¶ … Sexual Activity in Adolescence
The scholarly literature on adolescence and health reflects the fact that some young people make risky decisions regarding sexual activities -- and the use of drugs also plays a role in their behavior. In this paper, those issues and others related to adolescent behaviors -- including the earlier initiation of sexual activities -- will be presented through in-depth analysis.
Adolescent Sexual Activities and Psychosocial Adjustments
There has been an assumption in the literature for some time that when adolescents delay their first sexual experience, they adjust better psychosocially as young adults a bit later in their lives. Another assumption has been that instances where young adults have their first sexual intercourse experience between 16 and 18 years of age "…are linked to lower adjustment in many life domains" (Haase, 2012, 199).
However, a peer-reviewed research article in the journal European Psychologist challenges those notions with empirical data that is both interesting and myth-shattering. In fact some of the research presented reflects that in fact "…that not only early but also late timing of first sexual experiences can be associated with lower psychosocial adjustment in selected domains of young adulthood" (Haase, 199). The authors of this article reference the research of Havighurst, 1976, Heckhausen, 1999; Heckhausen, Wrosch & Schulz, 2010; Neugarten & Neugarten, 1996; and Settersten, 2009, as having contributed to the theory that being "off time" (whether too early or too late with initial sexual activities) leads to "lower adjustment" as young adults (Haase, 199).
But does being too early -- or too late -- with one's initial sexual engagement create a situation that is "maladaptive," as the above-mentioned research asserts? This article at first challenges existing notions about the too early or too late concept, but ends up unsure of just what is true and what is not. The conclusion Haase and colleagues come up with on page 209 reflects that "late sexual timing carried its own adjustment risks regarding social relations and well-being," and that having been said, they add that "other forms of 'problem behavior' in adolescence may be linked to lower adjustment" (Haase, 209).
Those other forms of "problem behavior" are not spelled out by the authors, but clearly youthfulness is a time of dramatic changes and challenges that have nothing to do with sexuality and hence, the article seems a little thin on the big picture during adolescence. In reviewing the research by Haase and colleagues, they admit on numerous occasions in the article that their findings could be skewed. The word "limitations" appears five times on pages 208 and 209; this in itself is not enough to negate the value of the research, but questions can be raised as to how solid the findings really are in this case.
For example, the "self-report" surveys that were used with adolescents could be misinterpreted because about 60% of respondents in one study "did not classify oral sex as 'having sex'" (Haase, 208). The authors agreed that some adolescents may have viewed the term "sexual experiences" as meaning vaginal intercourse, when the researchers were actually just trying to find out about such activities as serious petting, mutual masturbation, and other sensual acts between teens. Hence, with this level of confusion, how can a research article be thoroughly believed? Having the authors say there needs to be additional research is an understatement.
Early Risky Sexual Behavior and Rural Adolescents
The authors of this research piece in the journal Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing explain that most of the research involving the early and risky sexual behaviors of adolescents has focused on urban adolescent behavior. Hence, they delved into the topic in a rural setting, conducting a longitudinal study of 255 adolescents (between ages 14 and 17).
On pages 192 and 193, the authors put forth five hypotheses about what they expected to find: a) males will show more risky sexual behaviors than females; b) those from low socioeconomic status (SES) will engage in more risky behaviors than those from high SES; c) those engaged in risky sexual activities will score lower in "religiosity, social connectedness, parental monitoring, and parent-adolescent communication" than those not taking sexual risks; d) greater peer influence will be linked to those taking sexual risks; and e) those taking risks will be more apt to smoke marijuana and tobacco and to consume alcohol (Rew, et al., 2011).
As to the first hypothesis (a), it was wrong: rural males reported "fewer sexual-risk behaviors" than females. The second hypothesis...
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