Study found that females who had sex for the first time before the age of 15 were less likely to live with both parents and less likely to have high school grades.

• According to an article written in The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, a survey was conducted on high school students in northern Nova Scotia to test the association of socio-economic status and other factors (including family structure, school performance, and church attendance) with having intercourse before the age of 15 among female adolescents. Of the 1,132 female students (ages 15-20) who were surveyed, about one half had ever had sexual intercourse and 11.8% had done so before the age of 15. The survey found that those who had intercourse before the age of 15 were less likely to live with both parents, less likely to have more highly educated parents, less likely to have fathers employed full time, and less likely to have high school grades. They were also less likely to attend church regularly. Additionally, the survey found that not living with both parents was associated with intercourse before age 15, and higher paternal education and more frequent church attendance were associated with delaying first sexual intercourse until after the age of 15. The results of this survey highlight the importance of awareness of the factors associated with early sexual intercourse. This information can help educators and service providers to better identify and respond to the needs of young women.¹

¹Factors Associated with Sexual Intercourse Before Age 15 Among Female Adolescents in Nova Scotia, The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, Vol. 11 (2), Summer 2002, pp. 91-99.

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