Binge Drinking in Young Adulthood: The Influence of Age at First Intercourse and Rate of Sex Partner Accumulation

Association Between Early Sexual Debut and New HIV Infections Among Adolescents and Young Adults in 11 African Countries

We investigated the association between early sexual debut and HIV infection among adolescents and young adults. Analyzing data from nationally representative Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) surveys in 11 African countries, the research employed a multivariate logistic regression model to assess the relationship between the early sexual debut and new HIV infections in the age group of 10-24 years. The results revealed a significant and robust association, indicating that young individuals who experienced early sexual debut were approximately 2.65 times more likely to contract HIV than those who did not, even after accounting for other variables. These findings align with prior research suggesting that early initiation of sexual activity may increase vulnerability to HIV infection due to factors such as biological susceptibility and risky behaviors like low condom use and multiple sexual partners. The implications of these findings for HIV prevention strategies are substantial, suggesting that interventions aimed at delaying sexual debut could be an effective component in reducing HIV risk for this population. Targeted sex education programs that address the risks of early sexual debut may play a pivotal role in these prevention efforts. By employing a comprehensive approach, there is a possibility to advance efforts towards ending AIDS by 2030.

An Exploratory Study of Online Early Sexual Initiation through Pressured and Unwanted Sexting

Sexting in young adolescents may be an online form of early sexual debut. We assess the link between potentially problematic sexting (i.e., pressured and receiving unwanted sexts) with known risky behaviors (i.e., substance use and early sexual behavior) among middle school students aged 12 and under. The ethnically diverse sample consisted of 1131 youth (53% female) enrolled in the 7th grade in one of 24 schools in southeast Texas. Participants self-identified as 31% Hispanic, 9% White, 24% Black, 19% Asian, 11% other, and 6% unknown. Participants self-reported pressured sexting, receiving unwanted sexts, history of sexual activity, and substance use. Two-point-one percent of adolescents reported sending a sext under pressure and 13.7% reported having received an unwanted sexting image. Participants with a history of sexual intercourse, relative to their non-sexually experienced counterparts, reported higher rates of being pressured into sexting and receiving unwanted sexts. Further, a portion of youth who experienced pressured or unwanted sexting also reported the use of various substances, relative to their non-sexting counterparts. Our study underscores the need for comprehensive sex education to begin at an early age and include age-appropriate information on sexting, digital citizenship, relationships, and substance use.

Alcohol, age at first sexual intercourse and number of sexual partners in young Mexican women

AIM

To identify the relationship between use of alcohol, number of sexual partners and age of sexual initiation.

METHOD

Descriptive-correlational study. A random sample of 319 young women (age 18-25) from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico was recruited. A sociodemographic data sheet and the AUDIT questionnaire were used. Non-parametric Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and Kruskal-Wallis H test were selected.

RESULTS

On average the participants were 20.70 years old (±2.1), had 1.86 sexual partners (±1.27), started drinking alcohol at the age of 16.82 (±1.79), and their first sexual intercourse was at the age of 17.38 (±1.65). There was a decrease in the age of onset of alcohol use (H=16.646, p<.001) and the age at first sexual intercourse (H=26.749, p<.001) on the lower their current age. The overall AUDIT score negatively correlated with the age of the participants on their first sexual intercourse (r_s=-.168, p<.001) and positively correlated with the number of sexual partners (r_s=.243, p<.001). The aforementioned correlations were more intense among the younger participants (18- and 19-year olds; p<.01).

CONCLUSIONS

There was an association between higher use of alcohol, early age of sexual initiation and number of sexual partners. Nursing professionals may address such variables simultaneously through preventive strategies directed specifically at young women.

