title: Oral sexual experience among young adolescents receiving general health examinations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether oral sex occurs among young adolescents receiving general health examinations and warrants inclusion in sexual risk assessments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Confidential, interviewer-assisted questionnaires completed by 12 to 15-year-olds (n=335).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 18% of adolescents reported having oral sex. Among adolescents who had oral sex, 25% reported no vaginal sex. Few adolescents reported using barrier protection during oral sex. Most adolescents thought that penile-vaginal sex (96%) and penile-anal sex (81%) can transmit HIV, but 68% thought that penile-mouth sex can transmit HIV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unprotected oral sex among young adolescents warrants attention in research and clinical sexual assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Community Health, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA. bb153@umail.umd.edu
authors.forename: Bradley O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Boekeloo
authors.forename: Donna E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D004219:District of Columbia; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland; D009055:Mouth / Q000821:virology; D009819:Office Visits; D010808:Physical Examination; D012309:Risk-Taking; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014768:Virginia