Timing Of Sexual Debut Research Articles

Diminishing Gender Differences in Condom Use Among a National Sample of Young Israeli Men and Women Between 1993 and 2005

Studies related to condom use among young adults consistently point to substantial gender disparities, although the use has generally increased. This study examined trends in condom use between 1993 and 2005 among 13,988 Israelis aged 18-25 years and the associated sociodemographic factors. An HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice survey was self-administered to dischargees from Israel's compulsory military service. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess trends in condom use and the association over time of sociodemographic factors and sexual behaviors with consistent condom use. During the 13-year period, consistent condom use increased among men (from 35% to 58%) and women (from 17% to 54%), almost eliminating the gender difference. Among both genders, consistent condom use was associated with being single, being older at the time of sexual debut, and being religious, and was inversely associated with age and education; however, gender differences were found in the strength of the associations over time. The excess risk of exposure of young women to lack of condom use has minimized, an unusual situation on international comparison, although population risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections exists in Israel. Further understanding of factors influencing the decreasing gender differences is required to reorient and tailor HIV/AIDS interventions to most effectively reach young adults of both sexes.

Adolescent overweight, social relationships and the transition to first sex: gender and racial variations.

Being overweight influences adolescents' relationships by increasing their likelihood of experiencing social alienation and discrimination. Its role in sexual development is relatively understudied, as are potential mechanisms through which weight may influence early sexual activity. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used in discrete-time event history analyses investigating the association between body weight, social relationships and timing of sexual debut among 8,197 respondents who were in grades 7-12 in 1994-1995 (Wave 1) and were young adults in 2001-2002 (Wave 3). Subgroup analyses explored gender and racial and ethnic variations in the association. Overweight adolescents were less likely than their normal-weight peers to report first intercourse between Waves 1 and 3 (odds ratio, 0.9). Characteristics reflecting social alienation, including having relatively few close friends and no experience with romantic relationships, were negatively associated with first intercourse among overweight youths. Results differed by gender and race and ethnicity. Overweight females had a lower likelihood than normal-weight females of experiencing first intercourse (0.8), but no such association was evident among males. Similarly, overweight white youths--but not those from other racial and ethnic groups--had reduced odds of sexual debut (0.7). Future studies should seek to understand the broader implications of adolescent weight status for social relationships and subsequent development, and practitioners should apply this knowledge to prevention programs. Postponement of sexual activity may benefit youths, but potential benefits and risks may depend upon the social processes involved.

A Decade Later: Follow-Up Review of South African Research on the Consequences of and Contributory Factors in Teen-Aged Pregnancy

In this paper, we review South African research conducted in the last 10 years on the consequences of and contributory factors in teen-aged pregnancy. We discuss research into the rates of teen-aged pregnancy, the intentionality and wantedness of pregnancy, the disruption of schooling, health issues, consequences for the children, welfare concerns, knowledge and use of contraception, timing of sexual debut, age of partner, coercive sexual relations, cultural factors and health service provision. We compare this discussion to the reviews on the same topic appearing in the South African Journal of Psychology a decade ago. We find that there are several changes in focus in the research on pregnancy amongst young women. We conclude that, in general, there has been an improvement in the breadth of data available, mostly as a result of representative national and local surveys. A better teasing out of nuances around particular issues and a grappling with theoretical issues are also evident in recent research.

The limited effect of knowing they are HIV-positive on the sexual and reproductive experiences and intentions of infected adolescents in Uganda

This paper compares the sexual and reproductive experiences and intentions of those adolescents aged 15–19 years in Uganda who are perinatally infected with HIV and know their sero-status with those of adolescents who do not know their sero-status. The analysis comprises a simple comparison of means and proportions, together with the relevant tests of significance, as well as estimation of Cox proportional hazards and random-effects logit models. The findings show that the two groups of adolescents do not differ significantly in terms of timing of sexual debut and whether they intend to have children in the future. However, adolescents who are HIV-positive and know their status are significantly more likely to use a modern method of contraception, including condoms. Nonetheless, the level of condom use among these adolescents is still limited (less than half of those sexually active) and inconsistent (less than half of those in relationships reported always using a condom).

The Effects of Religiosity and Sibling Relationships On the Timing of Sexual Debut

ABTRACT. This study examined the effects of religiosity and sibling relationships on the timing of sexual debut. The sample was comprised of 352 students randomly selected from a university in the Southeastern United States. Sibling relationships had a small but significant effect on the timing of sexual debut. There was a higher chance of an individual not having had, or delaying, their sexual debut when their sibling relationships were characterized by low sibling warmth/closeness, high sibling relative status/power, high sibling conflict, and low sibling rivalry. Religiosity had a significant effect, with higher levels of religiosity resulting in later age of sexual debut. Furthermore, level of religiosity was more significant in emerging adulthood than in adolescence. Both sibling relationships and religiosity independently had an effect on the timing of sexual debut. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

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.