Brains, brawn, and beauty: The complementary roles of intelligence and physical aggression in attracting sexual partners

The current study compared physical aggression to factors affecting socioeconomic status in the accumulation of sex partners over the life course. Our data sample was drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (men, n = 5,636; women, n = 6,787). Participants were examined in terms of the number of lifetime sex partners they reported, nonrelationship partners, cheating or infidelity, and concurrent relationships. Intelligence and physical violence emerged as being especially likely to boost sex partner accumulation for the number of lifetime sex partners and nonrelationship partners in men. Intelligence also interacted positively with men's violence in cross-sectional models but not longitudinally. Women's violence was not significant regardless of the outcome or model specification. Intelligence showed less consistent effects for women's mating indicators compared to men. Analyses controlled for well-known correlates of aggression and sexual behavior and factors associated with beauty, including interviewer reports of survey participants' physical attractiveness and maturity, as well as self-reported attractiveness, maturity, and health. Findings are consistent with evolutionary ideas regarding costly signaling as an effective mating strategy among men.

Early sexual initiation and risky sexual practices among alcohol- and tobacco-using young adults in Taiwan: mediation analysis of preceding-sex use of illicit drugs

BACKGROUND

As early sexual initiation is increasingly common in East Asia, we examined its relations to risky sexual practices in alcohol- and tobacco-using individuals in Taiwan and evaluated whether the associations were mediated through preceding-sex use of illicit drugs.

METHODS

Participants, recruited from alcohol- and tobacco-using adults aged 18 to 50 in Taipei through respondent-driven sampling (N = 1115), completed a computer-assisted self-interview covering questions on substance use and sexual experiences. In a subsample of 916 participants who had had sexual experience (median age 27), we examined the relations of early sexual initiation (< 16 years) to multiple sexual partners, casual sex, group sex, and rare condom use. Causal mediation analyses were conducted to examine whether illicit drug use preceding sex mediated these associations.

RESULTS

Around 9.3% reported early sexual initiation and the prevalence of risky sexual practices ranged from 7% (group sex) to 47% (rare condom use). Early initiators had a higher prevalence of regular binge drinking, illicit drug use, and risky sexual practices. In the multivariable analyses, higher odds of multiple sexual partners, casual sex, and group sex were consistently associated with early sexual initiation, gender, and their interaction. Mediation through preceding-sex use of illicit drugs was found between early sexual initiation and the three risky sexual practices, with the proportions mediated ranging from 17 to 19%.

CONCLUSIONS

Early sexual initiators were more likely to engage in risky sexual practices and preceding-sex use of illicit drugs partially explained this relationship, calling for more attention to this population's sexual health.

Alcohol, age at first sexual intercourse and number of sexual partners in young Mexican women

AIM

To identify the relationship between use of alcohol, number of sexual partners and age of sexual initiation.

METHOD

Descriptive-correlational study. A random sample of 319 young women (age 18-25) from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico was recruited. A sociodemographic data sheet and the AUDIT questionnaire were used. Non-parametric Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and Kruskal-Wallis H test were selected.

RESULTS

On average the participants were 20.70 years old (±2.1), had had 1.86 sexual partners (±1.27), started drinking alcohol at the age of 16.82 (±1.79), and their first sexual intercourse was at the age of 17.38 (±1.65). There was a decrease in the age of onset of alcohol use (H=16.646, p <.001) and the age at first sexual intercourse (H=26.749, P<.001) on the lower their current age. The overall AUDIT score negatively correlated with the age of the participants on their first sexual intercourse (rs=-.168, P<.001) and positively correlated with the number of sexual partners (rs=.243, P<.001). The aforementioned correlations were more intense among the younger participants (18- and 19-year olds; P<.01).

CONCLUSIONS

There was an association between higher use of alcohol, early age of sexual initiation and number of sexual partners. Nursing professionals may address such variables simultaneously through preventive strategies directed specifically at young women.

