Almost half of Black youth report pressure from peers to have sex

19th September 2011   ·   0 Comments

Black youth report considerable pressure to have sex, according to a new survey of 1,500 Black youth ages 13-21 released by Essence magazine and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Of those who have had sex, 47 percent of those 13-21 (including 21 percent of those 13-15) say they have been pressured to go further sexually than they wanted to. The groundbreaking results are featured in the October issue of Essence magazine, on newsstands September 12. In the article, “Our Teens’ Secret Sex Lives,” Essence senior writer Jeannine Amber interviewed dozens of kids to uncover the truth about teens and sex.

Overall, the survey found that almost half of Black teens ages 13 to 21 reported that they have lied to get out of a sexual situation, and 54 percent of Black males said they feel pressure from their friends to have sex. When it comes to sex, pregnancy, and contraception, the survey reveals that the intentions of Black youth don’t always match their actions. Even though more than 90 percent of Black youth say it is important to avoid a pregnancy at this point in their lives, 67 percent have had sex without contraception, 45 percent report using birth control inconsistently, and 20 percent say they will likely have unprotected sex with someone in the next three months.

The reasons for not using contraception vary: 38 percent of Black females who have had unprotected sex have done so because their partner doesn’t want them to use contraception; 29 percent of sexually active Black females say they don’t worry about contraception because they “haven’t gotten pregnant so far;” and 18 percent say it doesn’t matter whether you use protection of not—when it’s “your time” to get pregnant, you will.

Respondents overwhelmingly believe that the TV shows and movies they watch paint a negative picture of Black youth:

• 72 percent believe that the media sends the message that Black females’ most important quality is their sex appeal.

• 64 percent agree that the media sends the message that it is okay for Black males to cheat in relationships.

• 73 percent say the media portrays Black youth as sexually aggressive, compared to 39 percent who believe the media portrays whites as sexually aggressive.

• Just 18 percent say they see themselves in the TV shows and movies they watch.

Black youth, particularly younger teens, say there is much their parents can do to help:

• 31 percent of those ages 13-21 say their parents are most influential about deciding whether or not to have sex (compared to 27 percent who cited partners and 5 percent who cited friends).

• Parental influence seems to wane as youth age — 47 percent of those ages 13–15 say their parents’ opinions matter most compared to 28 percent of those 16-18 and 17 percent of those 19-21.

Other findings from the survey include:

• 66 percent of Black males say that sex is a “big deal” and 73 percent would rather be in a relationship with no sex than have sex with no relationship

• 91 percent say they feel valued by their parents, 92 percent expect to be very successful in life, and 94 percent say the quality that most makes them feel good about themselves is “how smart I am.”

• 46 percent of those ages 13-21 (including 34 percent of those 13-15) say they have seen pornography online when they were not looking for it.

“We are proud to work in partnership with the experts at the National Campaign on this survey, and to bring its eye-opening results to our readers in our October issue,” said Constance C.R. White, Essence editor-in-chief. “I am so grateful to the young people who opened up to us in the survey and told us what is really going on in their lives today. What they feel-and decide to do-about sex, love and relationships today can affect the rest of their lives. Parents know this but often don’t know where to begin. This story gives parents and other caring adults a reason and a way to talk with their teens about this important topic.”

The teen pregnancy rate among African-American youth has plummeted 44 percent since 1990 and the teen birth rate has dropped 47 percent since 1991. While teen pregnancy and birth rates dropped overall over the past two decades, rates among African Americans declined more than those of any other racial or ethnic group. “The truly extraordinary declines in too-early pregnancy and parenthood among Afri­can-American youth should be recognized and celebrated as one of the nation’s great success stories of the past two decades,” said Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Cam­paign. “Still, the rate of teen pregnancy remains disproportionately high among African-American youth suggesting that the nation needs to explore more targeted and innovative approaches that will help.”

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families. Our specific strategy is to prevent teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy among single, young adults.

This article was originally published in the September 19, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper