[Risk factors of early sexual initiation]

Abstract

Purpose: to present the relationship between early sexual initiation and factors related to family, school, peers, perceived health, type A behaviour and psychoactive substances use among 16-year-olds.

Material and methods: representative sample of students from first grade of upper secondary school (N = 1514; mean age 16.7 years) was randomly selected. In anonymous questionnaire questions from the international HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) questionnaire and TAB scale for Type A behaviour assessment were used. Multivariate logistic regression models were estimated to assess the risk of early sexual initiation in relation to analysed factors.

Results: among 16-year-olds 34.9% of boys and 20.6% of girls reported sexual initiation. In this group 37.3% of boys and 12.9% of girls had two or more sexual partners. Many risk factors of early sexual initiation were identified. The highest risk was in boys in the case of frequent drinking of vodka and beer, using amphetamine, truancy and among pupils from basic vocational schools. Among girls the highest risk was connected with frequent truancy, daily smokers, and those who spent a lot of time out of home. Many risk factors were related to peers and psychoactive substance using.

Conclusions: adolescents who started their sexual life are a group of high risk of sexual and reproductive health problems and they need medical care, including psychological counselling. The knowledge about risk factors of early sexual debut and monitoring trends in their change should be taken into consideration in planning prevention programmes and school sexual education.