Oral Sex Issue Hits Middle Schools in Kentucky

Isolated incidents of oral sex on campus and talk among middle school students of the behavior occurring at off-campus parties has alarmed some Fayette County, Ky., school administrators and parents who have planned meetings on this topic. Physicians, including one who has seen an increase in STDs among middle school students, are promoting frank discussions about oral sex to discourage students from engaging in it. Still, all agree the practice is limited to a small number of students, some of whom do not equate oral sex to intercourse.

Dr. Hatim Omar, a University of Kentucky specialist in adolescent medicine, said that just since January, he has treated at least 10 middle school-age students for STDs they said they had contracted through oral sex. That's up from six cases in 2001 and two each in 1999 and 2000. Four students, treated for tonsillitis caused by gonorrhea, attributed their conditions to so-called "head parties," Omar said. Also since January, he has seen students from every middle school in Fayette County who admit that they have engaged in oral sex or attended parties where students have engaged in oral sex. Parents and administrators are responding. Besides principals addressing the topic, Beaumont Middle School PTA President Debbie Boian wants middle school PTA leaders to discuss developing programs at each school to talk to students about risky behavior.

Nationally, public health experts report that teenagers appear to be engaging in high-risk sexual practices without caution and with alarming casualness. Nearly 1 in 10 reports losing his or her virginity before the age of 13, a 15 percent increase since 1997, according to the CDC. According to several surveys, as many as half of teens ages 13 to 19 say they have had oral sex. Dealing with incidents directly and speaking bluntly with middle school students is key to helping them understand the ramifications of their decisions, parents and doctors said.

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