Teenagers Who Use Nicotine More Likely to Have Had Sex, Engaged in Risky Sex

Vaping is increasingly popular among teenagers and pre-teens. According to a 2019 survey, one in four (27.5%) U.S. high school students and 10.5% of middle school students used e-cigarettes at least once in the previous 30 days, up from 20.8% and 4.9% respectively in 2018. While studies have linked teenaged vaping and smoking to other risky behaviors, a new study “Electronic Vapor Product Use and Sexual Risk Behaviors in U.S. Adolescents” in the June 2021 issue of Pediatrics (published online May 25) found that teenaged vapers and smokers are more likely than non-nicotine users to have had sex and to have engaged in several other risky sexual activities. Researchers studied the survey results of 12,667 high school students in the 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 144 U.S. schools, and found that while 84.2% of students reported no tobacco use, 6.5% had vaped but did not smoke cigarettes, 2.8% used cigarettes but did not vape and 6.5% did both. Researchers found that teens who vaped and/or smoked were more likely to start having sex younger, use alcohol and/or drugs before sex, and have more sexual partners, and these teens were more likely to have been raped and/or have experienced sexual or dating violence. Smokers were less likely to have used a condom during sex compared to nonsmokers, but this difference was not observed in vapers. The authors conclude that doctors should be aware of this association to effectively screen and counsel teens about youth vaping and smoking and sexual health. The study authors also recommend adoption of American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations to raise the minimum age for tobacco use to 21 and ban e-cigarette flavors to reduce teen vaping.