Timing Of First Intercourse Research Articles

Negative feelings about the timing of first sexual intercourse: findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study.

This study investigates the association between negative feelings about the first intercourse timing and sociodemographic and contextual factors. We hypothesized that girls and adolescents with an older first sexual partner will be more likely to report negative feelings and that prevalence of those feelings will vary across countries. Adolescents (N = 6073, mean age = 15.6 ± 0.34), from Bulgaria, France, Ireland, and Scotland, taking part in the 2013/2014 HBSC study, were asked about sexual initiation, their age and partner's age at first intercourse, and their feeling about the timing of first intercourse. One-fifth of the 1321 adolescents who had had sexual intercourse reported negative feelings about the first intercourse timing. Girls, adolescents from low affluent families, and those with an older first partner were more likely to report negative feelings. However, after adjustment for covariates, only girls and those from less affluent families had significantly higher odds of reporting negative feelings. Sexual education programmes need to explicitly address decision-making around timing of first intercourse in order to reduce negative feelings, with a special attention to gender and social inequalities.

Timing of First Sexual Intercourse and Young Adult Health Outcomes

PurposeTo examine how age of onset of sexual intercourse is associated with past-year and lifetime sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and depression in young adulthood. MethodsWe examined how occurrence of a lifetime and past-year STI, lifetime diagnosis of depression, and past-week depressive symptoms differed as a function of age of onset of sexual intercourse using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; N = 8,938 individuals). Time-varying effect models were used to examine how age of onset, measured as continuous age, was associated with these outcomes in young adulthood, with all analyses stratified to examine gender differences. ResultsIndividuals who engaged in first intercourse before age 16 reported higher than average rates of all outcomes studied; for example, an estimated 35% of women and 12% of men who initiated at age 14 years reported a lifetime STI, compared with about 5% of those who initiated at age 24 years. Timing of first intercourse past the mid-twenties was associated with lower than average rates of STIs and lifetime depression diagnoses but was associated with a somewhat higher level of past-year depressive symptoms. Patterns were similar by gender, although there was little difference in men's depression diagnoses by age of onset. ConclusionsResults suggest that sexual intercourse before age 16 years may be associated with higher rates of STIs and depression. Findings provide support for comprehensive programs that both promote delay of first intercourse and provide safe sex and psychological support for those who initiate early.

Is “Sexual Competence” at First Heterosexual Intercourse Associated With Subsequent Sexual Health Status?

The timing of first sexual intercourse is often defined in terms of chronological age, with particular focus on “early” first sex. Arguments can be made for a more nuanced concept of readiness and appropriateness of timing of first intercourse. Using data from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), conducted in 2010–2012, this study examined whether a context-based measure of first intercourse—termed sexual competence—was associated with subsequent sexual health in a population-based sample of 17-to 24-year-olds residing in Britain (n = 2,784). Participants were classified as “sexually competent” at first intercourse if they reported the following four criteria: contraceptive protection, autonomy of decision (not due to external influences), that both partners were “equally willing,” and that it happened at the “right time.” A lack of sexual competence at first intercourse was independently associated with testing positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) at interview; low sexual function in the past year; and among women only, reported sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis ever; unplanned pregnancy in the past year; and having ever experienced nonvolitional sex. These findings provide empirical support for defining the nature of first intercourse with reference to contextual aspects of the experience, as opposed to a sole focus on chronological age at occurrence.

Lifestyle and close relationship trends among young adults in Poland

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of recent relational trends in Poland. Based on the clinical, theoretical, and empirical literature, the overview addresses both attitudinal (e.g., focus on individual need fulfillment and gender equality) and behavioral (e.g., timing of first intercourse and living arrangements) factors. The literature review is divided into four categories: (a) leaving home; (b) intimate relationships; (c) love, sexuality, and fertility; and (d) economics, work, and gender. Although some contrasts to prior generations are noted, the overview focuses primarily on relational trends among the current generation of Polish young adults.

Boys will be boys: are there gender differences in the effect of sexual abstinence on schooling?

A recent study by Sabia and Rees (2009) found that delaying first intercourse leads to a substantial increase in the probability that female students graduate high school. However, it is unclear whether the effect of abstinence extends to male students. Here we identify exogenous variation in the timing of first intercourse using a physical development index available for both females and males. Two-stage least squares estimates suggest that abstaining from sexual intercourse increases the probability that females graduate from high school, but has little effect on the educational attainment of males. This pattern of results is consistent with evidence from previous studies that males are less likely than females to suffer adverse psychological consequences from engaging in sexual intercourse at an early age.

It's better on TV: does television set teenagers up for regret following sexual initiation?