Influence of timing of sexual debut and first marriage on sexual behaviour in later life: findings from four survey rounds in the Kisesa cohort in northern Tanzania

Objectives:To evaluate quality of sexual debut and first marriage data, measure trends and study the association of risky sexual behaviour in youth with adult risk behaviour.Methods:Reports on age at first...

Correlates of condom use among sexually experienced secondary school male students in Nairobi, Kenya

This study aimed to examine perceptual factors associated with condom use, and the relationship between condom use and the timing of sexual debut among male secondary school students in Nairobi, Kenya. Data are from the TeenWeb study, a school-based project that used the World Wide Web to assess the health needs of secondary school students, and tested the web's utility as a teaching and research modality. Analyses are based on 214 sexually experienced males aged 14 – 20 years who completed webbased questionnaires about their sexual attitudes and behaviour. Results indicate that students did not see themselves as susceptible to HIV/AIDS and believed condom effectiveness in preventing HIV to be low. Consequently, only a marginal association was found between agreeing that buying condoms is embarrassing and condom use at first sexual intercourse. However, contrary to expectation, agreeing that condoms often break (almost half of participants) was associated with a higher likelihood of condom use at first sex. Each year of delay in sexual debut increased the likelihood of using a condom at first sex by 1.44 times. In turn, having used a condom at first sex increased the likelihood of using one at the most recent sex by 4.81 times, and elevated general condom use (‘most or all the time’) by 8.76 times. Interventions to increase awareness about the role of condoms in preventing HIV, delay sexual initiation, and teach proper condom use among secondary-school students in Nairobi are needed.

Perceived Risks of HIV/AIDS and First Sexual Intercourse among Youth in Cape Town, South Africa

The 'Health Belief Model' (HBM) identifies perception of HIV/AIDS risks, recognition of its seriousness, and knowledge about prevention as predictors of safer sexual activity. Using data from the Cape Area Panel Survey (CAPS) and hazard models, this study examines the impact of risk perception, considered the first step in HIV prevention, set within the context of the HBM and socio-economic, familial and school factors, on the timing of first sexual intercourse among youth aged 14-22 in Cape Town, South Africa. Of the HBM components, female youth who perceive their risk as 'very small' and males with higher knowledge, experience their sexual debut later than comparison groups, net of other influences. For both males and females socio-economic and familial factors also influence timing of sexual debut, confirming the need to consider the social embeddedness of this sexual behavior as well as the rational components of decision making when designing prevention programs.

Timing of Sexual Debut and Initiation of Postsecondary Education by Early Adulthood

Although sexual debut has been negatively associated with adolescent educational performance and aspirations, it is not clear whether such relationships continue beyond adolescence. Initiation of postsecondary education by young adulthood was assessed among 3,965 participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health who had not experienced sexual intercourse at baseline. Associations between age at sexual debut and educational progress were examined in bivariate and multivariable Poisson regression analyses. Most respondents experienced sexual debut during adolescence: 15% before age 16 (early) and 53% at ages 16-18 (typical). Sixty-five percent of respondents initiated postsecondary education by early adulthood; however, the proportion was significantly lower among those who had had an early (49%) or typical sexual debut (63%) than among those who debuted late (78%). In unadjusted analyses, early and typical debut were associated with a reduced likelihood of initiation of postsecondary education for both females (relative risk ratios, 0.6 and 0.8, respectively) and males (0.7 and 0.8). However, in adjusted analyses, the associations were attenuated for females (0.8 and 0.9) and were at best marginally significant for males. Childbearing was a significant mediator of this relationship. Adolescent sexual debut appears to be modestly negatively associated with early adult postsecondary education initiation, particularly for females. Targeting mediators of the sexual debut-education relationship, such as early childbearing, could lead to effective interventions.

Predictors of early sexual initiation among a nationally representative sample of Nigerian adolescents.

