Abstract
This article estimates the effect of sexual activity during adolescence on academic performance of high school students in Italy. We exploit a sample of university students drawn from the two waves (2000 and 2017) of the SELFY survey. The survey collects information on sexual behaviours during adolescence and on the grade obtained at the high school final examination, as well as on a number of family-related variables. Overall, results suggest a negative relationship between sexual activity and the grade obtained in the high school final examination supporting the idea that health and education consequences of sexual activities among adolescents merit public policy efforts. To deal with the potential influence of unobserved characteristics at individual and family level, we also pursue an instrumental variables approach. As instruments, we use three questions as proxy of erotophobia-erotophilia personality trait. This extension of the analysis confirms the results of the baseline models.
Highlights
Adolescents’ romantic interactions may have an impact on educational and labour market outcomes
Concerning the final grade obtained at the end of the high school, descriptive statistics show that girls report higher grades compared with boys in both years (2000 and 2017)
Sexually active adolescents are significantly less likely to invest in their own education (Ohannessian and Crockett 1993) and to graduate (Sabia and Rees 2008; 2012) not just because their involvement into more immediately rewarding activities may take time away from academic pursuits (Ohannessian and Crockett 1993), and because of psychological distress due to inadequate emotional maturity (Rector et al 2003; Hallfors et al 2005; Joyner and Udry 2000) and to unintended health consequences that likely lead them to school dropout (Sabia and Rees 2008; 2012)
Summary
Adolescents’ romantic interactions may have an impact on educational and labour market outcomes. Billy et al (1988) found that sexual debut was associated with a decline in the value placed on academic achievement for white adolescent females and a decline in academic grades for white males In another longitudinal study, Schvaneveldt et al (2001) showed that adolescents who made the transition to sexual activity experienced a decline in academic performance and educational aspirations compared with adolescents who had not yet become sexually active. Using a sample of female 22 to 24 years of age from the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescents Health, Sabia and Rees (2008) found that delaying age at first intercourse increased the probability that females graduate in high school and reduced the risk of exhibiting the symptoms of depression. It seems likely that early age at sexual intercourse and number of partners could affect negatively educational attainment and academic performances
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
