A federal study on the sexual behaviour of young Americans released Thursday counters the belief that oral sex is increasing and vaginal sex decreasing among teenagers due to fears of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Two in every three young Americans have engaged in oral sex, about the same percentage as those who have engaged in vaginal intercourse, the study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Center for Vital Statistics found.
It also showed that the rates of both practices among U.S. youth have dropped since a decade ago.
The study showed that about equal numbers of women and men ages 15-24 have had oral sex, and that about a quarter - 26 per cent of women and 24 per cent of men - had first had oral sex before engaging in vaginal sex.
Around a quarter of youth had likewise had oral sex only after first experiencing vaginal intercourse, the study said.
The belief that oral sex was being practised more and vaginal sex less to avoid pregnancy and STDs has gained traction in recent years.
"Now we know that's not necessarily true," Monica Rodriguez, of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, told Reuters.
"Now we have some real data," she said after reviewing the study based on 6,346 interviews conducted between 2007 and 2010.
