Gendered trends in early and very early sex and condom use in 20 European countries from 2002 to 2010.

BACKGROUND: Sexual activity is often initiated during the adolescent period, and previous research suggests that the age of first sexual intercourse and condom use are crucial determinants of later sexual health. This study examined trends in adolescent sexual behaviours from 2002 to 2010 in 20 countries across four geographical regions of Europe. METHODS: Data were collected by self-report questionnaires from 15-year-olds in classrooms during 2002, 2006 and 2010. Linear time trends were determined through logistic regression models, stratified for gender. RESULTS: No linear trend over time was documented for most countries for sexual intercourse at the age of 13 or younger. Increased initiation among girls in Eastern Europe and decreased very early initiation among girls in Northern Europe emerged, along with a general increase in condom use in boys and most notably in girls. CONCLUSION: Overall prevalence of early and very early sexual intercourse initiation was quite stable in Europe between 2002 and 2010, while condom use increased. More detailed research and policy attention to the antecedents of non-condom use among young people is warranted; and further study of the relationships between age of sexual initiation and condom or pill use would be particularly valuable.

Socialization instances linked to cannabis experimentation among French teenagers.

France presents one of the highest prevalence of teenagers aged 15-year-olds who report they already have experienced cannabis in Europe. Data from the French 2010 Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HSBC) survey and environmental parameters typifying schools' neighborhoods were used to study cannabis experimentation. We conducted a two-level logistic regression (clusters being schools) on 4,175 French 8th-10th graders from 156 schools. Several individual parameters were linked to cannabis experimentation. Living in a non-intact family, feeling insufficiently monitored, having poor communication with mother and being from a family with a high socio-economic status (SES) were all associated with increased risk of cannabis experimentation. At environmental level, only being in a priority education area was linked to this behavior, without explaining differences among schools.

Associations between life contexts and early sexual initiation among young women in France.

CONTEXT: Early sexual initiation (before age 16) has been linked to an increased risk of teenage pregnancy and STDs. Most research on correlates of early sexual initiation is from the United States; no similar work has been conducted in France, where the sociocultural environment differs. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the 2010 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey were used to examine the relationships of personal, family, peer, school and neighborhood characteristics with early sexual initiation among 1,094 French females in grades 8-10. Two-level logistic regressions were used to identify associations. RESULTS: Twenty-five percent of respondents had had sex before age 16. Early sexual initiation was primarily -associated with individual-level characteristics. Young women had an elevated likelihood of having initiated sex early if they went out after school at least four times a week (odds ratio, 2.0), had repeated a grade (1.8), lived with a single parent or in a stepfamily (1.8 and 1.5, respectively), perceived a low level of parental monitoring (1.6) or had two or more male friends (2.8). At the environmental level, respondents who attended school in areas with a high proportion of residents who were foreigners had a reduced likelihood of having initiated sex early (0.5-0.6). CONCLUSIONS: Although early sexual initiation in France was essentially linked to individual-level variables, further research is needed to understand its relationship with neighborhood characteristics. Such studies should include additional environmental variables, test new hypotheses and employ a longitudinal approach.