Miley Cyrus' impact on girls and sex - Dr. Christina Villarreal

Miley Cyrus has continued to land in the media spotlight since a copy of her sexually charged lap dance with 44 year old director/producer Adam Shankman surfaced on media websites such as tmz.com . Miss Cyrus has been trying to shed her clean cut Hannah Montana image for quite some time. She recently released a racy music video for her latest single, "Can't Be Tamed," where she is shown wearing a black lingerie-inspired bodice and thigh-high boots while dancing on a pole, as seen in many strip clubs. Miley Cyrus is a celebrity who clearly has a strong influence over young girls; many of whom will inevitably emulate her. Are her recent, sexually charged choices encouraging young female fans to engage in similar behaviors? What are the long term implications for girls who begin sexual activity at an early age? The excerpt below was taken from an article published in on June 26, 2003 by Kirk Johnson, Ph.D., Shannan Martin, Lauren Noyes and Robert Rector.

Negative Consequences of Early Sexual Activity


"Beginning sexual activity at an early age is likely to have permanent negative consequences on the lives of young women. These enduring negative effects can be physical, psychological, social, and economic. The harmful effects are most pronounced for women who begin sexual activity in teen years; many will be passed on to future generations. Data from the NSFG showcase the negative consequences of early sexual activity, which include the following:


• Beginning sexual activity at a young age greatly increases the probability of becoming infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Girls who began sexual activity at age 13 are twice as likely to become infected by an STD as girls who started sexual activity at age 21.


• Women who begin sexual activity at an early age are far more likely to become pregnant and give birth out-of-wedlock. Nearly 40 percent of girls who commence sexual activity at ages 13 or 14 will give birth outside marriage. By contrast, 9 percent of women who begin sexual activity at ages 21 or 22 will give birth outside marriage


• Women who begin sexual activity at earlier ages are more likely to become single mothers. Women who became sexually active at ages 13 or 14 are more than three times as likely to become single parents than are women who commence sexual activity in their early 20s.


• Early sexual activity seriously undermines girls’ ability to form stable marriages as adults. When compared to women who began sexual activity in their early 20s, girls who initiated sexual activity at ages 13 or 14 were less than half as likely to be in stable marriages in their 30s.


• Early sexual activity is linked to higher levels of child and maternal poverty. Some 27 percent of mothers who began sexual activity at ages 13 or 14 were living in poverty at the time of the survey. By contrast, 11.7 percent of mothers who began sexual activity in their early 20s were poor at the time of the survey.


• Girls who begin sexual activity at an earlier age are far more likely to have abortions. Nearly 30 percent of girls who started sexual activity at ages 13 or 14 have had an abortion. By con- trast, some 12 percent of girls who began sexual activity in their early 20s have had an abor- tion.


• Beginning sexual activity at an older age is linked to higher levels of personal happiness. More than half the women who began sexual activity in their early 20s report that they are currently “very happy” in life. By contrast, only a third of women who began sexual activity at ages 13 or 14 report that they are 'very happy'."

In light of these statistics, parents must aim to play an active role in educating their children about their sexuality and the consequences of their choices. Unfortunately, many parents struggle to see their own children as sexually active (but believe that everyone else's kids are), as seen in an article titled Parents don’t think own teens are having sex.

Leave your thoughts, questions or concerns below to continue this important dialogue, or email me directly for professional work referrals at christina.villarreal@gmail.com, or view my website at www.drchristinavillarreal.com

References:

THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF EARLY SEXUAL ACTIVITY AND MULTIPLE SEXUAL PARTNERS AMONG WOMEN: A BOOK OF CHARTS. Written by: ROBERT E. RECTOR KIRK A. JOHNSON, PH.D. LAUREN R. NOYES SHANNAN MARTIN.