BackgroundEarly sexual debut among adolescents is associated with considerable negative heath and development outcomes. An understanding of the determinants or predictors of the timing of sexual debut is important for effective intervention, but very few studies to date have addressed this issue in the Nigerian context. The aim of the present study is to examine predictors of adolescent sexual initiation among a nationally representative sample of adolescents in Nigeria.MethodsInterviewer-collected data of 2,070 never-married adolescents aged 15–19 years were analysed to determine association between age of sexual debut and demographic, psychosocial and community factors. Using Cox proportional hazards regression multivariate analysis was carried out with two different models – one with and the other without psychosocial factors. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated separately for males and females.ResultsA fifth of respondents (18% males; 22% females) were sexually experienced. In the South 24.3% males and 28.7% females had initiated sex compared to 12.1% of males and 13.1% females in the North (p < 0.001). In the first model, only region was significantly associated with adolescent sexual initiation among both males and females; however, educational attainment and age were also significant among males. In the second (psychosocial) model factors associated with adolescent sexual debut for both genders included more positive attitudes regarding condom efficacy (males: HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.07–1.53; females: HR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.05–1.46) and more positive attitudes to family planning use (males: HR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.09–1.31; females: HR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.07–1.30). A greater perception of condom access (HR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.14–1.76) and alcohol use (HR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.38–2.62) among males and positive gender-related attitudes (HR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.04–1.23) among females were also associated with increased likelihood of adolescent sexual initiation. Conversely, personal attitudes in favour of delayed sexual debut were associated with lower sexual debut among both males (males: HR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.25–0.52) and females (HR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.25–0.57). Higher level of religiosity was associated with lower sexual debut rates only among females (HR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.37–0.94).ConclusionGiven the increased risk for a number of sexually transmitted health problems, understanding the factors that are associated with premarital sexual debut will assist programmes in developing more effective risk prevention interventions.

Reducing the economic burden of HPV-related diseases.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a common sexually transmitted infection that is often acquired at the onset of sexual activity. Risk factors include younger age at time of sexual debut, sexual behavior, intact foreskin, and immunologic status. Persistent infection with high-risk oncogenic HPV types (especially 16 and 18) is associated with cervical cancer, other anogenital diseases, as well as some head and neck cancers. Infection with low-risk HPV types is associated with genital warts, low-grade dysplasias, and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Screening and management of HPV-related diseases incur high healthcare costs. Whereas routine screening of female patients with Papanicolaou tests helps prevent advanced stages of cancer through early detection and treatment, the recently developed HPV L1 capsid protein virus-like particle vaccines offer an option for prevention of HPV-related diseases, including cervical cancer.

Timing of Sexual Debut and Initiation of Postsecondary Education by Early Adulthood

Timing of Sexual Debut and Initiation of Postsecondary Education by Early Adulthood

Long-Term Health Correlates of Timing of Sexual Debut: Results From a National US Study

We explored long-term health consequences of age at sexual initiation and of abstinence until marriage to evaluate empirical support for the claim that postponing sexual initiation has beneficial health effects. We analyzed data from the 1996 National Sexual Health Survey, a cross-sectional study of the US adult population. We compared sexual health outcomes among individuals who had initiated sexual activity at an early or late age versus a normative age. We also compared individuals whose first sexual intercourse had occurred before versus after marriage. Early initiation of sexual intercourse was associated with various sexual risk factors, including increased numbers of sexual partners and recent sexual intercourse under the influence of alcohol, whereas late initiation was associated with fewer risk factors. However, both early and late initiation were associated with sexual problems such as problems with arousal and orgasm, primarily among men. Relationship solidity and sexual relationship satisfaction were not associated with early or late initiation. Early sexual debut is associated with certain long-term negative sexual health outcomes, including increased sexual risk behaviors and problems in sexual functioning. Late initiation was also associated with sexual problems, especially among men. Further research is needed to understand how sexual initiation patterns affect later health outcomes.

Adolescent Sexual Debut and Later Delinquency

Does sexual debut (i.e., experiencing sexual intercourse for the first time) increase the risks of participating in later delinquent behavior? Does this risk increase if adolescents experience early sexual debut relative to the timing experienced by one’s peers? Although many factors have been linked to sexual debut, little research has examined whether sexual initiation is linked to later behavioral outcomes. Using data on adolescents participating in three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N=7,297), we examine the interconnections between sexual debut and later delinquency. In addition, we pay particular attention to the role of timing of sexual debut. We find that experiencing sexual debut is associated with delinquency one year later. In addition, those adolescents who experience early sexual debut relative to their peers are at higher risk of experiencing delinquency compared to those who debut on-time; adolescents who experience late sexual debut are the least likely to participate in delinquency. Moreover, the protective effect of late sexual debut appears to persist for several years. Findings are interpreted by drawing on developmental theory and life course research.

