14 Younger: The Sexual Behavior of Young Adolescents

1. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: The Sexual Behavior of Young Adolescents New Analyses From The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy May 2003

2. Focus Community, Inc This presentation covers three areas: Why we should be concerned about sexual activity among young teens. Major findings from the 14 & Younger report. Implications from the 14 & Younger report.

3. Focus Community, Inc Why care about sexual activity among young adolescents? Compared to delayed sexual activity, early sexual activity is linked to: Greater number of partners Increased risk of teen pregnancy Increased risk of STDs Children are young adolescents are more likely to have health problems.

4. Focus Community, Inc Why care about sexual activity among young adolescents? 81% of 12-14 year olds who have had sex wish they had waited. Parenting skills of very young teens are highly limited. An appreciable amount of sexual activity among youth 14 and younger runs afoul of state age of consent laws.

5. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Major Findings Sexual Experience Approximately one in five adolescents has had sexual intercourse before his or her 15th birthday. Boys 14 and younger are slightly more likely to have had sex than girls the same age.

6. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Major Findings Frequency of Sex Sex is sporadic. Most of those age 14 and younger who have had sex are not currently sexually active. For example, approximately half of sexually experienced 14-year-olds have had sex 0-2 times in the past year.

7. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Major Findings Pregnancy Approximately one in seven sexually experienced 14-year-old girls reports having been pregnant. That translates into about 20,000 pregnancies each year and 8,000 births.

8. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Major Findings Pressure About one in ten girls who first have sex before age 15 describe it as non-voluntary. Many more describe it as relatively unwanted. Younger teen girls who are sexually experienced are more likely than older teens to say they �wish they�d waited.�

9. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Major Findings Number of Partners Girls who first had sex at age 14 or younger had more sexual partners as a teenager, on average, than girls who first had sex at age 15 or older. Increased number of partners increases the risk of STDs and pregnancy.

10. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Major Findings Contraception Between half and three-quarters of youth age 12-14 report that they used contraception the first time they had sex. Slightly more than half of girls age 12-14 and about two thirds of boys say they used some form of contraception the most recent time they had sex.

11. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Major Findings Opportunity Young teens seem to have the opportunity to have sex. One small area data set indicates that one-third of 12-year-olds and about half of 14-year-olds have been at a party without any adults in the house.

12. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Major Findings Dating About half of those age 12-14 report having been on a date or having a romantic relationship in the past 18 months. Among those 14 and younger reporting a romantic relationship, about a quarter are with someone two or more years older --- girls far more than boys. Relationships with a partner who is older by two or more years --- compared with those with someone only slightly older, the same age, or younger --- are much more likely to include sexual intercourse.

13. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Major Findings Other risky behaviors Sexually experienced teens were more likely than virgins to engage in other risky behaviors, such as smoking, illegal drugs, and drinking once a week or more. For example, 43% of sexually experienced teens said they had tried marijuana, compared with 10% of virgins.

14. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Major Findings Parents Parents are usually unaware that their young children have had sex. Only one-third of parents of sexually experienced 14-year-olds believe that their child had had sex. Parents say they talk to their children �a moderate amount� about sex. Young adolescents report far fewer of such conversations. Parents are most likely to discuss STDs and least likely to discuss the social consequences of sex.

15. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Implications There is reason to be concerned about early sexual activity. Early sex is more likely to be unwanted. Over time, girls who first have sex at an early age are more likely than those who delay to have more sexual partners, are at an increased risk of pregnancy, contracting an STD, and dropping out of school. Boys and girls who have sex at an early age are more likely than their peers who haven�t to use illegal drugs and alcohol and engage in other delinquent behavior. While early sex may not cause these outcomes, it does appear to be an early and important warning sign of risk.

16. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Implications For many young people, sex doesn�t always wait. Parents, program leaders, school officials, community leaders and others need to recognize that sex and dating are important issues for middle school age youth that cannot be ignored.

17. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Implications Parents should be concerned about young teenagers dating, particularly dating someone much older. Because young teens who are dating --- particularly those dating someone at least two years older --- are more likely to be involved in sexual relationships, parents should discourage early, one-on-one dating.

18. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Implications Parents should know where their children are, what they are doing, and with whom. Young teens seem to have opportunities to have sex. Recall that one-third of 12-year-olds and about half of 14-year-olds have been at a party without any adults in the house.

19. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Implications Parents should communicate more with their young adolescents about sex, love, and relationships. Some parents are not talking to their children about these issues at all. While many parents report having had such conversations, far fewer young people say that such conversations actually occurred.

20. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Implications Teaching middle school youth about how to resist and manage sexual pressure is appropriate. Many teens get into situation where they feel pressure to have sex and, because of their young age, may not be able to handle these situations effectively.

21. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Implications Efforts to prevent teen pregnancy should include young adolescents. The data in this report clearly suggest that addressing sex and its consequences --- as well as the benefits and limitations of contraception � cannot be put off until high school.

22. Focus Community, Inc 14 & Younger: Implications We still have much to learn. While this report sheds light on the sexual behavior of young adolescents, it also makes clear there is still much we don�t know.

23. Focus Community, Inc For more information: Visit www.teenpregnancy.org