HOUSTON – According to a new study, middle school students who send excessive amount of text messages are more likely to report being sexually active.
Researchers polled more than 1,200 students ages 10-15 years old.
Recommended Videos
They found students who texted a hundred times or more each day are more likely to report sending and receiving sexually explicit text and picture cellphone messages, also known as 'sexts', and be sexually active.
Among those with access to texting, a fifth of students reported having received at least one 'sext', while 5 percent reported having sent one.
"Kids that just texted, and we're not including 'sexting', but just texted, the more they texted it was likelier that they were engaging in aberrant sexualized behavior at younger ages," said Dr. Joe Austerman, with Cleveland Clinic Children's.
Researchers said this is a concern because earlier experience with sex is linked with higher rates of sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, and other risks.
Doctors recommend parents discuss the risks of texting with their children.