Less Sex is Good News

Music to my ears!
Best news in two weeks!
What father doesn't want to hear that teenage girls are having less sex than they did just five years ago?

I know, you're all going to remind me that I'm usually critical and skeptical about research studies. And I will remain that way till I'm planted under a big granite stone. But, when the research produces a result in which I can rejoice, then I, as a father of three daughters, and as a friend to many other fathers of daughters,  must do the only thing I can with such news. Celebrate!

According to a research study recently released by the National Center for Health Statistics, 29% of young women, ages 15-24 say they've never had a sexual encounter. Of course, raising three daughters whom I adore and love more than anything in the world, my first reaction was...that's slightly under one-third. It should be closer to 100%. I know that's not realistic, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be the goal.

The good news is that the percentage is up five points from the last time this research was conducted. So maybe my jubilation is in the fact that the number improved. Now five percent might not seem like lots, but the sample size of the survey was more than 13,000 people. Not a small number.

This study also gave me some hope because it delved into the inquiry with greater specifics than at any other time this study has been conducted. For example, in girls 15-17 years of age, 58% of girls reported having no sexual encounters. Of course, the percentages for the males in this study (all age groups) were all lower than the girls' percentages. Scum of the earth. That's why I keep my aforementioned baseball bat handy.

Of course, you'll always have some blithering, alleged doctor or scientist who has so spoil the good news. Or make just a completely stupid statement. How about this gem from Debbie Roffman, a human sexuality educator (if that job title doesn't send off any alarms, check your pulse). Ms. Roffman (notice no Ph.D. or MD after her name) says that, and I quote, "...more young people may be choosing to wait for a more quality sexual experience, knowing it is more likely to come with maturity..."

That's just what a father with daughters wants to hear. Utter nonsense. Besides, after working in higher education for more than 19 years, and having three teenage daughters, I've seen, heard and been around a fair share of young people. Stating that young people are delaying their gratification in exchange for a more quality experience is giving young people WAY too much credit.

Finally, I can't ignore the bad news in this report, and I also have to acknowledge a faithful reader who left a comment on a post last week. This report, because of its specificity, basically Bill Clinton-proofed itself. When the study was conducted, the researchers didn't give respondents a vague bail out, like 'have you ever had sex?' At which point, anyone who had done anything but strict IC could say, yeah, I've never had sex. Email me if you need translations of my abbreviations. This study defined sex as everything and anything: fingers, hands, mouth, toes, whatever. There were no vague statements as to what is the definition of sex.

Which leads to the bad news. One reason cited for the delay in having IC is young people (62% of the girls surveyed) are engaging in OS, which apparently satisfies those urges without (in the minds of young people) violating anything. Unfortunately, OS is a primary contributor to the growing cases of genital herpes in the USA. Other STDs are also spread through OS, and we know that STDs plague people for many years beyond that initial encounter.

So, to conclude, our teenage daughters are having less IC, but might be having more OS. Which means I will remind my fathers once again. If a young man comes to the door to visit with or take out your daughter, the pants are the key. If his pants are low enough that you can see the color pattern on his boxer shorts, or if his zipper seems lose or out of place, introduce him to your staple gun to make certain his pants remain appropriately attached to his body.

P.S. Don't forget to tell your daughter that you love her.