Let’s hear it for the boys (and the girls)! When it comes to making the right decision about sex and drugs, adults may not have to worry as much about black adolescents. Recently, two studies have been published suggesting that teens, especially black males, are making better choices when it comes to their health.
The first study comes out of National Center for Health Statistics. The survey showed that 80 percent of teenage boys are using condoms the first time they have sex, an increase from 71 percent in 2002. Results from the survey are based on interviews with more than 4,500 teenagers, age 15 to 19, from 2006 through 2010.
Sex survey: Black, Hispanic men use condoms more than whites
Kwame Christian, an educator in Jersey City, New Jersey, says that boys are more aware now of the repercussions of unprotected sex. “The underlining theme here is caution. There are two deciding factors that sway young boys from engaging in unprotected sex before their first sexual experience: the fear of getting the young girl pregnant and the fear of getting a STD or some life ending disease. This fear guides boys into the mentality of precaution before pleasure”.
Another myth-busting result from the study: there is no racial difference in the percentage of girls having sex. Past survey results have shown that black females were more likely to have been sexually active.
Raul Posas, a marketing director who works with teens at a non-profit AIDS organization in DC says this is encouraging news. “These stats show that young people are listening and understand the importance of their health. With more (or continuous) access to contraceptives and health education at their fingertips, I’m hopeful that teens will consistently use condoms and other contraceptive methods and make it a common practice to decrease their risk of teen pregnancy & STIs.”
African-American teens are also using drugs less says the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, published this month, showed that drug use for black adolescents, age 12 to 17, were lower than their white counterparts and lower than the national average from 2004 to 2009.
The rate of adolescents who used alcohol within the past month stood at 10.5 percent, cigarette use was 5.8 percent and non-medical use of prescription type drugs was 2.9 percent. Black males were less likely to have used alcohol or cigarettes in the past month.
Dr. Roselyn Aker-Black, psychologist and CEO of Til Death Foundation in Washington, DC, says black youth has always made good choices but the focus seems to fall on the negative stories. “Fortunately, our youth are ultimately what we consider good. It just so happens that the stories about troubled youth are more pronounced and more newsworthy. There are parents out there that are doing an amazing job with their children that we never hear about. We have just been distracted by all the “bad boy” images that are heavily shown in the media (i.e. Lil’ Wayne, T.I. going to jail). These young men have influential power.”
How does the community keep the momentum going? Education, of course. There are more ways to reach out to teens now than ever before. In the age of social networking, music videos, and smartphones there are plenty of ways to keep safe sex and anti-drug messages at the center of communications with teens. And since teens listen to their peers the most, education is the essential piece. Dr. Aker-Black adds that getting involved with youth will almost assuredly keep this upward trend going.
“If you turn a blind eye to the ‘bad kid’ in the neighborhood, he could be the very child that robs you ten years later. The point is that simple mentoring and showing that you care can turn around a kid’s life. The community can make a difference by functioning as a community and working together to ensure that we are protecting our most vulnerable population, our children.”