by Elizabeth Olivier

Created on: March 16, 2009

Many teens think that they will be ready to have sex while they are still teens. There are even some adults who will rationalize that a teen may be ready if they have met certain conditions, such as having the ability to support a child. In reality, though, no American teen is ready to have sex. Psychological impacts, readiness for parenthood and relationship status must all be taken into consideration when addressing this issue.

A study published in the May 2007 issue of The American Journal of Sociology, the findings of which are summarized in New York Times article ""New Findings Add Nuance to Discussion of Early Sex"":http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/health/05bak a.html, found that having sex for the first time at a younger than average age was associated with lower levels of self-esteem in girls. Additionally, when comparing girls who had been in relationships that did not last, girls who had sex for the first time in those relationships showed more depressive symptoms than girls who had not had sex. While claiming no measurable difference between those who do and do not have sex at or beyond average age, the study does eliminate the readiness of girls under the age of fifteen (the lowest average age for any of the examined social groups).

The study also pointed to no emotional implications for males, regardless of age. This finding might be explained by the differences in how sex is viewed by teenage boys and girls. In his book, Real Boys, William S. Pollack states, "Girls look at sex as signaling an act of love and the ultimate connection. Boys tend to view it, at least partially, as a way of confirming their masculinity" (p.150). Having sex would be more likely to be viewed positively by male teens than females, even if the relationship does not last. Pollack also claims sexuality is an area for boys in which "the least amount of real honesty is allowed" (p. 151), a fact that plays into the main flaw of the study, the use of self-reports. It would be unwise, then, to take this most recent study's lack of findings among males as evidence that sex has no psychological impact.

Either way, it is doubtful that teens, male or female, should have sex when their readiness for parenthood is considered. In the New York Times article ""The Myth of Rampant Teenage Promiscuity"":http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/heal th/27well.html?_r=1, Dr. Maria Kefalas, an associate professor of sociology at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, notes that "research suggests kids

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