CDC: Dip in Oral Sex Among Teens, but Numbers Still High

The National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released data today that revealed an overall decrease in oral sex among adolescents between 2002 and 2010, reflecting a similar small decline in vaginal intercourse within the same age group.

A drop in oral sex was seen among females, but the numbers of males engaged in the behavior was the same.

Experts said two-thirds of all youth between the ages of 15 and 24 had had an experience with oral sex, risky behavior that the federal government said is contributing to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

The report, “Prevalence and Timing of Oral Sex With Opposite-Sex Partners Among Females and Males Aged 15-24 Years: United States,” included data from the  CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth. The data came from 6,346 interviews among young adults from 2007 to 2010

In the youngest group, ages 15 to 19, which did not include married males, the report said that 41 percent of females and 47 percent of males had received oral sex. Forty-three percent of girls in that group had given oral sex, while 35 percent of boys had.

For both sexes between the ages of 20 to 24, the numbers go up: 81 percent of females and 80 percent of males had engaged in oral sex.

Some data suggest that many adolescents engage in oral sex because they believe it is safer and preserves their virginity, according to a CDC 2009 fact sheet.