Age Of First Intercourse Research Articles

Substance use among youth seen at a community-based health clinic

Despite recent surveys reporting a decline in adolescents' use of alcohol and other drugs in the general population, substance abuse may actually be increasing among particular subgroups of high-risk youth. This study examined the prevalence of alcohol and other drug use reported by 1121 youth, ages 12–24 years, seen for an initial medical visit at a free community-based primary health clinic. The clinic, located in the Hollywood/Wilshire area of Los Angeles, serves both homeless (62%) and non-homeless (38%) youth. Bivariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the homeless youth were significantly more likely to report use of alcohol and illicit drugs (marijuana, stimulants, hallucinogens, and narcotics) and prior involvement in injecting drug use (IDU). Variables found to be significantly associated with substance use among the homeless youth included length of time homeless, an attempted suicide, physical and sexual abuse, and involvement in survival sex/prostitution. Among the non-homeless youth, age of first intercourse, a previous suicide attempt, and a history of physical and sexual abuse were significantly associated with substance use. These findings suggest that rates of alcohol and other drug use may be higher among youth seen at community-based primary health clinics, particularly homeless youth underscoring the need for screening for these risk variables.

Contributions to the history of psychology: XC. Evolutionary biology and heritable traits (with reference to oriental-white-black differences): the 1989 AAAS paper.

Genetic distance estimates calculated from DNA sequencing indicate that in years since emergence from the ancestral hominid line, Mongoloids = 41,000, Caucasoids = 110,000, and Negroids = 200,000. Data also show that this succession is matched by numerous other differences such that Mongoloids > Caucasoids > Negroids in brain size and intelligence (cranial capacity = 1448, 1408, 1334 cm3; brain weight = 1351, 1336, 1286 gm.; millions of excess neurons = 8900, 8650, 8550; IQ = 107, 100, 85); maturational delay (age to walk alone, age of first intercourse, age of death); sexual restraint (ovulation rate, intercourse frequencies, sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS); quiescent temperament (aggressiveness, anxiety, sociability); and social organization (law abidingness, marital stability, mental health). This pattern is ordered by a theory of r/K reproductive strategies in which Mongoloids are posited to be more K-selected than Caucasoids and especially more than Negroids. (K-selected reproductive strategies emphasize parental care and are to be contrasted with r-selected strategies which emphasize fecundity, the bioenergetic trade-off between which is postulated to underlie cross-species differences in brain size, speed of maturation, reproductive effort, and longevity.) It is suggested that this pattern came about because the ice ages exerted greater selection pressures on the later emerging populations to produce larger brains, longer lives, and more K-like behavior. One theoretical possibility is that evolution is progressive and that some populations are more "advanced" than others. Predictions are made concerning economic projections and the spread of AIDS.

The AIDS awareness and sexual behaviour of young people in the South-west of England

A programme of surveys was undertaken in collaboration with District Health Authorities to assess the AIDS awareness and sexual behaviour of young people, in order to help the development and implementation of HIV/AIDS risk-reduction strategies. Given that the patterns of findings were strongly replicated in the different districts, the data is presented in terms of a combined data set comprising 2955 respondents aged 16–24. The surveys indicate fairly reasonable levels of knowledge about HIV/AIDS but very low personally perceived vulnerability to infection. The sexual culture is one of fairly early ages of first intercourse, moderate levels of partner change and low (one third) levels of condom use. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for HIV/AIDS risk-reduction strategies.

Prepubertal initiation of sexual experiences and older first partner predict promiscuous sexual behavior of delinquent adolescent males—Unrecognized child abuse?

Sexual experiences of 1580 delinquent adolescent males ages 9–19 years admitted to a juvenile detention center from January 1985 to July 1990 were determined through a structured health history interview. A total of 89.6% admitted to prior sexual activity; 26.8% claimed sexual experience by age 11 years. Only 3.2% reported sexual abuse or incest. Of 334 sexually active adolescents who revealed both age of their first partner and their age of first intercourse, 42% had their first experience with a female 2 or more years older. Males who had their first sexual experience before age 11 years or with a female 2 or more years older, reported significantly larger numbers of sexual partners in their lifetime and during the year preceding their incarceration. Girls with similar first sexual experiences in terms of age of initiation and age difference from partner are considered to be abused. Practitioners who work with children and adolescents need to recognize the possibility of sexual activity among pre-adolescent males and to be aware of its implications.

Sexual behaviour related to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases--a population-based survey.

