Characteristics of Sexually Active Youth
December 11, 2008 by rainier
Various characteristics make adolescents more or less likely to engage in sexual activity during their teen years. The Add Health study reports that students are less likely to have an early onset of sexual intercourse if they appear “younger” than peers, are religious,make a pledge of sexual abstinence, or have a higher grade point average.
Younger males are more likely than younger females to engage in sexual activity. At age 13, just over 1 in 10 males and only 1 in 50 females are sexually experienced. However,by age 20, there is less discrepancy in the numbers and about 3 in 4 females and 4 out of 5 males are sexually experienced. The onset of sexual activity increases with age,with males reporting earlier sexual activity. The proportion of teen males who report having sex is roughly equal to the number of sexually experienced females who are one year older.
African-Americans report earlier sexual activity than whites or Hispanics. By the age of 16.5 approximately half of black women have had sex, about one year earlier than the same percentage of white and Hispanic women report sexual onset. For African- American males, about half have had sex by age 15, almost two years sooner than their white and Hispanic male counterparts. Adolescents in families with lower incomes (below $20,000) have sex four to six months earlier than those from higher income families. Teens living in the South and in rural areas, and those whose parents receive welfare, are more likely to have sexual experience.
Adolescents who perceive they will die young or who feel attracted to someone of the same sex have a higher risk of early (heterosexual) sexual intercourse. Other factors that place a teen at greater risk of sexual activity include working at a paid job more than 20 hours per week, having low grades, and appearing “older” than their peers.