Teenage Contraceptive Use in Iceland: A Gender Perspective

Different gender beliefs toward contraception may affect contraceptive use among teenagers and need to be explored for the development of sexuality education and services aimed at this age group. A cross-sectional national survey was conducted. A random sample of 1,405 sexually active teenagers, 1,181 girls, and 224 boys was studied. One quarter of the girls and one fifth of the boys had often/always used unsafe methods (withdrawal and natural methods), and about one third of the teenagers used contraceptive methods sporadically or not at all. Generally, teenage girls had more positive beliefs toward use of contraceptives, more positive friends, and more supportive parents regarding contraception than boys. Both genders were more likely to use contraceptives if they recognized the seriousness of pregnancy and easiness of making contraceptive plans. Additionally, teenage girls were more likely to use contraceptives if they were older at the time of sexual debut, were in a steady sexual relationship, considered contraceptive services good, believed in not taking chances, and their parents knew about their contraceptive use. Preventive strategies must primarily target those teenagers who start sexual debut early, are not in a steady relationship, and are not receiving parental support.

Perceived Peer Behavior and the Timing of Sexual Debut in Rwanda: A Survival Analysis of Youth Data

This paper uses survival methods to assess the relationship between perceived peer behavior and the timing of first sex among Rwandan youth. The data derive from a 2001 survey among youth aged 15–24 years in four provinces: Kigali Ville, Butare, Kibuye, and Umutara. A total of 1327 male and female youth were interviewed through a structured questionnaire that includes questions on sexual attitudes and behaviors. The findings showed that the perception that peers are sexually active is associated with increased likelihood of experiencing early sexual debut. For both sexes, the relationship between perceived peer behavior and the timing of first sex is stronger in young adulthood than in late adolescence. Among female youth, the presence of the father appears to weaken the role of perceived peer behavior. A similar tendency is not found for male youth.

Tracing the Roots of Early Sexual Debut Among Adolescents in Psychiatric Care

To identify the most important social and personal characteristics related to early sexual debut among troubled teenagers. One hundred ninety-eight youths aged 12-19 years were recruited from outpatient mental health clinics and completed self-reports and interviews about their age of sexual debut; family, peer, and partner relationships (e.g., parental hostile control, negative peer influence, need for intimacy); and personal characteristics (e.g., achievement motivation, externalizing problems). Broad-band (externalizing, internalizing) and narrow-band (depression/anxiety, delinquency) psychopathology was assessed with the Youth Self-Report and Child Behavior Checklist. Optimal Data Analysis was used to generate a classification tree model to identify variables associated with whether or not youths initiated oral, vaginal, and/or anal sexual activity before or after age 14. Three social context variables (parental hostile control, negative and positive peer influence) and one personal characteristic (externalizing problems) correctly classified 87.4% of teenagers as initiating sexual activity at < or =14 or >14 years of age. Parental behavior and peer influence were the most important variables associated with the timing of sexual debut. Results support a social-personal framework for understanding sexual risk-taking among adolescents in psychiatric care, and the data offer relatively strong evidence that specific factors could be used to identify troubled teens at risk for early sexual debut.

Using Behavioral Theories to Design Abstinence Programs

If adolescents abstain from sex, or delay having sex, the risk of pregnancy is essentially zero, and the sexual transmission of a communicable disease is diminished substantially. Whatever other, nonpublic health reasons one may have for preferring abstinence as an approach to the prevention of teen pregnancy, the potential for a sizable reduction in rates of adolescent pregnancy supports abstinence as a reasonable strategy. The issue of abstinence as an approach has less to do with the desirability of the goal than with figuring out successful ways to persuade adolescents to comply. While numerous abstinence programs have been implemented, no “silver-bullet” strategies have been identified to date. Abstinence interventions (like most efforts to prevent teen pregnancy) are usually ad hoc, implemented opportunistically, or designed on the basis of a personal hunch. Few programs have been evaluated, and among those with evaluations, most have shown very little effect on the timing of sexual debut. When effects are found, they have been fairly small, with teens delaying sex for a matter of months, when the goal is to delay sex for years. While hunches and experience in the field provide useful insights, it is time to be more systematic in developing new intervention approaches and incorporating research knowledge and theory. This paper highlights scientific evidence regarding the factors most likely to influence the onset of sexual activity during adolescence and examines program strategies with the greatest potential to affect adolescent sexual behavior given research findings. The importance of rigorous evaluations, and suggestions for strengthening the evaluation of abstinence- focused interventions and adolescent pregnancy prevention programs in general, is discussed.