Impulsivity as a Predictor of Early Dating Initiation in 11-12-Year-Old Youth.

As early initiation of dating behaviors is associated with risky sexual behaviors (e.g., higher number of sexual partners, sex with strangers), the current study examined determinants of early dating behaviors, focusing on impulsivity. Participants were 11-12-year-old boys (n = 109) and girls (n = 61) recruited from a psychiatric clinic and ads targeted to the general public. Ordered logistic regression models were used to examine the association between each facet of impulsivity (negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking) and dating behaviors. Youth with higher sensation seeking and negative urgency was more likely to initiate dating behaviors at early ages compared to those with lower scores on those measures. Further, we found that female gender and higher parental education were associated with lower risk of initiating dating behaviors at early age. Advanced pubertal development was associated with higher risk for early dating. Our findings can inform prevention efforts, identifying sensation seeking and negative urgency as predictors of youths' early engagement in dating behaviors, which can be a precursor of early sexual debut and risky sexual behaviors.

Sex differences in how ethnic-racial identity informs first coital affect and virginity beliefs among Black college students.

Objective: The present study examined whether ethnic-racial identity (ERI) exploration, resolution, and affirmation informed individuals' beliefs about virginity (ie, virginity as a gift, stigma, process) and first coital affective reactions (FCAR; ie, positive and negative), and whether these relations varied by biological sex. Participants and method: The sample consisted of 184 Black college students (Mage = 19.79, SD = 2.08) enrolled in a large Southern university. Participants completed a virginity beliefs measure, first coital affective reaction measure, and an ethnic-racial identity measure. Results: Findings indicated that for Black females, greater ERI exploration was associated with decreased virginity as a gift beliefs; and ERI resolution was associated with increased virginity as a gift beliefs. Additionally, for Black males and females, ERI affirmation resulted in more positive FCAR, less negative FCAR, and less views of virginity as a stigma. Conclusion: Finding implications are presented in the context of future research.

Virginity Testing.

ABSTRACT: Virginity testing is a human rights violation involving an examination of the female genitalia, often by a healthcare professional, intended to correlate the appearance of the hymen in women or girls with previous sexual intercourse. Virginity testing examinations are conducted under a variety of circumstances and settings: before marriage to establish virginity, to disprove or prove an allegation of sexual violence, to legally assess the allegation of a woman or girl not being a virgin in the absence of bleeding on her wedding night, and to intimidate political activists and detainees. Despite the United Nations Human Rights Office, United Nations Women, and World Health Organization calling for a ban on this practice, it remains common practice in various regions around the world. It is the position of the International Association of Forensic Nurses that virginity testing cannot accurately determine if consensual sexual activity or sexual abuse has occurred and can result in significant physical, psychological, and social consequences.

Oxytocin neurons enable social transmission of maternal behaviour.

Maternal care, including by non-biological parents, is important for offspring survival1-8. Oxytocin1,2,9-15, which is released by the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), is a critical maternal hormone. In mice, oxytocin enables neuroplasticity in the auditory cortex for maternal recognition of pup distress15. However, it is unclear how initial parental experience promotes hypothalamic signalling and cortical plasticity for reliable maternal care. Here we continuously monitored the behaviour of female virgin mice co-housed with an experienced mother and litter. This documentary approach was synchronized with neural recordings from the virgin PVN, including oxytocin neurons. These cells were activated as virgins were enlisted in maternal care by experienced mothers, who shepherded virgins into the nest and demonstrated pup retrieval. Virgins visually observed maternal retrieval, which activated PVN oxytocin neurons and promoted alloparenting. Thus rodents can acquire maternal behaviour by social transmission, providing a mechanism for adapting the brains of adult caregivers to infant needs via endogenous oxytocin.

