New Study Reports 15% of Teens with Cellphones “Sext”

COLUMBIA, S.C. (CNN) – A new study says that teenagers who send or receive sexually explicit text messages, or “sext” messages, are more likely to engage in sexual activity. This is published in the October issue of “Pediatrics.” The study looked at more than 1,800 high school students in Los Angeles. 15% of students with cellphones said they had taken part in sexting and 54% knew somebody who had sent a “sext.” The study also found that teens who admitted to taking part in these messages were more likely to report being sexually active and more likely to have had unprotected sex.