Sexual Behavior Trajectories from Adolescence to Adulthood: Implications for Young Adult Health

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Sexual Behavior Trajectories from Adolescence to
AdulthoodImplications for Young Adult Health

• Carolyn Tucker Halpern, PhD
• Department of Maternal Child Health
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Current Research Goals

• Identify onset and trajectories of sexual and
  romantic partnering from early adolescence into
  adulthood
• Examine pathway differences by gender,
  race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and physical
  disability
• Determine how the interactions of biological
  characteristics, psychological factors, and life
  experiences sustain or change sexual and romantic
  trajectories across the life course
• Determine concurrent and later health correlates
  of sexual and romantic trajectories

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National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
(Add Health)
In-School Administration
In-Home Administration
School Admin 144
Adolescents in grades 7-12 20,745
Parent 17,670
Students 90,118
Wave I 1994-1995
School Admin 128
Adolescents in grades 8-12 14,738
Wave II 1996
Young Adults Aged 18-26 15,197
Wave III 2001-2002
Partners 1,507
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Percentages of Males Females in Young Adult
Sexual Status Groups(Add Health, Wave III, 18-25
years)
Sex after marriage (Postponers) Never had sex (Virgins) Sex before marriage (Premaritals)
Females 2.7 (n 163) 8.2 (n 482) 89.2 (n 5411)
Males 1.5 (n 77) 7.8 (N 435) 90.7 (n 4839)
Halpern, C.T., Waller, M., Spriggs, A.,
Hallfors, D.D. (2006). Adolescent predictors of
emerging adult sexual patterns. Journal of
Adolescent Health, 39, 926.e1-926.e10.
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The association between age at sexual debut and
testing positive for a sexually transmitted
infection at Wave III varies by chronological age
(N 9,844).
Kaestle, C.E., Halpern, C.T., Miller, W., Ford,
C. (2005). Young age at first sexual
intercourse and sexually transmitted infections
in adolescents and young adults. American
Journal of Epidemiology, 161, 774-780.
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Prevalence of Patterns of Intimate Partner
Violence Over Time (Respondents reporting at
least one opposite-sex relationship in
adolescence and young adulthood)
Halpern, C.T., Spriggs, A.L., Martin, S.L.,
Kupper, L. Continuity and Predictors of Intimate
Partner Violence Victimization from Adolescence
to Young Adulthood in a Nationally Representative
Sample. Under review
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Halpern, C.T., Spriggs, A.L., Martin, S.L.,
Kupper, L. Continuity and Predictors of Intimate
Partner Violence Victimization from Adolescence
to Young Adulthood in a Nationally Representative
Sample. Under review
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Long-Term Goals

• Contribute to increased research emphasis on
  healthy sexual development
• Understand the implications of adolescent
  experiences for long term health, thereby
  enhance advocacy for adolescent health efforts
• Inform policy, education, and prevention efforts
  that could improve adolescent health, and
  ultimately, adult health.