More young people get health information from the Internet than use it to download music, play games, or check sports scores, a new survey which is the first to look in depth at how young people use the Internet for health purposes finds.

"Young people aren't just going online to download the latest song from the Red Hot Chili Peppers or look for information on George Clooney's latest movie," said Vicky Rideout, the vice president of Kaiser Family Foundation and director of the program. "They're also looking for information on health issues that are really important to them."

The foundation polled 1,209 Americans aged 15 to 24 between Sept. 24 and Oct. 31. It found three out of four young people who use the Internet have searched for health and medical information. In fact, the only activities that more young people reported participating in were emailing, school research, and finding news and entertainment information.

Online Sex Ed

Nearly half of the young people surveyed use the Internet to access information on sexual health - not surprising, considering that a vast majority listed sexual health issues such as pregnancy, AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases as being "very important." Drug abuse and sexual assault were also considered "very important" topics by roughly three out of four surveyed.

Experts agree that the confidentiality and convenience that the Internet provides makes it a likely choice for young people who might be too embarrassed to discuss sexual issues with their parents or doctors.

Quality Information?

The survey also found that young people seem to be quite savvy when it comes to discerning quality health information. While almost all said Web information is useful, many reported being skeptical about the quality of information.

Dr. Gretchen Berland, a professor of medicine at Yale University, recommends a few strategies that can help young users avoid bad information on the Internet:

Don't rely on just one source.

Try using government and medical association sites.

Look for references.

Be skeptical of sites that try to sell you something.

If you have questions, take them to someone you trust.

(Agencies)