The age of a person’s first sexual
experience can determine romantic outcomes later in life, researchers from the
University of Texas at Austin have reported in a new study published in
Psychological Science.
According to the study, parents
should be concerned with the age that their children are beginning to take part
in sexual activity, because the time when they start to explore sexuality is a
key time of development of mental and physical health. The report states that
long-term sexual outcomes may be affected as well.
What part does early sexual
experience play in later outcomes?
Paige Harden, a psychological
scientist, decided to look into whether when adolescents begin to engage in
sexual activity can forecast future romantic outcomes, including number of
sexual partners, living with spouses, and marriage, as well as whether the
person will be happy in their partnership during adulthood.
Data was collected from the
National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health to examine1659 pairs of same
sex siblings who were studied from around the ages of 16 to 29 (adolescence to
young adulthood). The individuals were put into 3 categories based on the timing
they first participated in sexual intercourse; Early (younger than 15), On-Time
(ages 15 to 19), and Late (older than 19).
Harden discovered that later
involvement in sexual activity was linked to higher attainment of goals
educationally, as well as more income during adult years, than those in the
Early and On-Time groups. Also, later involvement in sexuality resulted in lower
chances of marriage and these individuals did not have as many romantic partners
during adulthood as the Early and On-Time groups.
The link still stood even after
genetic and environmental factors were taken into account. It was not possible
to explain the association by variations in adult academic levels, annual
income, religious status, or by BMI (body mass index), attractiveness or teenage
differences in dating involvement.
These findings indicate that the
timing of when a person first has sexual intercourse clearly influences the
stability and quality of future romantic relationships.
When the first sexual experience
occurs in a person’s life, according to this study, is a predictor of whether
people will have stable and romantic relationships as young adults.
Research has focused on the
consequences of starting sexual activity early in life. However, the Early and
On-Time participants in this particular study appeared to have similar outcomes
later on. Early initiation does not seem to be a “risk” factor in the same way
that late initiation was shown to be a “protective” factor in shaping protective
outcomes.
Harden said that there are many
factors that may explain this correlation. One, in particular, is that
individuals who start having sex later on also have certain character traits,
such as secure attachment style, which may have an effect on the onset of sexual
activity and on relationships. Also, these people may be more “choosy” when it
comes to their sexual partners, which would mean that it might take them longer
to begin taking part in sexual activity unless they are extremely satisfied with
the person they will be having sex with.
The report states that those who
have their first sexual encounter later in life also have different experiences
than those who begin having sex earlier. For instance, they may steer clear of
aggression or victimization that comes in some adolescents’ relationships, which
can be harmful to romantic relationships later on.
Harden said:
“Individuals who first navigate
intimate relationships in young adulthood, after they have accrued cognitive and
emotional maturity, may learn more effective relationship skills than
individuals who first learn scripts for intimate relationships while they are
still teenagers.”
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