 The American Academy of Pediatrics has identified the sexual behaviors of American adolescents as a major public health problem.The Academy is concerned about the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in sexually active teenagers and about the very high rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States compared to other developed countries.Research into adolescents' sexual behavior in situations outside traditional dating situations, commonly referred to as "hooking up", shows that a large number of adolescents underestimate the risk involved in such situations.