Relationship between age at sexual debut and postpartum depression: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Mental Health
• Genetics

Background:

• Premature sexual activity is linked to negative emotional outcomes and unintended pregnancies in adolescent girls.
• A significant gap exists in research on the relationship between early sexual activity and postpartum depression (PPD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal link between the age of first sexual intercourse and postpartum depression using Mendelian randomization.
• To quantify the association between initiating sexual activity and PPD risk.

Main Methods:

• Mendelian randomization analysis utilizing genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data.
• Employed methods including inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, and MR-PRESSO.
• Sensitivity analyses were conducted to ensure the robustness of findings.

Main Results:

• A negative correlation was found between the age of first sexual intercourse and PPD vulnerability.
• Each additional year in age at first intercourse was associated with an 11.3% reduction in PPD susceptibility (OR, 0.887).
• The IVW method confirmed this association (OR, 0.859), with no evidence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy.

Conclusions:

• Deferring the age of first sexual intercourse is a viable strategy to mitigate the risk of postpartum depression.
• Integrating findings into adolescent sex education programs is recommended to inform public health strategies.