered those without such concerns by nearly two to
one.
As you see, concerns and regrets about sexual activity are
strongest among teenage girls. Almost three-quarters of sexually active teen
girls admit they wish they had delayed sexual activity until they were older.
Among sexually active teenage girls, those with regrets concerning their
initial sexual activity outnumbered those without regrets by nearly three to
one.
The dissatisfaction and regrets expressed by teenagers
concerning their own sexual activity is striking. Overall, a majority of
sexually active boys and nearly three-quarters of sexually active girls regard
their own initial sexual experience unfavorably-as an event they wish they had
avoided.
Conclusion
The analysis presented in this post clearly shows that
sexual activity is directly connected to substantial problems among teens
regarding emotional health. Teenagers of both genders who are sexually active
are significantly less likely to be happy and more likely to be depressed than
are teenagers who are not sexually active.
Teenagers of both genders who are sexually active are
substantially more likely to attempt suicide than are teenagers who are not
sexually active.
Until recently, society provided teenagers with classroom
instruction in "safe sex" and "comprehensive sex
education." In general, these curricula fail to provide a strong message
to delay sexual activity, fail to deal adequately with the long-term emotional
and moral aspects of sexuality, and fail to provide students with the skills
needed to develop intimate loving marital relationships as adults.
So, the messages for educators and parents to deliver to the
teens are:
- Delaying sexual activity is essential to the healthy development.
- Human sexual relationships are predominantly emotional and moral rather than physical in character.
- That teen abstinence is an important step leading toward a loving marital relationship as an adult.
Sources and Additional
Information:
