Sexual Activity Among Students Essay

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Trends in Risky Sexual Behavior among High School Students in the U.S.

Roughly 54% of high school students in the U.S. are estimated to be sexually active, according to the study by MMWR Weekly (1992). The trend is upward in character, meaning that more and more students are engaging in sexual behavior over the past several decades. This means that more than half of high school students are sexually active and considering that this data is more than a decade old, and judging by the character of the trend, it stands to reason that the percentage has only increased in the intervening years. This is problematic because it puts students at risk for sexually transmitted diseases and other risk-related results. The study was conducted among over 11,000 students among all 50 students, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The data was self-reported and therefore may not be entirely representative of the actual percentage of students engaging in sexual behavior, as some students may not feel inclined to report their experiences one way or another. This study was presented in 1992 and shows the upward trend in sexual activity among high school teens from the prior decade.

However, as MMWR Weekly (2002) shows, the percentage of high school students who report multiple sex partners in the decade of 1991 to 2001 actually decreased.

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One explanation for the discrepancy could be the sample or the sample size that was used to obtain data. Samples if they are not truly representative of the whole can skew results one way or the other. So it is important to consider where samples are coming from and how they are being used.

Likewise, the manner in which data is collected and analyzed can also play a part in how results are viewed. If data is obtained through self-reporting methods—i.e., students report the information themselves, this could lead to variations depending upon how truthful or open students feel like being. Regardless of the method, obtaining data of this nature from high school students can be difficult as there is not a clear way to validate the quantitative data obtained from the source.

Regardless, the data obtained and presented by MMWR Weekly (2002) shows that for the decade 1991 to 2001, “the prevalence of sexual experience decreased 16% among high school students” and that “the prevalence of multiple sex partners decreased 24%” (p. 2). These numbers show a significant decline in the percentage of students engaging in sexual behavior in their high school years—but what caused the drop in sexual activity throughout the 1990s is unknown.

Some possible….....

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https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/sexual-activity-among-students-2167104
   

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