Risk-taking behaviour is more frequent in teenage girls with multiple sexual partners

Abstract

Objective: To investigate associations between sexual behaviour and risk-taking health behaviour among adolescent females in our changing sexual culture.

Design: A questionnaire study. Girls who had had multiple sexual partners (at least five in their lifetime or four during the last six months) were compared with those with fewer partners. Logistic regression was applied.

Setting: The Adolescent Clinic, a primary healthcare unit in the city of Tampere, Finland.

Subjects: A sample of 247 female clients aged 15-18 years who had experienced sexual intercourse.

Main outcome measures: Contraceptive practices, substance use, and sexual attitudes.

Results: Girls with multiple sexual partners (n = 69) and the reference group (n = 178) did not differ from each other significantly by age, age at menarche, or educational status. In univariate analysis, age at sexual debut, contraceptive practices, and various substance uses were strongly associated with having multiple sexual partners. Ever-use of emergency contraception was marginally associated, while ever-use of conventional hormonal contraception or condoms was not. In multivariate analysis, low age at sexual debut (OR 8.75 for age 11-13), omitting contraception at the most recent intercourse (OR 3.48), ever-use of withdrawal as a contraceptive method (OR 2.34), and repeated use of drugs (OR 4.10) were associated with having multiple sexual partners.

Conclusion: Different types of risk-taking behaviour are still interlinked. In discussions with adolescents showing one type of risk behaviour health service providers should make an effort to identify other modes of risk-taking.