Oral sex is a goal of some guys have sex, indirectly, increase their risk of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, according to new research.

Researchers in California have found that only 9 percent of high school students to have oral sex at the end of ninth grade began to avoid vaginal intercourse by the end of the 11th Class.

Oral sex is the most common sexual activity among young people, one of five newcomers to the High School more than half in 15 and 19 say they have not tried.

But many only programs to sex education, sexual abstinence or safe sex address, ignored the role of oral sex, plays the sexual behavior among young people, “senior investigator Dr. L. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher from the University of California, San Francisco, told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

Risk “in the publication of the past, we have shown that young people feel that oral sex is more acceptable and more often than sex,” he said, “and that young people believe that oral sex is less of an impact on health – sexually communicable diseases, HIV and pregnancy – and the social and emotional effects of vaginal sex. ”

Although young people may be true that oral sex is a bit safer than sex does not come without risks, the researchers said. Measure could lead to indirect effects, and, above all young people in more risky than vaginal sex engage in trade.

In the new study, Halpern-Felsher and to Dr. Anna V. Song of the University of California, Merced, more than 600 students from two schools in northern California has a high of 2002 to 2005 as improving the understanding of the role oral sex progression of teen sexual behavior.

The children completed questionnaires every six months between the beginning of the end of ninth grade and 11

More than 90 percent of students in ninth grade said she did not try vaginal intercourse, while 40 percent reported the same 11 degrees.

During the study, most students initially reported having sex within the same period of six months after their first experience with oral sex. The vast majority have experienced oral sex before a relationship is not and vice versa.

In addition, the researchers found that to be the initiation of oral sex in the ninth grade or are significantly increasing the likelihood that young people to vaginal sex until the end of the 11th Class need to practice. In contrast to children, sexual activity were before or after the first half of ’10 class is less likely that sexual relations began to develop at the end of high school. Teen oral sex, not all the way to the 11th Class was 80 percent probability even avoid vaginal sex.

There were no differences in the progression of sexual behavior between boys and girls or teenage Hispanics, Asians and whites, the researchers report in the Archives of Children’s Hospital. ”

Halpern-Felsher song to note that more research is needed to clarify the association between oral and vaginal sex among young people to investigate. For example, oral sex is used early sex as a gateway for some people, while others vaginal sex behavior to be rejected.

“These results highlight the need for health workers, educators and parents understand the discussions of oral sex on the curriculum includes sex education,” said Halpern-Felsher.

“Often young people are not as oral sex is sex,” he added, “and then discount these reports can not be used or for their behavior.”