Paper Title
Characteristics Associated with Sex After Periods Of Abstinence Among Sexually Experienced Young Women
Keywords
- adolescent
- sexually transmitted disease
- affect
- survival analysis
- sexual partner
- sexual abstinence
- adolescent sexual behavior
- adolescent pregnancy
- risk-taking
- std prevention
- relationship dynamics
- sexual health
- contraceptive counseling
- reproductive health
- young women
- sexual decision-making
- sexual partner influence
- partner support
- mood and sexual behavior
- emotional regulation
- sexual resumption
- longitudinal study
- diary study
- behavioral patterns
- risk perception
- public health
- health interventions
- relationship quality
- affective influences
- sexual risk-taking
- abstinence duration
- adolescent development
- hormonal influence
- youth sexuality
- health psychology
- sexual health counseling
- adolescent well-being
- psychosocial factors
- sexual desire
- romantic relationships
- std testing
- sexual activity patterns
- sexual interest
- mental health
- prevention strategies
- condom use
- health behavior change
- risk reduction
- adolescent clinics
- youth health services
- health promotion
- sexual education
- decision-making processes
- motivational factors
Article Type
Research Article
Research Impact Tools
DOI
Publication Info
Volume: 42 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 43–48
Published On
March, 2010
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Abstract
CONTEXT: Adolescent pregnancy prevention is difficult because adolescent sex is intermittent. Understanding why sexually experienced adolescents have sex after a period of abstinence will help clinicians to tailor counseling. METHODS: For up to 4.5 years between 1999 and 2006, a sample of 354 adolescent women recruited at urban primary care clinics were interviewed and tested for STDs every three months, and were asked to complete three months of daily diaries twice a year. Survival analyses were used to estimate associations between intrapersonal, relationship and STD-related characteristics and the risk of ending an abstinence period with sex. RESULTS: Participants reported 9,236 abstinence periods, which averaged 31 days. The risk that an abstinence period ended with sex increased steeply for periods of fewer than 17 days (short), rose less steeply for 17–39-day (intermediate) periods and was fairly steady for longer periods. For short periods, the risk increased with age, sexual interest, positive mood, partner support, relationship quality and history of STD diagnosis more than three months ago (hazard ratios, 1.02–1.2); it decreased as negative mood increased (0.98) and was reduced among adolescents with a recent STD diagnosis (0.9). For intermediate periods, the association with a recent STD diagnosis became positive (1.4). For long periods, sex was associated only with age, sexual interest and relationship quality. CONCLUSIONS: To provide targeted and timely sexual health counseling, clinicians may want to ask adolescents not only whether they are sexually active but also when they last had sex.
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