The concept of virginity from the perspective of Iranian adolescents: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Premarital sex can increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in adolescents, and lack of premarital sex can be considered as a reliable policy for STD prevention, which is used by some countries such as Iran. Since the success of this policy is related to the concept of virginity, the present study was conducted to determine the concept of virginity from the perspective of Iranian adolescents. METHODS: In this qualitative study with phenomenological approach, the research team visited public places, including parks and coffee shops, and interviewed a number of 15-19-year-old adolescents. The data were collected using in-depth interviews with semi-structured questions and analysed using thematic analysis method. RESULTS: Several themes, including virginity as the lack of emotional relationship with the opposite sex, lack of physical contact, nonpenetrative relationship, virginity as a myth, virginity as a commitment, having an intact hymen, and not knowing the meaning of virginity, were extracted from the data. CONCLUSION: The most reliable policy on STD prevention is the lack of premarital sex. The success of this policy is related to the concept of virginity. The findings of this study showed that the participants did not consider physical contact as the breach of virginity. This may indicate that the policy of not having sex before marriage or lack of premarital sex is not enough and Iranian adolescents are at risk of STDs. Therefore, policymakers must take steps towards modifying the concept of virginity in the adolescents' value system and provide and implement educational programs on sexual health for adolescents.

Abstinence from Masturbation and Hypersexuality.

Despite the lack of evidence for negative health effects of masturbation, abstinence from masturbation is frequently recommended as a strategy to improve one's sexual self-regulation. We adopted a framework of perceived problems with pornography to collect first hints about whether abstinence from masturbation stems from a psychological and behavioral "addiction" or conflicting attitudes. In an online questionnaire survey recruited via a non-thematic Reddit thread (n = 1063), most participants reported that they had tried to be abstinent from masturbation. As visible from zero-order correlations and multiple linear regression, motivation for abstinence was mostly associated with attitudinal correlates, specifically the perception of masturbation as unhealthy. While there were associations with hypersexuality, no significant correlation with behavioral markers such as maximum number of orgasms was found. Higher abstinence motivation was related to a higher perceived impact of masturbation, conservatism, and religiosity and to lower trust in science. We argue that research on abstinence from masturbation can enrich the understanding of whether and how average frequencies of healthy behavior are pathologized.

Predictors of primary and secondary sexual abstinence among never-married youth in urban poor Accra, Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Sexual abstinence is a key component of the strategy to address unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and HIV among youth in sub-Sahara Africa. But contextual pressures make abstaining from sex a formidable task for urban poor youth in the sub-region. Nevertheless, some youth in these settings still manage to resist the pressure to initiate sex early, while others choose abstinence after an initial sexual debut. Few studies in the sub-region have examined sexual abstinence among urban poor youth. We therefore examined the factors that predict primary and secondary sexual abstinence among youth in urban poor Accra. The findings highlight the protective factors associated with sexual intercourse and should help to address the needs of youth at risk of unprotected sex. METHODS: The study analysed pooled data from two rounds of the Urban Health and Poverty Survey. The surveys analysed were conducted in 2011 and 2013. The analysis was restricted to unmarried youth between age 20 and 24 years. The total sample comprised 235 female and male youth. We conducted multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine the predictors of primary and secondary abstinence relative to current sexual intercourse. RESULTS: The results showed that being female, sexual communication with only fathers, sexual communication with only friends and slum residence were negatively associated with primary sexual abstinence. Contrarily, being in school, attaching importance to religion, residing in a household that received social support and sexual communication with both parents were positively associated with primary abstinence. Regarding secondary abstinence, only the sexual communication variables had significant effects. Sexual communication with both parents positively predicted secondary abstinence while communication with fathers-only and friends-only had a negative effect. CONCLUSION: Sexual abstinence is predicted by factors which range from individual through household factors to the locality of residence. Despite the importance of all the predictors, the study found that sexual communication with both parents was the only factor that predicted a higher likelihood of both primary and secondary sexual abstinence. We therefore recommend sexual communication between parents and youth as a key strategy for promoting sexual abstinence among urban poor youth in Accra, Ghana.

Prevalence and types of sexual inactivity in Britain: analyses of national cross-sectional probability survey data.