Two-thirds of sexually experienced teenagers in the United States say they wish they had waited longer to have intercourse for the first time. Little is known about why such a large proportion of teenagers express disappointment about the timing of their initial experience with sex. Data on television viewing, on regret about the timing of first intercourse and on potentially relevant covariates were obtained from a national, three-year (2001-2004) longitudinal survey of adolescents aged 12-17 at baseline. Logistic regression and path analysis were used to examine the association between exposure to sex on television and the likelihood of regret following sexual initiation, the extent to which shifts in expectations about the positive consequences of sex mediate this association and whether these relationships differ by gender. Sixty-one percent of females and 39% of males who had sex for the first time during the study period reported that they wished they had waited to have sex. Exposure to sexual content on television was positively associated with the likelihood of regret following sexual initiation among males (coefficient, 0.34) but not females. The association among males was partly explained by a downward shift in males' sex-related outcome expectancies following sexual initiation. Interventions that limit teenagers' exposure to televised sexual content, that provide a more accurate portrayal of sexuality than typically depicted on television or that help adolescents think critically about televised sexual content may help teenagers make more carefully considered decisions about sexual debut.

Inconsistencies in Self-Reporting of Sexual Activity Among Young People in Nairobi, Kenya

PurposeAccurate and reliable data on the prevalence of adolescents' sexual behavior are paramount for effective sexual and reproductive health intervention. Adolescents' sexual behavior has been widely studied. However, scholars have raised concerns about the accuracy and reliability of self-reported sexual behavior by adolescents. Previous research shows high levels of adolescent sexual activity in urban informal settlements; yet, the accuracy of self-reported sexual experience in these settings is understudied.MethodsThe objective of this article is to assess consistency of self-reported sexual activity among 2324 adolescents living in slum and nonslum settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. We examine two forms of inconsistencies, namely, what we term “reborn virgins” and inconsistent timing of sexual debut, during two rounds of survey. Factors influencing inconsistent reporting are explored through logistic regression.ResultsA total of 469 (20%) adolescents gave inconsistent information on whether they have ever had sex (n = 190) or timing of first intercourse (n = 279). Males, slum residents, and adolescents attending school were more likely to give inconsistent sexual information. Among inconsistent reporters, slum residents, adolescents reporting substance use, and those with secondary (vs. primary) education were more likely to reclaim virginity status than to misreport the timing of first sex. However, older adolescents were less likely to reclaim virginity status.ConclusionsWe found significant differences between adolescents who provide consistent reports and those who misreport sexual behavior data. We argue that researchers should account for biases stemming from misreporting of sensitive information among young people and, in particular, should be cognizant of how reporting quality may vary across demographic groups.

Summer nights

PurposeThis paper aims to examine whether greater consideration should be given to the timing of sexual health interventions within the calendar year.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a review of the literature.FindingsThe evidence points to seasonality in a number of areas of sexual health among young people, including: the timing of first intercourse and conceptions, both of which peak in the summer and over Christmas; abortions which peak approximately two months later in February and late summer and sexually transmitted infections, which peak over the summer and autumn. In the case of conceptions there is evidence that the seasonal pattern among young people is different from that of adults. Potential explanations fall into four main categories: biological; behavioural; social, and service‐related.Research limitations/implicationsMany of the studies included in this review are from the USA, and some are based on either small samples or specific risk groups, which raises questions of representativeness and generalisability. Further, it is notable how little research there has been regarding seasonal variations in other aspects of sexual behaviour, such as risk reduction practice and other potential explanatory factors such as health‐seeking behaviour and availability of services.Practical implicationsThe findings consistently point to periods of heightened sexual activity among young people in the summer and over Christmas, and suggest that greater consideration should indeed be given to the timing of sexual health interventions within the calendar year.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, no other review of this kind has yet been found.

Sexual Initiation in Early Adolescence: The Nexus of Parental and Community Control

This study explores the link between neighborhood collective efficacy and the timing of first intercourse for a sample of urban youth. The authors hypothesize that youth who experience lower levels of parental monitoring and higher levels of exposure to neighborhood environments are more likely to be influenced by collective supervision capacity. The study also examines the extent to which parental and neighborhood controls differ in their impact on first intercourse experiences by gender. Analyses of multilevel and longitudinal data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods indicate that neighborhood collective efficacy delays sexual onset only for adolescents who experience lower levels of parental monitoring. Although parental monitoring exerts significantly greater influence on girls' timing of first intercourse, the moderating effect of parental monitoring on collective efficacy holds for both boys and girls.

