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Gender, relationship type and contraceptive use at first intercourse.
1Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0222, USA. lsgibbs@bgsu.edu
Contraception
|November 13, 2012
Summary
Relationship type significantly impacts adolescent contraceptive use at first intercourse. Programs should prioritize communication skills to ensure consistent and correct contraceptive behavior, regardless of relationship status, to mitigate sexual health risks.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent sexual health
- Contraceptive behavior research
- Public health interventions
Background:
- Current sexually transmitted infection prevention programs often overlook the influence of relationship dynamics on adolescent contraceptive practices during first sexual encounters.
- Understanding the nuances of relationship types is crucial for effective sexual health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between relationship types (committed, going steady, casual) and contraceptive use (any method, dual methods, specific methods) among adolescents at first sexual intercourse.
- To identify specific relationship dynamics that may increase or decrease the likelihood of consistent and correct contraceptive use.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a national sample of 3084 females and 2745 males aged 12-19 years.
- Utilized logistic and multinomial logistic regression models to assess the relationship between relationship type and contraceptive method choice.
- Examined condom use, dual method use, and hormonal method use in relation to relationship status.
Main Results:
- Two-thirds of females and over three-quarters of males used condoms at first intercourse; dual method use was reported by 12.7% of females and 14.0% of males.
- Adolescents in casual relationships demonstrated significantly lower odds of using any contraceptive method (males: 0.586) or dual methods (males: 0.379) at first intercourse.
- Females in committed relationships showed higher odds (5.016) of using hormonal methods during first intercourse compared to other relationship types.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent sexual health is demonstrably influenced by the type of relationship at first intercourse, indicating a need for tailored interventions.
- Future sexual health programs must integrate communication skills training to empower adolescents to practice correct contraceptive behavior across all relationship types.
- Addressing relationship dynamics is essential for reducing sexual health risks and improving contraceptive uptake among adolescents.
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