Factors associated with acceptance of sex before marriage among high school freshmen who have not experienced sexual intercourse

Abstract

This study examined the association of demographic and other factors with acceptance of sex before marriage among 262 male and female freshmen attending Missouri high schools who reported they had never experienced sexual intercourse. The students completed the 7-item Acceptance of Sex Before Marriage Scale. Just under half (48.5%) of the students strongly agreed or agreed that “People should have sex only if they are married,” 22.5% were unsure, and 29% strongly disagreed or disagreed. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to identify factors significantly associated with acceptance of sex before marriage by tertile (higher scores on the 7-item scale indicate more acceptance of sex before marriage). Results indicate freshmen who were female (OR=0.39), satisfied with their sexually activity status (OR=0.18), and received parent support when needed (OR=0.16) were significantly less likely to have high acceptance of sex before marriage. Conversely, those who reported strict household rules (OR=7.05) were significantly more likely to have high acceptance of sex before marriage.