A recent study of 130 British teenagers claims most teens are being pressured into performing anal sex. Shockingly enough, male teens are also claiming to not enjoy the experience as much. Reason being, they felt the physical act did not live up to their expectations. Published in the BMJ Journal, the study noted, “young men in the study were often keen on the idea of anal sex, but were sometimes unenthusiastic about the physical reality,” the researchers said. For example, one interviewee said: “I thought it was going to be a lot better to be honest.”
The teen girls who were interviewed revealed they were often coerced into participating in anal sex. Both genders relayed to the study’s organizers that the action of performing anal was to increase their social status among their peers.
Despite that reasoning, the girls in the study did note they felt others looked down upon them if it was exposed that they did participate in anal. Besides teens engaging in anal sex for social status, the study more disturbingly revealed these adolescents don’t use protection when performing the act because they were unaware they could contract STIs from anal sex. Live Science notes that when condoms were used during anal, it was for hygienic reasons rather than fir the purpose of safe sex. Another disturbing find was teen girls confessing they don’t feel they have a say in the sexual experiences they engage in. Cosmopolitan reports, “though they worry that trying anal might be uncomfortable for them, they consistently reported that the boys have the final say.”
Live Science says the fascination with anal sex comes from teens wanting to mimic what they see in pornography. The study’s lead author, Cicely Marston, stated:
“Current debates about young people’s sex lives often seem to focus narrowly on the impact of porn. But our study suggests we need to think more widely about the lack of importance society places on women’s rights, desires and concerns.”
Given Marston’s quote, it seems adults are not that far off from teens. The study’s outcomes parallels most of the issues adult women face as well. What do you think about this study?
