Teenagers are trading sex for drugs and alcohol at a low but steady rate, yet the vast majority of them attend school and live at home with their parents, a new University of British Columbia study suggests.
Its lead author says research indicates the problem has been occurring "in the shadows," but that a positive message has also emerged from the findings.
"Family makes a big difference," said co-author and UBC Prof. Elizabeth Saewyc. "When parents talk with kids about their values and goals and when they model healthy romantic relationships, this does influence their own kids' sexual decision-making."
The study involved 2,360 students in Grades 7 to 12 from 28 schools in southeastern B.C. using survey data from a biennial questionnaire conducted by the East Kootenay Addiction Services Society.
Authors of the study, published Wednesday in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, say the findings are similar to studies conducted in Quebec, the U.S. and Oslo, Norway.
The study found that just over two per cent of teens who have ever tried alcohol, marijuana or other drugs have also exchanged sex for those substances.
Boys and girls were almost equally likely to make the trade, while 83 per cent of boys and 98 per cent of girls who did so lived at home with family.
