Oh, to be fifteen again...

I was talking with one of my fellow students who has an 11 yearold son and she mentioned that he came home the other day and asked what "gay sex" is. Apparently it's all the rage on the playground to accuse people of gay sex. The conversation took its course and I reminded her that kids are getting younger and younger when they have first sexual experiences. The thought that her 7 year old daughter is almost half way there was quite shocking for both of us, although obviously to her more than me.

The vast majority of girls that were having sex when I was in highschool were seeking approval and popularity. The guys were just seeking a good time. I don't have kids yet, but I would rather my daughter have sex at 15 because it feels good than wait until she's 18 or 21 or whatever and do it because all her friends were making fun of her and she wants some boy to like her.

Sexual activity increases among youth
Studies show adolescents have intercourse earlier without feeling guilt
By Stephanie Nehmens, Senior Staff Writer

People are having more sex, and they like it. An analysis, based on 530 studies, shows an increase in premarital intercourse and oral sex at significantly younger ages than ever before without a feeling of guilt.

The average age of one's first intercourse has dropped from 19 to 15 for females and 18 to 15 for males between 1943 and 1999, San Diego State associate psychology professor and co-author of the analysis Jean Twenge said.

"Sexual guilt among young people has gone down considerably, especially among young women," Twenge said. "I think women are feeling more comfortable sexually and it's part of the trend of men and women becoming more equal.

"What's really happening is that young women are doing the same thing as young men have always done."

The availability of birth control and legal abortion has probably made a large difference in that women feel they can have sex and not have to worry about getting pregnant, which makes a huge difference, Twenge said.

"If you start having sex when you're younger, then you're going to have the chances of you getting pregnant and having either an abortion or a baby at a very young age go up," business administration senior Corey Travis said. "So the overall equalization is OK, but women are ultimately responsible for the decisions they make, and it puts a lot of weight on young minds that are a lot of times still in the adolescent stage."

Women now hold professional career roles and aren't so confined to the house and home, said Brooke Wells, who holds a master's degree in psychology from SDSU and co-authored the sex analysis.

Women's personalities are also changing. Studies show women's assertiveness has gone up over the years, and that includes in the bedroom, Wells said.

"By the late 1980s, 80 percent of people said ... it was OK for two people who aren't married, who are consenting adults, to have sex," Twenge said. "People stopped asking the question after the late 1980s because it kind of topped out."

Liberal studies senior Kristen Dan said she comes from a religious area and a lot of people wait until they're married.

"I think the age this is happening is too young now..." Dan said. "It's taking kids' innocence at a lot younger ages."

The study also found an increase in oral sex, Twenge said. People didn't start asking questions about oral sex until the '70s because before that it wasn't quite as common, she said.

"In the '70s, about 50 percent of people engaged in that behavior (and) by the 1990s it was 75 percent, so that's another behavior that has gone up in popularity," Twenge said. "A lot of previous generations of people, people now in their 60s, viewed oral sex as not proper.

"They thought it was disgusting, but of course young people now see that as something that is a pleasurable activity."

Dan said it depends on the individual and what they believe is acceptable.

"I know some people think it's a lot bigger deal than other people and so it just depends how you look at it." Dan said. "I'm not opposed."

Twenge said what people think now is if it's a pleasurable thing, then it's worth pursuing and there's no reason to listen to rules about what one is supposed to do and what one is not.