The Association of Consensual Sexual Intercourse During Childhood With Adolescent Health Risk and Behaviors

Abstract:
The association of childhood sexual intercourse, excluding sexual abuse, with adolescent health and risk behaviors was examined using the urban component of a statewide study on adolescent health, risky behaviors, and resiliency factors. A two-group sample was derived: index cases consisted of all adolescents who indicated that they had first intercourse at or before age 10 years, and controls were adolescents who either had not yet had intercourse or had done so at age 16 years or older. To avoid confounding with issues of sexual abuse, all adolescents who also indicated a history of sexual abuse on the survey were removed from the analysis. A significantly greater proportion of index cases than controls indicated problem substance use by parents, poor school performance, gang involvement, frequent and unprotected sexual intercourse, history of pregnancy involvement, desire to leave the home, history of mental health treatment, emotional distress, and suicidal involvement. The results underscore the importance of childhood sexual intercourse as an indicator of other health-compromising behaviors and risk factors. Clinicians and others should be alert to this clustering of risk behaviors in their psychosocial assessment of young people.

Author(s): RESNICK, Michael D., Ph.D.; and BLUM, Robert W., M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.

Publication: Pediatrics, Vol. 94, No. 6, pp. 907-913


Date Published: 12/1/1994

Pages: 7

Location Code: 6265