School achievement and sexual abstinence: Positive correlates for adolescents?

According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, one out of five youths has experienced sexual intercourse before the age of 15.That this early sexual involvement may have negative consequences on the adolescent’s personality system, behavior system, and environment system has been posited. This study clearly supports this assertion with regard, specifically, to school achievement. While causality cannot be confirmed, a strong relationship was found between school achievement and beliefs favoring abstinence. That the high achieving youths in this study see the gains to be realized from abstinence is indicated by their self-reported agreement with abstaining from sex, even until marriage. Conversely, the low achieving youths seem not to be realizing the negative consequences associated with early sexual involvement. Educational outcomes certainly seem to be associated with choices made by youths regarding their sexual behavior and intentions. Abstinence education interventions may be an important addition to education of quality

School Achievement and Sexual Abstinence: Positive Correlates for Adolescents?

According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, one out of five youths has experienced sexual intercourse before the age of 15.That this early sexual involvement may have negative consequences on the adolescent’s personality system, behavior system, and environment system has been posited. This study clearly supports this assertion with regard, specifically, to school achievement. While causality cannot be confirmed, a strong relationship was found between school achievement and beliefs favoring abstinence. That the high achieving youths in this study see the gains to be realized from abstinence is indicated by their self-reported agreement with abstaining from sex, even until marriage. Conversely, the low achieving youths seem not to be realizing the negative consequences associated with early sexual involvement. Educational outcomes certainly seem to be associated with choices made by youths regarding their sexual behavior and intentions. Abstinence education interventions may be an important addition to education of quality

Assessment of Early Sexual Initiation and Associated Factors among Ambo University Undergraduate Students, Ambo, Ethiopia

Background: Early sexual initiation increases the risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. The majority of students in higher Institutions are single, young adults who easily fall prey to excitement coupled with the liberal nature of campus life that predisposes them to high risk sexual behaviour. The aimed of study was to determine the prevalence of early sexual initiation and associated factors among Ambo University undergraduate students in Ambo, Ethiopia. Result:- The prevalence of early sexual initiation among Ambo University undergraduate regular students were determined, which showed that 67(20.4%) were initiated early sexual practice with 95%CI of (16.2 to 25.2%) with independent predictors of religion (Christian, AOR=14.66, 95%CI (1.77, 121.51) residence (urban) AOR= 3.06, 95%CI (1.33, 7.02) and classmate friend AOR=21.83, 95%CI (2.65, 179.84). Methods: A cross-sectional facility based study design was conducted from December to January 2015 at Ambo university undergraduate students. Simple random sampling technique was used to draw 392 sampled students. The study participants were selected by using simple random sampling computer generated technique by their ID number. A pre- tested structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify associated factors and the result was presented using table, and narrative. Conclusion and recommendation: The prevalence of early sexual initiation and associated factors among Ambo University undergraduate students were determined which revealed that 20.4% with independent predictors of religion (Christian), residence (urban) and classmate friend. Therefore, these factors would be better to considered during development youths reproductive health programs by police makers in collaboration with others responsible bodies. Keywords: - Early sexual initiation, Ambo University undergraduate students

Predictors of Risky Sex Behavior among Adolescents in a Traditional Indian Society: Implications for Program Intervention Strategies

Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess the risk behavior and its effect on involvement in sex among school-going adolescents as a part of assessing implementation of Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Scheme (ARSH) in a state of India.Methods: The sample covered 3069 randomly selected adolescents (students) from 9th to 12th standard in various government, private and missionary-run schools from two districts, namely, Aizawl and Champhai in the state of Mizoram.Results: It was found that more than one-third of adolescents (37%) accepted taking alcohol and 72% of adolescents accepted seeing pornographic movies. Nearly 23% respondents were aware about premarital pregnancy among friends and 7.5% were aware about complication due to unsafe abortion among them. About 10% accepted involvement in premarital sex and majority of them (70%) had premarital sex between age group 15 and 19 years and 54% never used condom. Influence of peer group who were taking alcohol, tobacco and drug and exposure to erotic materials was found to be the major risk factors for indulgence in unsafe sex practices among adolescents.Conclusion: Better awareness and counseling against tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse, and pornographic literature among adolescents is needed through school health education.

Intentions For Having Sex: What Matters

The intentions of 614 adolescents to have sex were examined in conjunction with their participation in risky behaviors (hard drugs, violence and suicide, alcohol and marijuana use) and protective factors (community connected and against teen sex, educational aspirations, emotional support from family, friends and girlfriend/boyfriend or sexual partner). Key findings from bivariate and linear regression analyses revealed that alcohol and marijuana use were correlated with intention to have sex among adolescents, as was emotional support from a boyfriend/girlfriend or sexual partner. This study offers insights regarding intentions to have sex among adolescents, pointing particularly to the issue of emotional support in a dating relationship as a motivation for having sex. Findings from this study can be used to develop health education and promotion programs focusing on delaying sexual intercourse

