Young Teens and Older Sexual Partners: Links to STDs in Young Adulthood

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Young Teens and Older Sexual Partners Links to
STDs in Young Adulthood

• Jennifer Manlove
• Kerry Franzetta
• Suzanne Ryan

Funded by the Office of The Assistant Secretary
for Planning and Evaluation and 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 proportion of school-age adolescents
  experience sex at a young age with an older
  partner?
• Is having sex at a young age with an older
  partner associated with a greater risk of STDs in
  young adulthood?
• Does the association differ for males and females?

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Data and Sample

• Retrospective relationship histories from 1st two
  waves of Add Health data collection and STD
  outcomes from third wave
• Wave I in-home survey (1995)
• Wave II in-home survey (1996)
• Wave III in-home survey (2001)
• Analyses restricted to respondents
• Who were sexually experienced by Wave III
• Who had STD test results in Wave III
• n 5,297 females
• n 4,505 males

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Dependent Variable

• Positive test result for at least one of the
  following
• Gonorrhea
• Chlamydia
• Trichomoniasis
• Females 8.2
• Males 6.3

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Key Independent 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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Key Independent Variable

• Age/age difference for females
• lt 16, partner 5 years older
• lt 16, partner 3-4 years older
• lt 16, partner lt 3 years older
• 16, partner 5 years older
• 16, partner 3-4 years older
• 16, partner lt 3 years older
• No adolescent sexual relationships
• Age/age difference for males
• lt 16, partner 3 years older
• lt 16, partner lt 3 years older
• 16, partner 3 years older
• 16, partner lt 3 years older
• No adolescent sexual relationships

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Age/Age Difference, Females
lt16, Partner 5 Years Older
lt16, Partner 3-4 Years Older
4
6
lt16, Partner lt3 Years Older
13
16, Partner 5 Years Older
No Sex by Wave II
4
55
16, Partner 3-4 Years Older
4
14
16, Partner lt3 Years Older
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Age/Age Difference, Males
lt16, Partner 3 Years Older
2
lt16, Partner lt3 Years Older
16, Partner 3 Years Older
14
2
No Sex by Wave II
61
16, Partner lt3 Years Older
21
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Control Variables

• Individual Characteristics
• Race/ethnicity
• Foreign born
• Age
• Parent education
• 2 biological/adoptive parents
• Received government aid
• Picture Vocabulary Test score
• Received pregnancy and AIDS education in school
• Substance use index
• Number of sexual partners reported through WII

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Analytic Methods

• Logistic regression
• Comparing those who tested positive for an STD
  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
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Bivariate Results - Males
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Multivariate Results Females
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Multivariate Results - Males
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Multivariate Results - Females
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Multivariate Results - Females
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Multivariate Results - Males
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Summary of Findings

• Prevalence
• 10 of females (23 of sexually experienced
  females) had sex at a young age with an older
  partner
• 2 of males (5 of sexually experienced males)
  had sex at a young age with an older partner

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Summary of Findings - Females

• Among females, the combination of a young age at
  sex and having an older sexual partner was
  associated with especially high odds of an STD
• Findings were significant for two age differences
  (3-4 and 5 years older)

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Summary of Findings - Males

• Among males, sex before age 16 but with a partner
  who was less than three years older was
  associated with increased odds of an STD
• Young males with older partners did not have
  significantly higher odds of an STD

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Implications

• 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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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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Next Steps Examine Relationship Characteristics
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Next Steps Examine Relationship Characteristics
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Next Steps Examine Forced Sexual Experiences