Sexual Behavior Patterns and Condom Use in Newly Sexually Active Female University Students

Our objective was to describe sexual behavior patterns and condom use in newly sexually active female university students. We conducted a 4-year retrospective cohort study (2000-2007) of university women enrolled close to sexual debut (N = 250). Participants reported daily information on intercourse, condom use, and partner/partnership characteristics into Web-based biweekly sexual behavior diaries. We calculated intercourse frequency, proportion of condom-protected events, and incidence of new partner acquisition. We used logistic regression to examine factors associated with condom use at sexual debut; Kaplan-Meier methods to describe cumulative incidence of condom non-use after use at debut; and Cox proportional hazards ratios to examine factors associated with condom non-use. A total of 188 women had at least one male sex partner prior to enrollment or during follow-up. One-third (34.1%) of 27,736 intercourse events were condom-protected. Older age (20+ vs. < 20 years) and use of hormonal birth control were associated with lower likelihood of condom use at sexual debut (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.41, 95% CI 0.17-0.97 and aOR 0.32, 95% CI 0.10-1.03, respectively). Women who reported partners with previous sex partners were less likely to discontinue using condoms after debut (hazard ratio = 0.35, 0.16-0.77) than those reporting partners without previous partners. In college-aged women, older age and hormonal contraceptive use were each inversely associated with condom use at first intercourse. Women with sexually experienced partners were more likely to continue using condoms. Continued efforts are necessary to promote condom use among college-aged women.

Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking Among Young Adults Aged 20-30 Years in Lisbon, Portugal

BACKGROUND

Over the past decade, the changes to the pattern of alcohol consumption in Portugal, in particular among young people with heavy episodic drinking (binge drinking), are well documented. However, there are limited studies in individuals aged between 20 and 30 years, which is an important period of transition into adulthood where binge drinking can negatively influence the resolution of developmental tasks. Therefore, this study aims at analyzing the pattern of alcohol consumption and binge drinking among young adults aged between 20 and 30 years living in the municipality of Lisbon.

METHODOLOGY

This is a quantitative, descriptive correlational study using a convenience sample composed of 259 individuals. We used the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test for data collection.

RESULTS

Among the sampled subjects, 19.3% of them reported being nondrinkers. Among the alcohol-drinking subjects (N = 209), 61.3% reported binge drinking behaviors. We found a higher percentage of binge drinkers among vocational training students than among university students, as well as a relatively higher percentage of women. In both cases, we found no statistically significant differences. Within the total sample, 10.8% reported hazardous or harmful consumption, with men showing greater hazardous consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

Although approximately one fifth of the sampled subjects reported being nondrinkers, the percentage of binge drinkers in this study was significantly higher than that reported in other studies. We also found that binge drinking is more common among vocational training students, although this difference was not statistically significant. Further studies are needed on this age group and in nonacademic settings.

An Online Drug Abuse Prevention Program for Adolescent Girls: Posttest and 1-Year Outcomes

Early adolescent girls' rates of drug use have matched, and in some instances, surpassed boys' rates. Though girls and boys share risk factors for drug use, girls also have gender-specific risks. Tailored interventions to prevent girls' drug use are warranted. This study developed and tested a web-based, drug abuse prevention program for adolescent girls. The nationwide sample of 13- and 14-year-old girls (N = 788) was recruited via Facebook ads. Enrolled girls were randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition. All girls completed pretest measures online. Following pretest, intervention girls interacted with the 9-session, gender-specific prevention program online. The program aimed to reduce girls' drug use and associated risk factors by improving their cognitive and behavioral skills around such areas as coping with stress, managing mood, maintaining a healthy body image, and refusing drug use offers. Girls in both conditions again completed measures at posttest and 1-year follow-up. At posttest, and compared to girls in the control condition, girls who received the intervention smoked fewer cigarettes and reported higher self-esteem, goal setting, media literacy, and self-efficacy. At 1-year follow-up, and compared to girls in the control condition, girls who received the intervention reported engaging in less binge drinking and cigarette smoking; girls assigned to the intervention condition also had higher alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana refusal skills, coping skills, and media literacy and lower rates of peer drug use. This study's findings support the use of tailored, online drug abuse prevention programming for early adolescent girls.