Research: girls more likely not to use protection during first sexual encounter

A study conducted by a researcher from Arizona State University has found that during first-time sex, adolescent girls engage in risky behavior more frequently than boys, putting them at high risk for contracting STDs.

Study author Nicole Weller determined that even though teen boys are more likely to engage in sex, teen girls are more likely to eschew condoms.

The study reveals that even though teens are waiting longer before engaging in sex for the first time, adolescent STD rates are on the rise. Risky behavior is likely to blame, Weller says.

She concludes that early and thorough sexual education is the key, and that the earlier the sex ed, the less likely a child is to engage in unprotected sex.

Teens and young adults who are worried they have contracted an STD may consider looking into online testing services as a tool for determining the status of their sexual health.

Adolescents are among those most at risk for STDs, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that almost half of the 19 million new cases of sexual disease are contracted by people aged 15 to 24 every year.