Teen sex is fraught with perils, and not just the physical kind.

While sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy are the two most talked-about risks, a new book says young people having sex may want to add this to their list of concerns: teenage sex is bad for the brain.

That’s what the authors of Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children are saying, anyways.

In a message clearly intended to promote abstinence in youth, the authors of Hooked say that young people should wait to have sex until their mid-20s, once their brains have developed fully, and are in a “lifelong relationship.”

Otherwise, neurochemicals released during sexual activity may cause problems later in life.

During sex, a woman’s brain produces oxytocin and a male’s brain produces vasopressin, hormones that cause the sexes to bond with each other.

Both sexes also experience a dopamine rush — dopamine is a hormone that makes you feel good and rewards you for exciting behaviour.

However, for young people whose brains are susceptible to pattern-forming behaviours, that may set them up for a lifetime of seeking the thrill and reward from sex, and make it hard for them to attach themselves long-term to a partner later in life.

Well, if one must be addicted, IU think that sex is much more preferable than, say, heroin.  Just a thought.