Child Trends recently published a study, “Risky Adolescent Sexual Behaviors and Reproductive Health in Young Adulthood” in the journal, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. The study, which analyzes data from the National Longitud
Child Trends recently published a study, “Risky Adolescent Sexual Behaviors and Reproductive Health in Young Adulthood” in the journal, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. The study, which analyzes data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, assesses whether individuals who engage in risky sexual behaviors during adolescence have increased risk of negative reproductive health outcomes in young adults.
Child Trends found:
- Forty percent of youth reported at least three sexual risk factors during adolescence. The most common were having multiple sex partners during adolescence and using contraceptive inconsistently with at least one partner.
- Young adults who were exposed to an increasing number of risks during their teen years were more likely to have had multiple sex partners in the last year.
- Adolescents who used contraceptives inconsistently and had multiple partners or more casual relationships during adolescence were more likely, as young adults, to have multiple sex partners in the last year.
- Young adults who used contraceptives inconsistently and who didn’t discuss contraception with a partner during adolescence were more likely to have an unintended birth.
These finding suggest that teens’ sexual behaviors have both short- and long-term consequences, and interventions that focus on multiple domains of risk may be the most effective in helping to promote the broad reproductive health among young adults.
Our Lending Library is open for members to review program curriculum before buying, and includes programs such as: Be Proud! Be Responsible!; ¡Cuídate!; Reducing the Risk; and Teen Health Project – all which have been identified by the Departm