A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that teens who misuse prescription medications are more likely to have sex and engage in risky sexual behavior. Researchers say teens that use prescription drugs to get high were more likely than their peers who did not misuse prescription drugs to be sexually active, use drugs or alcohol before sex, not use a condom and have more sexual partners. The study of more than 29,000 high school students found that the more teens misused prescription drugs, the more likely they were to engage in all of these risky behaviors. HealthDay reports the study examined a variety of prescription drugs including the painkillers Percocet, codeine, OxyContin and Vicodin, sedatives such as Xanax or Ativan and stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall.
“About one out of every five high school students reported non-medical use of prescription drugs,” said study author Heather Clayton. “This behavior is very concerning, as overdoses and deaths related to non-medical use of prescription drugs is on the rise.” She also stated, “Non-medical use of prescription drugs and sexual risk behaviors are likely to be part of a constellation of risk-taking behaviors.” She noted that deaths from prescription painkillers have quadrupled since 1999, and in 2013, over 16,000 people died due to prescription painkillers in the United States.
This study underscores the importance of educating youth on the multiple dangers of prescription drug misuse. Parents play a vital role in this process. Kids who learn about the risks of drug abuse from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use drugs than kids who do not. Visit /drugfreeazkids/drug-guide/ to find out more about these substances and /drugfreeazkids/TalkWithYourKids for tips on how to get this conversation going.
