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News Roundup [abridged Versions Appear In The Paper Journal]

US teenagers think oral sex isn't real sex

BMJ 2005; 330 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7496.865 (Published 14 April 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:865
  1. Janice Hopkins Tanne
  1. New York

A study of nearly 600 young California teenagers indicates that, having been told to be abstinent and warned of dangers of sex such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, they have decided that oral sex is the safest choice (Pediatrics 2005;115:845-51).

Previous studies indicated that many young people choose to have oral sex and don't consider it “real sex.” In 1999 a study in the journal of the American Medical Association showed that US university students didn't think oral sex was real sex (JAMA 1999:281;275-7).

Publication of that study coincided with the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton, at which he denied sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky, who had performed oral sex on him. Dr George Lundberg, editor of JAMA, was …

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