WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Teenage sex is still a cause for widespread national concern. A new report from the Heritage Foundation shows that early sexual activity plays a significant role in causing both depression and suicide attempts in American teenagers.

Researchers found significant differences in emotional health between teens who are sexually active and those who are not. Over 25 percent of sexually active teenage girls reported that they were depressed. That was in sharp contrast to the 7.7 percent of teenage girls experiencing depression who were not sexually active.

About 8 percent of sexually active teenage boys experienced depression. By contrast, only 3.4 percent of teenage boys who were not sexually active said they got depressed.

The report also shows that more than 60 percent of sexually inactive girls "rarely or never" experienced depression. However, for sexually active teen girls that number fell to 36.8 percent.

The link between teen sexual activity and depression is also supported by clinical experience. Quoted in the report, doctor of adolescent medicine Meg Meeker writes, "Teenage sexual activity routinely leads to emotional turmoil and psychological distress... [Sexual permissiveness leads] to empty relationships, to feelings of self-contempt and worthlessness. All, of course, precursors to depression."

The report also shows a clear link between sexual activity and attempted suicide. Over 14 percent of sexually active girls reported attempting suicide. By contrast, only 5.1 percent of girls practicing abstinence tried to commit suicide.

Among sexually active boys, 6.0 percent attempted suicide. By contrast, only 0.7 percent of sexually inactive boys tried to kill themselves.

According to the report, "The differences in emotional health between sexually active and inactive teens are clear. However, it is possible that the differences in emotional well-being might be driven by social background factors rather than sexual activity per se. For example, if students of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be sexually active, the greater frequency of depression among those teens might be caused by socioeconomic status rather than sexual activity."

To account for that possibility, researchers performed additional analysis in which race, gender, exact age, and family income were entered as control variables.

"This means that each teen was compared to other teens who were identical in gender, age, race, and income. The introduction of these control or background variables had virtually no effect on the correlations between sexual activity and depression and suicide. In simple terms, when teens were compared to other teens who were identical in gender, race, age and family income, those who were sexually active were significantly more likely to be depressed and to attempt suicide than were those who were not sexually active," reads the report.

According to the data, teenagers surveyed regretted premature sexual activity. "Overall, a majority of sexually active boys and nearly three-quarters of sexually active girls regard their own initial sexual experience unfavorably -- as an event they wish they had avoided."

In addition, data from the report also shows that regrets about sexual activity were strongest among teenage girls. Almost three-quarters of sexually active teen girls said they wish they had waited to have sex. Among sexually active teenage girls, those with regrets concerning their initial sexual activity outnumbered those without regrets by nearly three to one.

Overall, researchers concluded that the significantly lower levels of happiness and higher levels of depression among sexually active teens suggest that sexual activity leads to a decrease in happiness and well-being. "This conclusion is corroborated by the fact that the majority of sexually active teens express reservations and concerns about their personal sexual activity."

The data used in the report was taken from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, Wave II, 1996. This was a nationwide survey designed to examine the health-related behaviors of adolescents in middle school and high school. It contained responses from approximately 6,500 adolescents, representative of teenagers across the nation. The survey was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and 17 other federal agencies.