Young Teens and Older Sexual Partners: Correlates and Consequences for Males and Females

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Young Teens and Older Sexual Partners Correlates
and Consequences for Males and Females

• Jennifer Manlove
• Elizabeth Terry-Humen
• Erum Ikramullah

Funded by the Office of Population Affairs
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Background

• Sex at a young age and sex with an older partner
  linked to unintended pregnancy and STDs
• The combination of a young age at sex and an
  older sexual partner is associated with
  especially poor reproductive health outcomes
• State-level statutory rape laws are based on
  age and age difference

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Research Questions

• What is the prevalence of sex at a young age with
  an older partner?
• Is having sex at a young age with an older
  partner associated with reduced contraceptive use
  and a greater risk of a teen birth?
• Is the association between these sexual
  relationships and poor reproductive health
  outcomes due, in part, to non-voluntary or casual
  relationships?
• Does the association differ between males and
  females?

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Data Sample

• 2002 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)
• 1838 females and 1426 males aged 18-24 with
  retrospective information on first sexual
  relationships
• Dependent Variables
• Contraceptive use at first sex
• Teen birth

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Key Variable

• Age at sex categories
• lt Age 16
• Age 16
• Age difference
• Partner 5 years older
• Partner 3 - 4 years older
• Partner lt 3 years older

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Age/Age Difference, Females
lt 16, Partner 5 Years Older
lt 16, Partner 3-4 Years Older
lt 16, Partner lt 3 Years Older
No Sex by Age 18
16-17, Partner 3 Years Older
16-17, Partner lt3 Years Older
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Age/Age Difference, Males
lt 16, Partner 3 Years Older
6
lt 16, Partner lt 3 Years Older
22
42
No Sex by Age 18
16-17, Partner 3 Years Older
2
29
16-17, Partner lt 3 Years Older
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Control Variables

• Race/ethnicity
• Born outside U.S.
• Parent education
• Family structure
• Respondents mother was a teen at first birth
• Age at menarche
• Religious attendance

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Analytic Methods

• Logistic regression
• Comparing those who used contraception at first
  sex with those who did not
• Comparing those who had a teen birth with those
  who did not
• Analyses conducted separately for males and
  females
• All analyses weighted and adjusted for sampling
  design

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Bivariate Results - Females
Used Contraception at First Sex
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Bivariate Results - Males
Used Contraception at First Sex
12
Bivariate Results - Females
Experienced a Teen Birth
13
Bivariate Results - Males
Experienced a Teen Birth
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Hypothesis
Part of the reason that sex at an early age with
an older partner is linked to poor reproductive
health outcomes may be because these sexual
relationships are more likely to be non-voluntary
or unwanted
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Bivariate Results - Females
Had Nonvoluntary or Unwanted First Sexual
Experience
40
22
20
19
11
16
Bivariate Results - Males
Had Not Wanted First Sexual Experience
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Hypothesis
Part of the reason that sex at an early age with
an older partner is linked to poor reproductive
health outcomes may be because these sexual
relationships are more likely to be casual
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Bivariate Results - Females
Had First Sexual Experience With a Casual
Partner
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Bivariate Results - Males
Had First Sexual Experience With a Casual
Partner
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Multivariate Results Predicting Contraceptive Use
at First Sex and Teen Birth
positively associated, - negatively associated
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Multivariate Results Predicting Contraceptive Use
at First Sex and Teen Birth
positively associated, - negatively associated
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Multivariate Results Interaction Effects

• The combination of young age at first sex and
  having an older partner was associated with
  especially high odds of a teen birth for females

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Summary of Findings

• Prevalence
• 14 of females and 6 of males had sex at a young
  age with an older partner
• This translates into almost 2 million females and
  782,000 males aged 18-24 in 2002

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Summary of Findings

• Most of these relationships were between younger
  teens and older teens relationships that
  generally would not be covered by statutory rape
  laws
• However, findings suggest that these
  relationships can be problematic for reproductive
  health outcomes for females

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Summary of Findings

• Gender Differences
• ¼ of teens who had sex before age 16 with a
  partner 3 years older were males
• This is in comparison with only 5 of cases of
  statutory rape reported by males

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Summary of Findings

• Factors associated with reduced contraceptive
  use and increased likelihood of a teen birth, for
  females
• Having sex at a young age
• Having sex with an older partner
• The combination of a young age and an older
  partner (for teen births)

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Summary of Findings

• Factors associated with reduced contraceptive
  use and increased risk of a teen birth, for
  males
• A young age at sex
• Having an older partner is not associated with
  these outcomes

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Summary of Findings

• Sexual partners
• Females
• Sex at a young age with an older partner linked
  to report non-voluntary, unwanted sex
• Unwanted sex linked to reduced contraceptive use
• Males and females
• Sex at a young age with an older partners linked
  to more casual relationships
• Casual partners linked to reduced contraceptive
  use

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Implications

• Role for parents monitor teens dating behaviors
• Role for parents, service providers, and
  communities in helping define norms for
  appropriate age differences between teens and
  dating partners

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Implications

• Role for programs helping teens negotiate
  decisions about sex and contraception with
  partners, regardless of age
• Role-playing on how to respond to pressures from
  older, higher-status dating and sexual partners

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Research Papers

• Manlove, J., Terry-Humen, E. Ikramullah, E.
  (Forthcoming). Young teens and older sexual
  partners Correlates and consequences for males
  and females Perspectives on Sexual and
  Reproductive Health.
• Manlove, J., Ryan, S. Franzetta, K.
  (Forthcoming). Risk and Protective Factors
  Associated with the Transition to a First Sexual
  Relationship with an Older Partner. Journal of
  Adolescent Health.

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