Boys Who Masturbate Likelier to Have Safe Sex?

Eighty-six percent of teenage boys who reported wearing a condom in their last sexual encounter said they masturbated during the past year, as opposed to only 44 percent of boys who did not masturbate, a new study finds.

The study surveyed 820 youths ages 14 to 17 to assess masturbation prevalence, frequency, and association with partnered sexual behaviors.

The survey notes kids who masturbate reported being more sexually active. When age and partner status were factored in, sexually active boys who masturbated were approximately eight times as likely to have used a condom during their last sexual experience. No similar correlation with condom use was recognized in female subjects.

Although a correlation between masturbation and condom use is not definitive, “the association of any behavior with increased condom use deserves further investigation, given the rates of unintended pregnancies and [STDs] in adolescents,” asserts the report. The almost 410,000 births to US girls ages 15 to 19 in 2009 resulted in public costs of $9.1 billion.

Indiana University’s Dr. Cynthia Robbins and colleagues noted that fewer than half of female subjects (48.1 percent) reported masturbating, unlike their male counterparts (73.8 percent).

The researchers concluded masturbation is an important component of sexuality, yet they observed that discussing it remains taboo in the United States, even for many doctors.

“Health care providers should recognize that many teens masturbate and discuss masturbation with patients because masturbation is integral to normal sexual development,” the authors concluded. Trojan condom manufacturer Church & Dwight Co. supported the research.

The study, “Prevalence, Frequency, and Associations of Masturbation with Partnered Sexual Behaviors Among US Adolescents,” was published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (2011; doi:10.1011/archpediatrics.2011.142).

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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