For years experts have told us that teens are avoiding sexual intercourse and instead engaging in oral sex. Turns out the idea that "technical virginity" is on the increase is a myth. A new study by the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit that studies reproductive and sexual health, found that teens do not have oral sex to preserve virginity.

The study researched the sexual practices of 2,271 15- to 19-year-olds. According to an inerview in USA Today,
Laura Lindberg, the study's lead author, says the study "does not suggest that teens are hooking up around oral sex with lots of partners."

The question still remains whether or not teens tried oral sex before they engaged in sexual intercourse.

"Sexually experienced teens were almost four times more likely to engage in oral sex and 20 times more likely to engage in anal sex than their peers who were virgins," according to an interview with said Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association in the Washington Post.

If anything, this study should encourage parents to have a frank talk with their teens (and even preteens) about sex. Recently I wrote another post about talking to your teen about sex

Here is just a snippet from that post: STDs are on the rise among teenage girls. A recent study by the CDC found that 1 in 4 (26 %) teenage girls between the ages of 14 and 19 is infected with at least one of the most common STDs. That translates to about 3.2 million female adolescents estimated to have at least one of the most common STDs in the US. Fifteen percent in the study had more than one kind of STD. This is not a study to dismiss because parents want to believe this could never happen to their daughters. Sex among teens is common--estimates suggest approximately 40-50% of teenage girls are sexually active. If teens think sex is just another form of communication, they need to rethink the consequences and know how to protect themselves. Buying into the message from peers and the media that says “sex is casual” is a big mistake for teens. The severe health effects of STDs for women – from infertility to cervical cancer – shouldn’t be ignored. Teens need to know a condom isn’t always enough protection--according to the FDA latex condoms do not protect against all STDs.

To read the rest of the post including information on STDs check out my previous post, "Why Parents Need to Talk to Teens About Sex and STDs."

To read all of my Momathon Blog posts, check out my blog at http://www.MomathonBlog.com.