Behavioural patterns pertinent to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) were assessed in a random sample population study in Sweden. From a sample of 1150 individuals aged 16-31 years, 768 (68%) completed a questionnaire on past and present sexual contacts. Response rate was highest in youngest and oldest age groups. Median age at first intercourse was 16.4 years for women and 17.1 years for men; the woman's partner at first intercourse was a median of 2 years older; men chose partners of the same age for first intercourse. The time to second partner was a median of 2 years; number of lifetime partners increased with one new partner for 2.5 years. Condoms were more frequently used in younger age groups. In all age groups, 5-10% of individuals reported a high-risk behaviour for the spread of STDs.

Sexual Behavior Among College Students in the AIDS Era

The sexual behavior of a 1988 midwestern college sample was compared to a highly similar 1982 sample to determine the impact of the AIDS epidemic. Contrary to expectations, sexual activity increased over the six-year period. More students in the 1988 sample had engaged in intercourse. They had also had more partners for intercourse and more lifetime intercourse experience. Age of first intercourse remained unchanged, however. Attitudes for both sexes became more permissive and males also perceived their parents to have become more permissive. A continuing double-standard was suggested. There were increases in contraceptive frequency, in contraception at last intercourse, and use of more sophisticated contraceptive methods. Increased condom use did not appear to be AIDS-induced, as there was no increase in use from first to last intercourse. Students sexual, contraceptive, and verbal behavior suggested no obvious concern about AIDS.

Discrete-time event history analysis using segmented hazards

Event history analysis is a means of explaining variation in the timing of events in individual life histories. This article describes methods for overcoming two difficult problems likely to be encountered in applications of event history analysis to studies of aging and human development. First, in many studies the ages of occurrence of critical life events are recorded in discrete units such as years, but the probability distributions of life events are usually specified in continuous-time form. We show how to estimate models for discrete-time data based on an underlying continuous-time specification. Second, the standard distributions for life events often fail to capture the complex age-dependence seen in actual data. We show how to construct a model using segmented hazards, that is, a composite of different functions for different segments of time. To illustrate these points, we study the age of first intercourse of 11,883 subjects from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth.

Sexual Behavior Among College Students in the AIDS Era

The sexual behavior of a 1988 midwestern college sample was compared to a highly similar 1982 sample to determine the impact of the AlDS epidemic. Contrary to expectations, sexual activity increased over the six-year period. More 1988 students had engaged in intercourse, and females had engaged in it more times with more partners. Age of first intercourse remained unchanged. Attitudes for both sexes became more permissive, and males also perceived their parents to have become more permissive. A continuing double-standard was suggested. For males there were increases in contraceptive frequency, contraception at last intercourse, and condom use. Increased condom use was probably not AIDS-induced, as there was no increase in use from first to last intercourse. Students' sexual, contraceptive, and verbal behavior suggested little concern about AIDS.

Vaginal douching in teenagers attending a family planning clinic

This study assessed the knowledge and usage patterns of vaginal douching in sexually active teenagers attending a family pluming clinic. A questionnaire was administered consecutively to 94 black, 36 Hispanic, and 12 Anglo females ranging in age from 13 to 19 years. The survey showed that vaginal douching is a common practice, with almost two thirds learning about douching from their mother. The technique is primarily used for hygienic reasons with few using it to prevent pregnancy or infection. Age of first douche correlated with age of first intercourse ( p < 0.001). Almost 23% had douched within 2 days of the clinic visit, and 56% reported douching one or more times a week.

Cervical dysplasia and human papillomavirus: Evaluation in an adolescent dysplasia clinic

Thirty patients with cervical dysplasia on Pap smear were seen in a dysplasia clinic within a division of adolescent medicine. The mean age was 16.9 years. Of the abnormal Pap smears, 47% were obtained during routine visits. The mean age for first intercourse was 14.6 (range 12–17 years), and mean number of sexual partners 3.3 (range 1–6). One or more sexually transmitted diseases were reported in 67%, with Chlamydia cervicitis in 53%. Colposcopic examination of the vulva, vagina, and cervix was undertaken, followed by cervical biopsies and endocervical curettage. Biopsy results included mild or moderate dysplasia (43%); condyloma without dysplasia (37%); and no evidence of cervical condyloma or dysplasia (20%). Colposcopy revealed vulvar and/or vaginal condyloma in 83%. In evaluating patients with abnormal Pap smears, it is difficult to distinguish patients with dysplasia on biopsy from those with only condyloma on the basis of demographic data. Adolescents are developing higher rates of cervical dysplasia and, with abnormal cytology, require careful colposcopy and biopsy.

