Studies suggest that more teens engage in oral sex than intercourse, perceive it as less risky, and are less likely to use protection while doing it. Although with oral sex there's no risk of pregnancy, there is still a substantial risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, including herpes, chlamydia, and even HIV. Now, researchers from the University of California–San Francisco report results of one of the first studies on teens' attitudes and behavior toward oral sex.

What they wanted to know: How often do young teens have oral sex, and do they perceive it as a risky thing to do?

What they did: The researchers surveyed 580 ninth graders at two California public high schools, 58 percent of them female. During class, the students were given questionnaires on their sexual behavior and attitudes about sex.

What they found: About 20 percent of the students reported having had oral sex, compared with 14 percent who said they'd had intercourse. In addition, nearly one third of the students said they planned on having oral sex within the next six months, as compared with only a quarter of the students who planned to have intercourse. Teens, on average, said oral sex carries fewer health and emotional risks and is more socially acceptable than intercourse. They said that more of their peers were having and were likely to have oral sex than intercourse.

What it means to you: Though studies and sex education classes focus on intercourse, this report shows that teens are more likely to engage in oral sex and consider it both less risky and more socially acceptable. The authors say that people who work with young people need to include discussion of oral sex in education and counseling.

Caveats: The researchers needed to obtain parental consent for students' participation in this study and, out of an initial pool of ninth graders recruited, only about half completed the study. Students who were embarrassed about their sexual behavior or attitudes may not have elected to take part, and so their views would not be represented in this study.

Find out more: The Palo Alto (Calif.) Medical Foundation has a page on oral sex, including its risks, that is especially geared to teens.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a website with facts about HIV risk from oral sex and ways to protect against HIV or any sexually transmitted disease during oral sex.

Read the article: Halpern-Felsher, B.L. et al. "Oral Versus Vaginal Sex Among Adolescents: Perceptions, Attitudes, and Behavior." Pediatrics. Vol. 115, No. 4, pp. 845–851.

Abstract online: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org