WebMD's Michael W. Smith, MD

Sexually active teens may not think they're sexually active -- if the only sex they have is oral sex.

"It is not considered real sex to teens," says Bonnie L. Halpern-Felsher, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco. "They think they are still virgins if they had oral sex compared to vaginal sex. Oral sex is something else. For teens it is not under the rubric of sex as we know it today."

In a recent survey of 14-year-olds, Halpern-Felsher found that teens say oral sex is a safer, more acceptable alternative to vaginal sex.

Experts say there is no doubt that oral sex can transmit virtually any sexually transmitted disease -- including HIV and chlamydia. The risk of getting most of these infections from oral sex is lower than the risk of getting them from vaginal sex. But the exact risks of oral sex are largely unknown, says David Landry, a senior researcher associate at the Alan Guttmacher Institute.

This does NOT mean that unprotected oral sex is safe sex. Safe oral sex means using barrier protection -- condoms or dental dams -- to prevent infection. If abstinence is the only safe-sex method a person uses, then abstinence must include oral sex as well as vaginal sex.

• 'Abstinence-Only' Sex Ed: Find out if teenagers are listening. • Teens and Contraception: The impact of parental consent laws. • The 'Silent' Disease: How widespread is chlamydia among teens? • Need a doctor? Try WebMD's Physician Finder.

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SOURCES: WebMD Medical News, "1 in 5 Young Teens Report Having Tried Oral Sex""1 in 5 Young Teens Report Having Tried Oral Sex"
Published October 21, 2005.