Variation in the duration of protection given by screening using the pap test for cervical cancer

The duration of protection offered by Pap screening for cervical cancer was examined using data on 101 cases of invasive cervical cancer and 396 controls from a Maryland case-control study. Receipt of a Pap test up to 4 years ago afforded significant protection, compared to women screened 1 I or more years ago, or never screened. Smoking, intercourse before age 19, and a history of sexually transmitted disease were significant risk factors for cervical cancer; barrier contraception use was protective. Variation in protection from Pap screening was examined by age, race, age at first intercourse, barrier contraception use, and source of last Pap test (obstetrician-gynecologist vs other provider type). Results showed older women, women with earlier age of first intercourse, and non-users of barrier contraception received slightly less protection from Pap tests, while women who received their last Pap test from an obstetrician-gynecologist received significantly more protection than women who did not. Issues of quality of screening and follow-up are discussed in regard to these results.

Estimates of Opposite-Sex First Impressions Related to Females' Clothing Style

There is evidence that men misinterpret the behavior of females as indicating sexual interest when no such message is intended (Abbey, 1982). The present study was designed to assess the accuracy with which men and women can predict the opinions of the opposite sex. Forty-four men and 81 women in introductory psychology classes were shown one of rwo slides. One slide represented a female model wearing 'conservative' clothing while the other slide depicted the model in sexually provocative clothing. Subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire indicating impressions of the female and also to estimate the opinions of a typical member of the opposite sex. The results were consistent with studies describing a generally negative bias toward women wearing provocative clothing (Edmocds & Cahoon, 1986). While the model in the sexy-clothing condition was judged to be more attractive and sexually appealing to men. she was viewed more negatively with respect to age of first intercourse, sexual teasing, extent of sexual activity, using sex for personal gain, and faithfulness in marriage. The sexy model was also viewed as more likely to be raped or robbed, a finding previously reported by Edmonds and Cahoon (1986). Male and female raters tended to agree in their judgments although there was n tendency for the men to rate the model more positively than the women. Differences were found when men and women attempted to predict the actual opinions of the opposite sex, with women making significantly more and larger errors (Fl,ao = 29.97, p < ,001). Examination of the items indicated that women assumed that men would view the model more negatively than was actually the case. Men were also asked to indicate the likelihood chat they would rape the model if they could do so with impunity. While 7.6% of the male subjects endorsed the possibility of raping the conservatively dressed model, women predicted that 36.3% of the men would respond positively. Corresponding percentages for the sexually provocative model were 38.8% for men and 61.6% for women. Apparently, in addition to a tendency for men to view the world in sexual terms (Abbey, 1982), there is a corresponding tendency for women to misjudge male sexual attitudes and especially men's motivation to

An evolutionary theory of health, longevity, and personality: sociobiology and r/K reproductive strategies.

Health, longevity and personality are placed within an evolutionary framework. Using symbols from population biology, species can be distinguished in terms of the reproductive strategies they adopt, which range from r, the production of large numbers of offspring provided with minimal care, to K, the production of few offspring nurtured intensively. Between-species comparisons demonstrate that these reproductive strategies correlate with a variety of life-history traits, including longevity. As a species humans are at the K end of the continuum. Some people, however, are proposed to be more K than others. If longer lives are part of a K reproductive strategy, then it follows that the healthier, longer lived, compared to the less healthy, shorter lived, should have a longer gestation period, a later age of menarche, a later age of first intercourse and pregnancy, a lower ovulation rate, a longer menstrual cycle, a lower sex drive, a lower frequency of copulation outside of bonded relationships, more stable bonding, a lower fecundity, fewer wasted pregnancies, fewer illegitimate children, a longer spacing of births, a lower incidence of multiple birthing, a smaller over-all family size, more intensive parental care, and a later menopause. Moreover, on average, K people are expected to be more energetically efficient, more geographically stable, more intelligent, more social-rule following, and more restrained in personality and temperament. Population differences are also hypothesized, such that, in terms of health, longevity and K: higher socioeconomic &gt; lower socioeconomic; and Mongoloids &gt; Caucasoids &gt; Negroids.

Menarche: Target age for reinforcing sex education for adolescents

Teenage sexual activity has led to an increasing prevalence of pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease in this age group. Attempts at prevention should begin with education. This study compares the ages of menarche with ages of first intercourse among adolescent females in 1971 and 1976, stratified by ethnic group and residence (urban versus rural). Findings demonstrated that an earlier age at menarche is consistently associated with earlier intercourse. Menarche should therefore be used as a target age for reinforcing and expanding adolescent females' knowledge of risks associated with sexual intercourse.

Adolescent Sexual Attitudes and Behavior: Are They Consistent?