Religious differentials in the sexual and reproductive behaviors of young women in the United States

Purpose To examine whether religious involvement and affiliation during early adolescence is associated with reduced levels of sexual risk. Methods We used nationally representative data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) to examine the relationship between religious affiliation and frequency of attendance at religious services at age 14 years and a range of sexual behaviors among women aged 15–24 years, including age of first intercourse, contraceptive use, timing of first family planning visit, timing of birth, and number of sexual partners. The majority of young women had mothers with at least a high school education (79%) and had been living with both parents at age 14 (57%). Two-thirds of the sample was white, 12% Hispanic, and 15% black, and a substantial minority is poor (18%) or low-income (24%). We used bivariate analysis to describe variation in behavior according to religious affiliation and frequency of attendance. We used multivariate techniques to assess the role of religion once other factors are taken into account. Results Bivariate relationships suggest that both affiliation and attendance are associated with age of first sex, contraceptive use at first sex, teen births, and number of sexual partners. However, most of these associations disappear once we control for young women’s demographic characteristics. Multivariate analyses show that religious affiliation shares few associations with sexual behaviors, though frequent attendance at religious services at age 14 years continues to have a strong delaying effect on the timing of first intercourse. Conclusion Frequency of attendance and religious affiliation have little impact on sexual behaviors once intercourse occurs.

Neighborhood context and racial differences in early adolescent sexual activity

Evidence suggests that African American youths initiate sexual activity at earlier ages than do European American or Latino youths. Using data from a multilevel study in Chicago, we developed and tested a neighborhood-based model of the timing of first adolescent intercourse that emphasizes the impact of neighborhood structural disadvantage and collective efficacy on early sexual activity (at ages 11 to 16). In turn, we explored the extent to which neighborhood factors account for racial differences in the timing of first intercourse. The findings indicate that demographic background, family processes, peer influences, and developmental risk factors account for about 30% of the baseline increased likelihood of early sexual onset for African American youths compared with European American youths. However, a significant residual racial difference remained even after we considered a host of micro-level factors. Neighborhood-level concentrated poverty largely explained this residual racial difference. Collective efficacy also independently contributed to the delay of sexual onset. No significant baseline difference in age of sexual initiation was found between Latino and European American youths.

Mothers Exert More Influence on Timing of First Intercourse Among Daughters Than Among Sons

Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive HealthVolume 35, Issue 1 p. 55-55 Mothers Exert More Influence on Timing of First Intercourse Among Daughters Than Among Sons First published: 23 January 2007 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1931-2393.2003.tb00097.xCitations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume35, Issue1January 2003Pages 55-55 RelatedInformation

Inconsistencies in reporting the occurrence and timing of first intercourse among adolescents

Two types of reporting inconsistency for sexual initiation were analyzed—event occurrence and its timing—using data from two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Overall, 11.1% of those who reported they were sexually active at the time of first interview denied this at the subsequent one. Males of each race/ethnic group had higher percentages of inconsistency than their female counterparts. Being older, not living with parents, or having a highly educated mother was negatively associated with rescinding. Among those reporting sexual experience at both interviews, only 22.2% reported the same date of first sex. On average, teens revised their age at first sex to older ages, and boys, especially African American boys, had large variability in reporting dates, as did teens with lower verbal ability. Seven strategies for resolving inconsistent reports are presented and implications for substantive findings are discussed.

Gender Differences of Neighborhood and Social Control Processes

This study examines the gender-specific contextual and individual socioeconomic predictors of the timing of first intercourse among low-achieving African American youth. Following financial deprivation and collective socialization theories, the authors test separate models for males and females and include neighborhood poverty and race composition, family social class position, and social control mechanisms such as family structure, parental involvement, and prosocial activities as predictors. The sample comprises 558 African American high school students followed over a 3-year period. For young women, the significant predictors are age, mother's education, time with mother, and involvement in church activities. For young men, the significant factors are school achievement, an interaction between living in an two-parent family and time with father, participation in family decision making, and neighborhood poverty level. Thus, males and females are differently affected by social control processes and neighborhood poverty plays a significant role in young African American men's sexual behaviors.

Timing of First Intercourse among Malian Adolescents: Implications for Contraceptive Use

A representative sample of 1696 Malian adolescents (775 males and 921 females) aged 15-19 were interviewed in 1998 about sexual behavior and knowledge. 30 focus-group discussions provided complementary insights into the context of and reasons for adolescents first sexual encounters. Nearly half of sexually experienced urban males said they would have preferred to delay their first intercourse compared with about one-fifth of females and of rural males. Males most often said curiosity and peer pressure (including pressure from their girlfriends) had led them to begin having sex earlier than they would have liked while females in urban areas cited love and those in rural areas cited a promise of marriage. Focus groups however suggested that young urban women often had sex to obtain cash to meet their material needs and desires. Unmarried urban females who exhibited high self-esteem and an internal locus of control were significantly more likely to be satisfied with the timing of their first sexual encounter; these factors had no effect among males. Among adolescents who were satisfied with the timing of their first sexual experience both males and females were more likely to have ever used a modern contraceptive at first intercourse and females were more likely to have ever used a modern method. Multivariate analyses however indicated that a large part of the effect among females was mediated by psychological factors: High self-esteem and an internal locus of control were associated with an increased likelihood of having ever used contraceptives. Among young men ever-use was strongly associated with self-esteem and was only weakly associated with the timing of first intercourse. In Mali young womens psychological characteristics are strongly associated with their sexual experience (including the timing of their first sexual encounter) and ultimately with their ability to protect themselves from sexual health risks. (authors)

