A new study published in the American Journal of Pediatrics states that sexting is so normal for the youth of today that it’s the new first base. The research aimed to find out whether sexting preceded actual sex by studying the anonymous confessions of a group of year 12 students. They found that teenagers who sext are more likely to have sex within the year. But that doesn’t mean they’re more susceptible to making risky decisions in bed (like not using protection).

As Professor Jeff Temple, author of the study said,

“Sexting preceded sexual behaviour in many cases… The theory behind that is sexting may act as a gateway or prelude to sexual behaviours or increases the acceptance of going to the next level,” adding “I think the really cool thing about this study in answering the question of what comes first is … this could hold the key to prevention programs.”