Abstract
BackgroundStudies on very young adolescents’ romantic and sexual experiences would help inform the context in which early sex arises. However, such studies are scant in China due to sparse data and cultural issues.MethodThis study used the GEAS baseline data conducted among1776 adolescents in Shanghai. Multi-group latent class analysis was used to explore adolescents’ romantic and sexual experiences patterns and subgroups. Multi-nominal logistic regression was performed to identify the factors distinguishing different subgroups subsequently.ResultsThere were gender differences in the lifetime prevalence for very young adolescents’ romantic and sexual-related behaviors. The Multi-group latent class analysis indicated that the participants could be classified into three classes: general group, early romance group, and sex exploratory group. Multi-nominal logistic regression showed youth in the early romance group were more likely to had friends of both gender, ever had a romantic relationship, and had more autonomy in deciding where to go than the general group; while male respondents in the sex exploratory group were older, ever had a romantic relationship, believed that boys should be more sexually active and more proactive than girls, had more autonomy on deciding where to go, and perceived less school connection and neighborhood cohesion. Female respondents in the sex exploratory group were older and less empowered in decision-making than the general group.ConclusionsThe result provides a picture of romantic and sexual behavior patterns among both gender of very young adolescents in China. Current sex education needs not only to be culturally appropriate but also to address the harm of gender inequality and stereotypes, as well as to provide accessible and supportive services to help young adolescents personalize their received information and strengthen their skills in communication, decision making, and critical thinking.
Highlights
Studies on very young adolescents’ romantic and sexual experiences would help inform the context in which early sex arises
The Multi-group latent class analysis indicated that the participants could be classified into three classes: general group, early romance group, and sex exploratory group
According to the multi-group latent class analysis, we classified the teenagers into three classes: the general group, the early romance group, and the sex exploratory group
Summary
Studies on very young adolescents’ romantic and sexual experiences would help inform the context in which early sex arises. Such studies are scant in China due to sparse data and cultural issues. Adolescence (the years between 10 and 14) is generally considered one of the healthiest life stages [2]. Their status –dealing with the emerging romantic interest and sex desire (not necessarily being involved in penetrative sex behaviors) in the context of rapid puberty changes – has been overlooked [3]. As young people transition from the early to late adolescent years, sexual and reproductive behaviors contribute to diverging mortality and morbidity patterns by gender, with young girls facing an increased risk of experiencing sexually coercive interactions, contracting STIs (including HIV), as well as suffering the gender-specific consequences of unintended pregnancies and psychological trauma [4]
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