Ambiguity in Defining Adolescent Sexual Activity

Historically, adolescent sexual activity has been narrowly viewed in terms of whether they are sexually active or not, with an inadequate focus on how they define their sexual behaviors. These dichotomous views of sexual activity fail to acknowledge the wide range of sexual behaviors that could increase the risk for sexually transmitted infections. Before nurse practitioners can begin to adequately assess sexual risk and meet the needs of their adolescent patients, they need to clearly understand what specific behaviors adolescents consider as sexual activity and acknowledge that these answers may vary widely.