This document summarizes a study that explored whether early sexual intercourse could impact women's reproductive health in middle adulthood. The study followed 522 females from age 14 to 43, asking about the timing of their first sexual experience and later reproductive health. It found that women who had early intercourse were more likely to have lower education, leave home earlier, have more abortions and miscarriages, and report more menstrual symptoms than those who had later first intercourse. The results suggest early sexual activity can predict certain reproductive health issues later in life.

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Psychology 103
Girls experiencing sexual intercourse early: Could it play a part in
reproductive health in middle adulthood? Article summary
Joan AnasthasiaOlympio
Community College of Baltimore County
Instructor: AzarEtesamypour-King

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Introduction:
The article, “Girls experiencing sexual intercourse early: Could it play a part in
reproductive health in middle adulthood?” is a study that explore a potential relationship between
experiencing early intercourse and reproductive health characteristics in middle adulthood for
women. The study was composed of 522 females up to the age of 14 who were interviewed in
regard of the timing of their first sexual intercourse experience. In all the informationgathered
fromthe initial 522 interviewees that, only 369 were interviewed again 29 years later at age of 43.
Series of psychological and medical questions were the focused subject. The attempt of the
study was to examine if having an earlysex life could have long-term implications for women’s
reproductive health characteristics. The article also introducedmiscellaneousfactors, including
demographic backgrounds, socioeconomic status, education levels of the female and her parents,
household income, , and any correlations with problematic behavioral problems. The article also
discusses methodology, data and results, a discussion section, and future outlook on the topic.
At the time of the article’s publication in December, 2006, theresearch was fundamentalon
the topic. But after the publication of the studysmall additional studies and research have been
published. The analysis presented in the coalesce research, I support the conventional
comprehensivepoint of view that there is a relation between girls who experience sexual
intercourse early and their reproductive health in middle adulthood.

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Rationale:
Early sexual activities have been studied in young adults, but no attempts to associate it
to reproductive health in middle adulthood have been made. Unfortunately other research
focusing on different issues behaviors such as delinquency, violation, alcohol and drug use were
more of a concern. Only one study focused on the consequences of the co-occurrence and
separateness of early sexual intercourse and problem behaviors over time. The result showed
that early onset of sexual intercourse, and early onset of intercourse and problem behavior in
adolescence, produced long-term consequences relating to alcohol use and criminal activity in
young adulthood. The majority of prior research on long-term consequences of early intercourse
focused on early pregnancy. And while numerous studies have focused on the link between
early pregnancy and early sexual activity, less is known about the link between early sexual
activity and long-term reproductive health issues. At the same time some studies performed
indicate that early beginning of intercourse could be a risk factor for poor reproductive health in
adolescence. Studies have shown that girls who are involved in early sexual intercourse are
more exposed to sex-related reproductive ill-health, unintended pregnancies, STDs, and cervical
atypias than girls who wait for sexual intercourse.(1). Although those studies tried to figure out
an understanding of physical and psychological during adolescence, very little empirical and
theoretical research are done on the everlastingaftermathsof an early sex active female.
Method:
The participants in the study were part of an Individual Development and Adaption (IDA)
project. IDA is a longitudinal program for three complete school-grade Swedish children aged
10, 13, and 15 from a population of 100,000. The 10 years old girl group have been followed

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into adulthood and by the age of 14, 522 girls were studied. At the age of 43, 379 women
participated in an intensive psychological-medical investigation for additional testing
measurement tools including an “Adjustment Screening Test,” gaining demographic variables,
and gathering information by asking them the question, “Have you ever been pregnant?” The
“Adjustment Screening Test” was used to identify criteria for an early starter and any problem
behavior. Personal interviews were performed to retrieved background information data
regarding socioeconomic status based on household income and education information based on
13 years old girls. Other information gathered included their parents’ education, age of leaving
home, number of children, education, family income, and individual income. The question on
pregnancy was asked in regard of personal health to determine fertility, menstrual symptoms,
contraception, and health check-ups.
Results:
The first part of the study examined if there were any significant differences between early
and late starters based on various demographic characteristics including reproductive health and
health related behavior. It was found that generally early starters left home earlier than
normal/late starters. Typically early starters left home approximately one year prior to normal-
late starters and had a lower level of education. Additionally, early starters’ parents also had a
lower education level in comparison with parents of later starters. There was no difference in
household income. Nearly every woman by the age of 43 had been pregnant at some time and
nearly all were married or cohabiting. However, there were several differences between the two
groups of girls based on reproductive health markers. Fifty-one (73.9%) early starters terminated
their pregnancies by a miscarriage or abortion, in comparison with 104 (47.7%) later starters.

