The study’s results, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, should put worried parents at ease. The study analyzed the behaviors of 300,000 sixth- to ninth-grade girls in British Columbia. From Newsweek:
From 2003 to 2013, the proportion of girls who had sex dropped from 21.3 to 18.3 percent. Girls who had sex before the age of 14, and used substances before intercourse “dropped significantly,” the authors of the study wrote. Girls were more likely to use condoms and contraception in 2013 than 2003. Rates of pregnancies fell, while the average number of sexual partners remained largely the same.
And while this is a Canadian study, there’s other research that has the same message. This study is a bit more special because it shows us that every other aspect of life plays a much larger role in influencing what decisions teen girls make about sex.
“This goes to show that there is far more that goes into girls’ sexual decision making than whether or not they have been vaccinated against HPV. Other personal, societal, and cultural factors play a much greater role,” Dr. Cynthia Holland-Hall of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, who wasn’t a part of the study, told Newsweek.
Surprise! Young girls are human beings capable of making smart, informed decisions if you allow them to.
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