Influences on adolescents’ decision to postpone onset of sexual intercourse: a survival analysis of virginity among youths aged 13 to 18 years

doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(99)00041-5

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 26, Issue 1, January 2000, Pages 42-48

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(99)00041-5 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background: Previous research has focused on risk factors associated with early onset of sexual intercourse among adolescents. This study hypothesizes that protective factors identified for other health compromising behaviors are also protective against early onset of sexual intercourse. The study sample included 26,023 students in grades 7–12 (87.5% white, 52.5% male) who did not report a history of sexual abuse in a statewide survey of adolescent health in 1988.

Methods: Bivariate analyses were stratified into early (13–14 years), middle (15–16 years) and late (17–18 years) adolescence and by gender. Cox proportional hazards survival analysis, stratified by gender, was used to determine risk and protective factors associated with delayed onset of sexual intercourse.

Results: Variables showing a significant bivariate association with lower levels of sexual activity across all age groups and genders were: dual-parent families, higher socioeconomic status (SES), better school performance, greater religiosity, absence of suicidal thoughts, feeling adults or parents cared, and high parental expectations. High levels of body pride were associated with higher levels of sexual activity for all age and gender groups. In the multivariate survival analyses, variables significantly associated with delayed onset of sexual activity for both males and females included: dual-parent families, higher SES, residing in rural areas, higher school performance, concerns about the community, and higher religiosity. High parental expectations were a significant protective factor for males but not for females.

Conclusion: While many protective factors are not subject to intervention, the present analyses indicate that teen pregnancy prevention may be enhanced by addressing family and educational factors.

Section snippets

Study population and design

The study population included 26,023 7th- to 12th-grade students who completed a statewide adolescent health survey in 1988 and had not reported a history of sexual abuse. There were 3069 students who indicated they had been sexually abused (88% of whom were female), representing 8.8% of the total sample who completed the original survey.

The final ethnic composition (87.5%) of the study population was White; 7.2% African-American; 0.9%, Hispanic, and 4.4%, Native American. (This was

Results

Bivariate analysis by gender and age group showed the proportion of sexually experienced youth increased with age for both genders. Among females, 16.3%, 36.8%, and 55.2% of students age 13–14, 15–16, and 17–18 years, respectively, had ever had intercourse. Corresponding percentages among boys were 29.3%, 47.0%, and 60.2%.

Variables associated with noninitiation of sexual intercourse for all male and female adolescents included dual-parent families, higher SES, residing in rural areas, better

Discussion

Findings in this study underscore the importance of a number of family and social as well as personal characteristics associated with postponement of sexual intercourse. As one would anticipate given the secular trend to increasingly early onset of sexual intercourse across the teenage years, there were fewer significant factors associated with sexual abstinence among older adolescents (15–18 years of age) than among younger adolescents (13–14 years). In addition, social and family factors were

Conclusion

The present analysis shows that influences on adolescent sexual behavior are complex and that contextual factors such as family structure, SES, and area of residency, as well as personal characteristics such as school performance and religiosity play an important role. Furthermore, the results underscore the fact that contextual factors were strongly significant across gender and age. Among younger adolescents there were additional factors associated with postponing sexual intercourse: feeling

Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by grants from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, MCH-273460 and MCJ-000985, Health Services Research Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. D. Lammers was supported by the American Association of University Women.

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¹: Dr. Lammers is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Uruguay.

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Fellowship ForumInfluences on adolescents’ decision to postpone onset of sexual intercourse: a survival analysis of virginity among youths aged 13 to 18 years

Abstract

Section snippets

Study population and design

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

Prev Med

A review of sexual behavior in the United States

Am J Psychiatry

Demographics of adolescent sexual behavior, contraception, pregnancy, and STDs

J Sch Health

Sexual behavior among high school students—United States 1990

MMWR

The epidemiology and control of STDs in adolescence

STDs

Factors associated with sexual behavior among adolescentsA mutivariate analysis

Adolescence

The concept of health promotion and the prevention of adolescent drug use

Health Educ Q

Testosterone and religiosity as predictors of sexual attitudes and activities among adolescent malesA biosocial model

J Biosoc Sci

Risk factors for adolescent sexual behavior, fertility and STDs

J Sch Health

Factors affecting initiation of sexual intercourse

Early onset of adolescent sexual behavior and drug involvement

J Marr Fam

Crack, sex, and STDs

Sex Transm Dis

Reported sexual behavior and self-esteem among young adolescents

Am J Dis Child

Biopsychosocial correlates of care behaviors during adolescence

J Adolesc Health

Linkages between sexual activity and alcohol and drug use among American adolescents

Fam Plann Perspect

Adolescent Sex, Contraception and ChildbearingA Review of Recent Research

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention ProgramsIntervention and Evaluation

Fellowship Forum
Influences on adolescents’ decision to postpone onset of sexual intercourse: a survival analysis of virginity among youths aged 13 to 18 years