238. How Did The First Time Go? Young Adults Looking Back At Their First Vaginal Intercourse

Abstract

To assess factors associated with having first vaginal intercourse at the right time or not among young adults. Data were drawn from a Swiss national study on sexual health ran in 2017. Participants (4297 young adults aged 24-28, 51.4% females) answered the question “Looking back, regarding your first sexual intercourse with vaginal penetration, do you think that…” and were divided in 4 groups: “I shouldn’t have done it” (NOTDONE:320;7.5%), “I should have waited longer” (WAITED:369;8.6%), “I shouldn’t have waited so long” (NOTWAITED:353;8.2%), and “It was the right moment” (RIGHTTIME:3255;75.7%). Groups were compared on their first vaginal intercourse (age, presumed first time for their partner, in a steady/occasional relationship, enjoyability, and main motivation), current frequency of vaginal intercourse, self-perception of puberty timing, having a chronic condition, and socio-demographic (gender, Swiss/foreign born, life satisfaction) variables. Groups were compared at the bivariate level and then at the multivariate level using a multinomial analysis using RIGHTTIME as the reference category. Data are presented as relative risk ratios (RRR). At the bivariate level, all variables were significant. At the multivariate level, compared to RIGHTTIME, those in NOTDONE were significantly more likely to have had their first vaginal intercourse at a younger age(RRR 0.86), with a partner for whom it was not the first time(1.79), in an occasional relationship(4.91), to have not enjoyed it(4.02); and less likely to have done it to lose their virginity(0.25), out of curiosity(0.25) or love(0.07). They were also more likely to report only one sexual intercourse(9.09). The WAITED were less likely to be males(0.58) and to have done it to lose their virginity(0.33), out of curiosity(0.33) or love(0.10) and more likely to have had their first vaginal intercourse at a younger age(0.88), to think that it was not the first time for their partner(1.92), and to have not enjoyed it(2.61). Finally, the NOTWAITED group were more likely to be males(4.00), older at first intercourse(1.23), declare not being the first time for their partner(1.67), doing it mainly to lose their virginity(2.18), and qualifying it as unpleasant(2.14). Young adults who did not experience their first vaginal intercourse at the right time (whether too early or too late) enjoyed it significantly less, which could in part be explained by the fact that there were more differences in experience with their partners. For the NOTDONE group, their first experience was more in the context of occasional relationships and they were younger, which could possibly explain why it was less enjoyable. Generally, regret is more often considered for girls, however, our results show no gender differences regarding the NOTDONE group, implying that it can affect boys as much as girls. Thus, it appears important to screen about the first vaginal intercourse as it remains a key event and reinforce prevention around first sexual experiences to take place at the right moment and consequently under the best of circumstances.