Community Effects on Youth Sexual Activity

Using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Children, we examined the impact of community socioeconomic status on four dimensions of adolescent and young adult premarital sexual activity—the timing of first intercourse, the frequency of intercourse, the number of different sex partners, and the likelihood of engaging in unprotected intercourse. We found significant positive effects of a multiitem index of community socioeconomic disadvantage on all but the timing of first premarital intercourse, net of controls for the socioeconomic and demographic status of adolescents and their families. None of the most commonly cited explanations for neighborhood effects on adolescent behavior can fully explain these associations. Only the attitudes and behaviors of peers account for even a small portion of the observed impact of community disadvantage on youth sexual behavior. Adolescents' acceptance of premarital childbearing, educational aspirations and attachment to school, and parental supervision, although frequently associated with youth sexual behavior, do little to mediate the impact of community disadvantage on sexual activity.

Demographic, Biological, Psychological, and Social Predictors of the Timing of First Intercourse

This study applied a biopsychosocial approach to examine the predictors of the initiation of sexual intercourse during adolescence. The sample included 157 boys and 268 girls, of whom 85.4% reported having had sexual intercourse by age 21 to 22. Participants were surveyed at 3 time points; once when they were 13 to 14 years old, again at ages 16 to 17 years, and again 6 years later. Proportional hazards regression was used to examine the relation of demographic, biological, psychological, and social predictors to the timing of first intercourse. In the biopsychosocial model, different factors significantly predicted timing of first intercourse for girls and boys. For girls, always-married parents and less dating alone predicted later timing of first intercourse. Earlier timing of first intercourse for boys was related to associating with peers with lower achievement orientation and greater importance of popularity.

Gender Differences in the Timing of First Intercourse: Data from 14 Countries

Data from the most recent nationally representative surveys of reproductive behavior in 14 countries throughout the world were used to assess regional variations in young peoples sexual behavior. Analyses focus on 15-19 year olds but also use data from 20-24 year olds to provide a more complete picture of gender differences in behavior during adolescence. In most countries roughly one-third or more of teenage women have had intercourse; in four countries (Ghana Mali Jamaica and Great Britain) about 3 in 5 are sexually experienced. Between about one-half and three-quarters of adolescent males in seven countries have ever had intercourse but the proportion is one-third or less in Ghana Zimbabwe the Philippines and Thailand. In most countries sexual intercourse during the teenage years occurs predominantly outside marriage among men but largely within marriage among women. Never married young people are considerably less likely to be currently sexually active than to be sexually experienced. For example in Ghana 49% of never-married adolescent women have had intercourse but only 23% have done so within the past month. In most of these countries a high proportion of adolescents is potentially at risk for a range of poor reproductive health outcomes. Program planners must find ways to help sexually active adolescents consistently use effective means of protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. (authors)

First Sexual Intercourse

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how age at first sexual intercourse is related to the reported circumstances and to determine how these corresponded to views in early adulthood about its timing. DESIGN: Cross sectional study within a birth cohort using a questionnaire presented by computer. SETTING: Dunedin, New Zealand in 1993-4. SUBJECTS: 477 men and 458 women enrolled in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, comprising 92% of survivors of the cohort. RESULTS: The median age at first intercourse was 17 years for men and 16 years for women. Only one man (0.2%) but 30 (7%) women reported being forced to have intercourse on the first occasion. For women, there were increasing rates of coercion with younger age at first intercourse. More men than women reported that they and their partner were equally willing (77% (316/413) v 53% (222/419)). Mutual willingness of both partners was greater for those who reported that it was also the first time for their partner. Timing of first intercourse was considered about right by 49% (200/411) of men and 38% (148/388) of women. Many women (54% (211/388) reported that they should have waited longer, and this rose to 70% (90/129) for women reporting intercourse before age 16. CONCLUSIONS: Most women regretted having sexual intercourse before age 16. First intercourse at younger ages is associated with risks that are shared unequally between men and women. This information is important to young people themselves.

First sexual intercourse: age, coercion, and later regrets reported by a birth cohort

Objectives: To investigate how age at first sexual intercourse is related to the reported circumstances and to determine how these corresponded to views in early adulthood about its timing.Design: Cross...