Teen sex and good grades: What's the connection?

A new study finds that within a 'committed relationship' sexual activity has no effect on academic performance. Time to rethink sex ed?

Students and sex
(Image credit: Corbis)

Having sex may not be bad for your children's education. Those are the findings of a new study from the University of California, Davis, comparing sexually active teenagers to their more virginal peers. The researchers concluded that teens in "committed relationships" tend to do no better or worse in school than those who are not sexually active. Teenagers who practice casual sex, however, have markedly lower grades. What does this tell us about teenage sex?

We should rethink how we teach sex ed: This news ought to make "worried parents... breathe a little easier," says Megan Friedman at Time. The study overturns "conventional notions" that teen sex detracts from schoolwork. Hopefully, this study will "cast new light on sex education in schools" by focusing attention on the positive influence of a committed relationship — and the high costs of casual sex.

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