Think about the last television show you watched. Did it depict any sex?

Chances are pretty high that it did, as approximately two-thirds of TV programs have some sexual content. Maybe you didn't notice that the actors' clothes were just a little tight or perhaps you barely flinched when the young couple kissed? Or maybe you were embarrassed by scenes which came close to soft pornography?

Whatever your reaction, sex has become so normal and accepted on TV that even some cartoons depict scantily clad women or promiscuous young people.

The high frequency of sexual content on TV has had a noticeable impact on young people, according to a recent study by the RAND Corporation, which was published in the journal Pediatrics. The study, which surveyed 1,792 adolescents aged 12 to 17 from across the country, found that young people who were often exposed to sex on TV, were more likely to initiate intercourse and lose their virginity earlier than teens who were not regularly exposed to sex on TV.

12 to 17 year-olds in the study who watched the most amount of sex on TV were found to initiate intercourse twice as often as those who watched the least sex. There was no difference in the results between viewers who watched programs which talked about sex and programs which actually showed it.

The RAND study clearly illustrates that exposure to sex on TV can indicate increased sexual behavior in young people, but it does not conclude that watching TV necessarily causes teens to have sex. In fact, the study concludes by saying, "Parents may be able to reduce the effects of sexual content by watching TV with their teenaged children and discussing their own beliefs about sex and the behaviors portrayed."

While TV may normalize sexual behavior among 12 - 17 year-olds, it is certainly not the only factor influencing their decision to have sex. Education, among other factors, may help young people resist the unrealistic ideals presented on TV and help them make better and more informed decisions.

Still, some young people believe that sex on TV has no effect on them.

"I believe that young adults and teenagers who have been educated on issues dealing with sex understand the consequences and already have opinions about these issues prior to viewing them in the media," says Dymir, 17, of Clementon, NJ.

Young people like Dymir believe that their peers can make healthy decisions about sex if they have a good foundation and understand their positions about sex, as opposed to following whatever the media says is "normal" and "cool." On the other hand, some young people feel that sex on TV can be harmful to their peer group. Adolescents are at an especially impressionable age, as they make important decisions about their character, morality, and personality. Much of our teen years are spent figuring out who we are through the many new decisions we face-from time management to behavior at work and home to having relationships and sex.

Having sex under risky circumstances-including not being mentally ready-can have serious consequences, and the way TV depicts sex as an everyday, casual occurrence can be dangerous. Many young people are easily and unconsciously influenced by these depictions.

"[TV shows] usually portray sex as being a normal everyday activity for young America," says Margarita Gaines, 19, of Southfield, MI. She believes that since so many young people imitate what they see on TV, from the clothes celebrities wear to the way they act, "real life is going to increasingly continue to imitate those depictions until they are a reality."

Gaines supports the RAND study's conclusion, therefore, that sexual content on television does influence young people's choices about having sex, especially when this audience is used to imitating what it sees on TV.

Lieschen Gargano, 18, of Boulder, CO, also agrees with the RAND study's findings, saying, "[The media] has an influence on how people shape their relationships and even may cause them to think they need to change their relationships based on how they are depicted in the media." But she believes that much of television's influence "is not noticed" by young people, since its influence on their lives has become so standard.

But other young people feel there's a difference between the sex they see on TV and the sex they may have in real life.

"Sex on television is more of an illustration, than a reality. Sexuality on television depicts no emotional aftermath. In reality, there is a lot more to sex than just reaching climax and moving on with your life," says Stephanie Nolasco, 18, of New York City.

The RAND study notes this problem and recommends that TV programs show more of the consequences of sex - both good and bad.

Overall, a connection clearly exists between exposure to sex in the media and young people's decisions about sex, but the effect is not necessarily entirely negative. The multitude of sexual themes on TV shows can open important communication between teens and their peers, potential partners, and parents. As Jocelyn Cole, 17, of Nashville, TN, says, "Something you see on TV could be what you were afraid to talk about and give you the extra courage to ask someone about it."

In the absence of reliable sources for guidance and information, however, the media's unrealistic portrayals of sex and relationships can be harmful to young people, influencing them to do things before they are ready because they are portrayed as casual and expected. With many corporate media heads afraid to offend advertisers by featuring content about condoms, other forms of contraception, and abortion on their shows, young viewers risk being left in the dark about how to protect themselves and fully understand their options in the case of an unplanned pregnancy.

Young people's decisions about sex should be their own, and should be informed decisions, rather than choices made out of social pressure. Clearly TV can influence young people; hopefully it will use its power to influence them in a positive way by depicting healthy relationships and sexual encounters. And all young people should be encouraged to think critically about what they see on TV and make these important decisions about sex for and by themselves.

Anna Bialek, 17, of Princeton, NJ, is an editor for SEX, ETC., the national newsletter and Web site written by teens, for teens, on sexual health issues, published by the Network for Family Life Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

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