Relationships between sexual attitudes and behavior among adolescents were studied in data collected by self-administered questionnaires from approximately 3,500 junior and senior high school students attending four inner-city schools during 1981-1982. An analysis of the results by sex, race and age found that 83 percent of sexually experienced adolescents cite a best age for first intercourse that is older than the age at which they themselves experienced that event, and 43 percent of them report a best age for first coitus older than their current age. In addition, 88 percent of young women who have had a baby say the best age at which to have a first birth is older than the age at which they first became mothers. Thirty-nine percent of the women and 32 percent of the men say that they believe premarital sex is wrong. Among those who are virgins, the proportions are much higher. However, even among those who have had intercourse, approximately 25 percent of both sexes say they believe sex before marriage is wrong. Women desire stronger relationships before having intercourse than do men, and women claim to have had a stronger relationship with their last sexual partner. Very few teenagers believe neither partner is responsible for pregnancy prevention, which tends to be viewed as a joint responsibility. Those who see it as a shared responsibility are slightly more likely than those who assign the responsibility to one or the other partner to have used a method at last intercourse, and they are considerably more likely to have used a method than are those who believe contraception is neither partner's responsibility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The association between smoking and sexual behavior among teens in US contraceptive clinics.

A study of teenage women in 32 contraceptive clinics in the United States shows a strong negative relationship between age of first intercourse and the level of cigarette smoking; the association is strong enough to reverse the usual correlation of smoking and age during the teenage years. Preventive, timely contraceptive behavior is also negatively associated to smoking. These findings suggest that interventions could well be designed and located in settings which take this association into account.

Rarity of cancer of the cervix in the Malaysian Orang Asli despite the presence of known risk factors

Cancer of the cervix is exceedingly uncommon in the Malaysian Orang Asli (aborigine), despite the presence of factors associated with an increased risk of developing this malignancy. In only three patients was the diagnosis of carcinoma of the cervix established, out of a total of nearly 18,000 female inpatients, admitted to the Gombak Orang Asli Hospital over a 13-year period. Over this same period, 81 female patients were diagnosed as having cancer. Interviews with female Orang Asli patients show the presence of alleged risk factors for cervical cancer, including early age of first intercourse, multiparity and non-circumcision of husbands. The low incidence of cancer of the cervix in this aborigine community may be due to the strict moral code of the Orang Asli, limiting extramarital sexual activity and associated venereal infection.

Consumption Society, Sex Roles and Sexual Behavior

Sexual norms and behavior are analyzed within a sociological context. A relationship between the need for capital accumulation and a puritan moral is postulated. Sex roles and sexual behavior in the consumption society are analyzed and it is stressed that the emphasis on need-satisfaction is also applied to sexuality. A permissive attitude towards sex, made possible by easy access to contraceptives, is considered typical of the consumption society. Permissiveness has an effect on double moral standards as a study of Swedish metropolitan youth indicates: The more permissiveness the less double moral standards. As a special factor indicative of traditional female sex role expectations, romantic love attitudes are singled out. These attitudes are negatively correlated to such factors as age of first intercourse and sexual activity, measured through number of coital partners. The effects of such romantic love attitudes on the functioning of the small nuclear family is discussed. If high emphasis is placed on sexuality as a goal in itself but moral pressure is exerted to engage in sexual behavior under conditions of love only, divorce and extra-marital relations are bound to increase. Finally, results of an interviewer bias study are discussed. Female subjects tend to overrate their sexual activity when interviewed by male as compared to female interviewers. Thus one conclusion is that in a permissive society traditional female sex roles are more controlled by the expectations of women than of men.

Consumption Society, Sex Roles and Sexual Behavior

Sexual norms and behavior are analyzed within a sociological context. A relationship between the need for capital accumulation and a puritan moral is postulated. Sex roles and sexual behavior in the consumption society are analyzed and it is stressed that the emphasis on need-satisfaction is also applied to sexuality. A permissive attitude towards sex, made possible by easy access to contraceptives, is considered typical of the consumption society. Permissiveness has an effect on double moral standards as a study of Swedish metropolitan youth indicates: The more permissiveness the less double moral standards. As a special factor indicative of traditional female sex role expectations, romantic love attitudes are singled out. These attitudes are negatively correlated to such factors as age of first intercourse and sexual activity, measured through number of coital partners. The effects of such romantic love attitudes on the functioning of the small nuclear family is discussed. If high emphasis is placed on sexuality as a goal in itself but moral pressure is exerted to engage in sexual behavior under conditions of love only, divorce and extra-marital relations are bound to increase. Finally, results of an interviewer bias study are discussed. Female subjects tend to overrate their sexual activity when interviewed by male as compared to female interviewers. Thus one conclusion is that in a permissive society traditional female sex roles are more controlled by the expectations of women than of men.