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Regarding fertility, 24 (32%) of the early starters had tried to get pregnant for more than a year
in comparison with 51 (21%) of later starters. Early starters consistently reported more
menstrual symptoms than later starters and fewer had used contraception than later starters. No
differences were found in routine health check-ups.
Since household income during childhood did not differ between the groups, this was not
studied further. However, parents’ education at age 13 did differ and was examined further as an
early predictor to sexual intercourse. Girls who have a parent with a lower education were
represented more frequently than those who have a higher educated parent. It was also found
that being an early intercourse starter was a strong predictor of having menstrual symptoms at
age 43. Being an early starter, independent of problem behaviors, did have a predictive
association with being a teenage mother, pregnancies less than six months, abortion as a
teenager, and no use of contraception. It was however, not linked with medical fertility
treatment. Problem behaviors and early intercourse, together, was not linked to some
reproductive health characteristics. It was also determined that low parental education
consistently did not predict reproductive health. Early intercourse, however, was a strong
predictor of early aged abortions than any of the other predictors.
Discussion:
Given there was minimal prior research done on this topic at the time, quite a bit of
experimental evidence was added to the existing knowledge. The results help suggest that those
who experience early intercourse early are likely different than their counterparts on various
characteristics. Early starters and their parents tend to be less formally educated and leave home
earlier than earlier counterpart who experience sexual intercourse later. The results also show

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that early intercourse plays a role in later reproductive health for women. Women with a history
of early sexual intercourse reported less contraception use as well as more menstrual symptoms
at age 43 than their counterparts without such a history. Strong correlations were also found for
early intercourse being a strong predictor of reproductive health markers, both as a teenager and
as an adult.
The authors critiqued their work fairly in a variety of ways including offering explanations
and citing related research in an attempt to propose possibilities and likelihoods. For example,
no explanations are made for why early starters use less contraception in midlife. The authors
then site another source explaining how perhaps fertility management requires a certain amount
of ability to act rationally and plan for the future, as well a certain level of cognitive and
emotional maturity. The authors also address some methodological limitations including using a
varied group sizes in the final analysis and also how studying linear relations between variables
will deny them gaining knowledge on possible interactions and patterns of reproductive health.
Critical Thinking:
The findings of the study correspond in many ways with what I have learned in Human
Growth and Development class, particularly in the early adolescence stage. This is the age when
young females begin puberty and develop sex characteristics. And with the arrival of puberty,
hormonal changes will lead to an increased sex drive. This is when libido levels are increased
and that 75% of females are sexually active prior to the age of 16 (in the U.S.) and that 50% of
abortions occur in females under the age of 18. As stated in the study, I also learned in class that
a substantial percentage of young females under the age of 18 are sexually active quite early, by
the age of 15. Taking the Human Growth and Development class also identified how

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characteristics of sexually active adolescents are similar to what the study proposed. For
example, I also learned that early and frequent teenage sexual activity is linked to personal,
family, peer, and educational characteristics. These include early pubertal timing, parental
divorce, single-parent and stepfamily homes, large family size, little or no religious involvement,
weak parental monitoring, disrupted parent-child communication, sexually active friends and
older siblings, poor school performance, lower educational aspirations, and tendency to engage
in norm-violating acts, including alcohol and drug use and delinquency [2]. And as the study
produced, we also learned how there is a correlation between early pregnancy and negative
effects on educational attainment, martial patterns, and economic circumstances.
This evidence could impact individual’s lives positively if there were more education and
prevention strategies in place. Too often sex education classes and counseling sessions are
provided too late (after sexual activity has begun) and are limited in time and generally stick just
to the basic facts, such as reproduction and anatomy. While sex education does not encourage
sex, it does improve awareness. And if this evidence was presented in sex education classes at
an early life stage, it may prevent the negative impacts of early starters. However, given the life
stage of the subjects, it may be difficult and challenging to get them interested as they generally
do not consider themselves to be at risk. To have an impact, the sex education and counseling
sessions must be relevant and related to their lifestyles to gain their interest so they can
understand the impact it may have on their long-term reproductive health. The study’s findings
could easily be an addendum to any contraceptive and birth control education.
This study focused on 14 year old Swedish females and while the Sweden population
takes a more liberal approach toward adolescent sexuality and associated behaviors (as long as it

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is monogamous), exposure to sex, education about it, and effort to limit the sexual curiosity of
children and adolescents vary widely around the world. The study did not evaluate factors such
as religion or race. However, as prior research has documented, earlier ages of initiation of
sexual activity among African American compared with European American girls [3]. Based on
the evidence presented in this study, and other supporting research on sexual activity, I support
that there is a clear correlation between girls who experience sexual intercourse early and their
reproductive health in middle adulthood.

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References
1. Magnusson, C., Trost, K. (2006). Girls experiencing sexual intercourse early: Could it play
a part in reproductive health in middle adulthood? Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and
Gynecology.Vol. 27, Iss.4, p. 237-44 (8pp.)