Do Sexual Songs Influence Teens to Have Sex?

Pay attention to lyrics the next time you’re plugged into your iPod. According to a new study, teens that listen to songs with “degrading” sexual lyrics, like “Wait” by the Ying Yang Twins, are more likely to have sex. In the study, researchers suggest that listening to these lyrics makes teens more likely to imitate what they hear.

People might find lyrics to some songs degrading, but are those lyrics really influencing teens to have sex? Even if you pulled all songs with sexual lyrics off the radio and MTV, guess what? Some teens would still be having sex! It’s easy to get alarmed about kids listening to raunchy lyrics in music. But it’s much harder—for parents and teens—to have open and honest discussions about what those lyrics really mean and what our values are when it comes to sex, love and relationships.

The next time you’re in the car with your parents and you hear some pretty lewd lyrics on the radio, why not ask what they think about it. It’s a great way to break the ice and begin an open dialogue about sex.