Gender differentials in sexual initiation among adolescents in Zambia

The purpose of the present study was to assess gender differentials in factors influencing sexual initiation among adolescents in Zambia. Data employed in this study was derived from the 2013 Zambia Demographic Health Survey. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify gender differentials in sexual initiation by considering socio-economic variables. The data revealed that about 22 per cent of the female and 32.6 per cent of males reported having had sex by the age of 15 years old. About 49.5 per cent of the female and 54.9 per cent of the males reported having had sex by the age of 18 years old. Logistic regression analysis identified age, religion, residence, wealth status, working status, educational level, watching television and drinking alcohol as strong predictors of respondent’s likelihood of sexual initiation by the age of 15 years old. The study found that male youths who drank alcohol were 1.4 times more likely to be sexually active by the age of 15 years old compared to those who did not drink alcohol. Female youths who were working were 1.4 times more likely to report having had sex by the age of 15 years old and those who drank alcohol were 1.3 times more likely to report been sexually active by the age of 15 years old. This study is in agreement with other African and western based studies which have shown that socioeconomic and demographic variables have a significant influence on early sexual initiation among adolescents in Zambia. Interventions that seek to prevent HIV and AIDS and unwanted pregnancies among adolescents through regulation of sexual behaviour would need to seriously account for socio-demographic and economic influences.Keywords: Gender differentials, sexual initiation, youth, Zambi

Psychological and behavioural factors associated with sexual risk behaviour among Slovak students

Background: Knowledge about the prevalence of sexual risk behaviour (SRB) in adolescence is needed to prevent unwanted health consequences. Studies on SRB among adolescents in Central Europe are rare and mostly rely on a single indicator for SRB. This study aims to assess the association of behavioural and psychological factors with three types of SRB in adolescents in Central Europe. Methods: We obtained data on behavioural factors (having been drunk during previous month, smoking during previous week, early sexual initiation), psychological factors (self-esteem, wellbeing, extroversion, neuroticism, religiousness), and SRB (intercourse under risky conditions, multiple sexual partners, and inconsistent condom use) in 832 Slovak university students (response 94.3%). Results: Among those with sexual experience (62%), inconsistent condom use was the most prevalent risk behaviour (81% in females, 72% in males). With the exception of having been drunk in males, no factor was associated with inconsistent condom use. Regarding the other types of SRB, early sexual initiation was most strongly associated. In addition, other, mostly behavioural, factors were associated, in particular having been drunk. Conclusion: Results suggest that behavioural factors are more closely related to SRB than psychological factors. Associations differ by type of SRB and gender but offer few clues to target risk groups for inconsistent condom use. Results show a high need for health-promotion programmes in early adolescence that target SRB in conjunction with other health risk behaviours such as alcohol abuse

Cult Health Sex

Research indicates that upwards to 30% of US urban Black male adolescents report first sex younger than age 13; however, there is limited literature on the sexual and reproductive health outcomes and contexts of these early first sex experiences. This exploratory study described sexual and reproductive health histories and explored personal, partner and parent contextual factors associated with first sex experiences occurring at 13\u2009years or younger among a sample of US urban young men aged 15-24. Participants were assessed on their demographics and sexual health histories and a subset of young men were assessed on the contextual factors related to their first sex experience. Pearson chi-squared tests examined factors associated with early first sex and Fisher's exact tests examined associated contextual factors. First sex at 13\u2009years or younger was reported by 29% of young men. A higher proportion of young men who had first sex at 13 or younger than those who had sex onset at 14 or older reported having got someone pregnant, having a "much older" first partner, and relationship satisfaction with their mother (16%) and father (12%). Study findings highlight the need to better understand urban young men's early first sex experiences, including the support needed to promote their healthy sexual development.H25 PS003796/PS/NCHHSTP CDC HHSUnited States/H25 PS005095/PS/NCHHSTP CDC HHSUnited States/R24 HD074034/HD/NICHD NIH HHSUnited States

Long-Term Outcomes of an Abstinence-Based, Small-Group Pregnancy Prevention Program in New York City Schools

Context: Despite drops in U.S. teenage birthrates, questions continue to arise about how best to reduce the country\u27s adolescent birthrate. School-based programs continue to be considered one of the best ways to reach adolescents at risk of early sexual activity. Methods: A total of 312 students completed a pretest, a posttest and a follow-up one year after the posttest: 125 who had participated in a 3-4-month-long abstinence-based small-group intervention led by trained social workers, and 187 in a comparison group that received no special services. Results: There were few significant differences between the intervention and comparison groups at posttest. At the one-year follow-up, however, intervention students had significantly better scores on locus of control, their relationship with their parents and (among males only) their attitudes about the appropriateness of teenage sex. Measures of depression, self-esteem, intentions to have sex, attitudes toward teenage pregnancy and various behaviors did not differ significantly between groups. By the time of the one-year follow-up, there was no difference between study groups among females in the initiation of sexual intercourse. Among the males, initiation of sexual intercourse appeared to be higher in the intervention group than in the comparison group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Positive outcomes were especially limited among students who were already sexually active at the start of the study, a finding that emphasizes the difficulties of reaching adolescents who are already at high risk for pregnancy. Conclusions: A small-group abstinence-based intervention focusing on mental health can have some impact on adolescents\u27 attitudes and relationships (particularly with their parents). Long-term evaluations are important for determining the effects of an intervention, as it is difficult to change adolescent risk behavior