Early Sexual Initiation and Mental Health: A Fleeting Association or Enduring Change?

Rose Wesche; Derek A. Kreager; Eva S. Lefkowitz; Sonja E. Siennick

doi:10.1111/jora.12303

Early Sexual Initiation and Mental Health: A Fleeting Association or Enduring Change?

Rose Wesche, Derek A. Kreager, Eva S. Lefkowitz, Sonja E. Siennick

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

The present research examined how the within-person association between sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms decays over time, using data with annual measurement occasions across adolescence (N = 1,789) and statistical models of within-person change. Sexual initiation was associated with increased levels of internalizing symptoms for early-initiating girls (ninth grade, approximately age 15), but not for on-time-initiating girls or for boys. The association between girls' early sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms declined precipitously over time. Indeed, 1 year after sexual debut, early-initiating girls were similar to on-time or noninitiating girls on internalizing symptoms, suggesting early sexual initiation does not produce lasting detriments to girls' mental health. Findings inform how researchers perceive sexual initiation, both as a developmental milestone and as a prevention target.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	611-627
Number of pages	17
Journal	Journal of Research on Adolescence
Volume	27
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12303
State	Published - Sep 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Cultural Studies
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
Behavioral Neuroscience

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1111/jora.12303

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title = "Early Sexual Initiation and Mental Health: A Fleeting Association or Enduring Change?",

abstract = "The present research examined how the within-person association between sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms decays over time, using data with annual measurement occasions across adolescence (N = 1,789) and statistical models of within-person change. Sexual initiation was associated with increased levels of internalizing symptoms for early-initiating girls (ninth grade, approximately age 15), but not for on-time-initiating girls or for boys. The association between girls' early sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms declined precipitously over time. Indeed, 1 year after sexual debut, early-initiating girls were similar to on-time or noninitiating girls on internalizing symptoms, suggesting early sexual initiation does not produce lasting detriments to girls' mental health. Findings inform how researchers perceive sexual initiation, both as a developmental milestone and as a prevention target.",

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AB - The present research examined how the within-person association between sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms decays over time, using data with annual measurement occasions across adolescence (N = 1,789) and statistical models of within-person change. Sexual initiation was associated with increased levels of internalizing symptoms for early-initiating girls (ninth grade, approximately age 15), but not for on-time-initiating girls or for boys. The association between girls' early sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms declined precipitously over time. Indeed, 1 year after sexual debut, early-initiating girls were similar to on-time or noninitiating girls on internalizing symptoms, suggesting early sexual initiation does not produce lasting detriments to girls' mental health. Findings inform how researchers perceive sexual initiation, both as a developmental milestone and as a prevention target.

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Early Sexual Initiation and Mental Health: A Fleeting Association or Enduring Change?

Abstract

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