Abuse of Prescription Painkillers, Stimulants Ups Sexual Risks for Teens

(US News and World Report, Dec. 14) Teens who abuse prescription medications are also more likely to engage in riskier sexual behaviors. According to a new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teens who abuse these narcotic painkillers are also more likely to have multiple sexual partners, sex without a condom, and to use drugs or alcohol before having sex. The drugs studied included Oxycontin, Vicodin, Percocet, codeine, Xanax, Ativan, Adderall or Ritalin. One out of five high school students reported abusing prescription drugs, meaning they took drugs that weren't prescribed to them or did not follow the doctor's directions. READ MORE.