OBJECTIVES: To examine how prevalence and context of sexual inactivity varies across the life-course, assess dissatisfaction with sex life among those who are sexually inactive and identify associations with factors that may represent reasons for sexual inactivity. DESIGN: Analysis of cross-sectional probability sample survey data. SETTING: British general population. PARTICIPANTS: 14 623 participants (n men: 6045 unweighted, 7245 weighted), aged 16-74 years, of the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), undertaken in 2010-2012. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sexual inactivity, defined as not reporting oral, vaginal or anal intercourse in the past year and further categorised into those who were sexually inexperienced (had never had sex), single or in a relationship. RESULTS: Overall, 15.9% (weighted n 1155/7245) of men and 22.2% (1646/7410) of women were sexually inactive (p<0.001). The proportion of sexually inactive individuals who were sexually inexperienced was larger among men than women (26.3% (304/1155) vs 16.3% (268/1646)), while the proportion who were singles was larger among women (49.8% (820/1646) vs 40.4% (467/1155)). Sexual inexperience was the most common type of sexual inactivity in early adulthood, with this declining with age. A minority of those who had sexual experience but were sexually inactive-34.8% (293/842) of men and 23.6% (319/1349) of women-reported being dissatisfied with their sex lives. Associations with sexual inactivity was observed for a range of sociodemographics and sexual behaviours/attitudes, for example, religion, ethnicity, Body mass index, height, employment status and index of multiple deprivation; these associations varied by type of sexual inactivity and gender. CONCLUSIONS: While sex is important for well-being, a non-negligible proportion of the population at all ages are sexually inactive, yet many are not dissatisfied with their situation, with implications for sex and relationship counselling.

Exploring the Protective Effects of Judaism on Risky Behaviors in College Students: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Common risky behaviors among college-aged young adults include risky sexual behaviors and substance use. PURPOSE: This study examines the protective effects of Judaism on students' engagement in risky behaviors, building on a body of research on the protective effects of religious beliefs on risky health behaviors. METHODS: Validated and reliable measures were used to assess religiosity and risky behaviors through anonymous surveys. Data was collected in Fall 2018 from a small cohort (N = 15) of Jewish day school students. RESULTS: Females had overall higher rates of risky behaviors such as drinking or using drugs before sex (27% compared to 13% for males), not using condoms (62% to 0% for males), and higher rates of binge drinking (62% to 20% for males). CONCLUSION: Higher religiosity was more associated with delayed sexual activity than substance use behaviors. Judaism and religiosity were more strongly associated with the male participants than the female. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Since the participants still had low rates of condom use and other high risk behaviors despite speaking with their healthcare providers, the health care community must better educate adolescents and young adults on the health and social consequences of such risky activities, both in formal education programs during middle and high school, and in office visits.

Assessing the impact of an educational intervention program on sexual abstinence based on the health belief model amongst adolescent girls in Northern Ghana, a cluster randomised control trial.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent pregnancy is a worldwide problem because of its health, social, economic and political repercussions on the globe. Even though the rates of adolescent pregnancy have declined over the decade, there is still unacceptably high rates especially in lower and middle-income countries including Ghana. Although the problem has been widely investigated, there is little information on the effectiveness of different methods to improve adolescent sexual abstinence based on theoretical models. This study is aimed to assess an educational intervention program on sexual abstinence based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) among adolescent girls in Northern Ghana. METHODS: A cluster randomized control trial was conducted in Ghana from April to August 2018. Participants within the ages of 13-19 years were enrolled voluntarily from six randomly selected Senior High Schools (3 for intervention and 3 for control). A total of 363 adolescent were enrolled. A self-structured questionnaire was administered to both groups of participants at baseline and endpoint of the study. Control participants received their normal classes whiles the intervention group additionally received comprehensive sexuality education for 1 month. Qualified midwives conducted the health education program. At least two sessions were conducted for each participating class weekly. The lessons focused on perceived susceptibility, perceived severity of adolescent pregnancy, perceived benefits, perceived barriers to adolescent pregnancy prevention, personal and family values, perceived self-efficacy and knowledge of contraceptives. Educational strategies such as discussions, demonstrations, role-play and problem solving techniques were used to deliver the lessons. Sexual abstinence was the outcome variable of the study and it was measured after 3 months of the intervention. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the impact of the intervention on sexual abstinence practice. RESULTS: At baseline, there was no difference between control and intervention groups. The mean score of Knowledge and attitude for control were (58.17 and 139.42) and intervention (60.49 and 141.36) respectively. Abstinence practice was 69.4% for control and 71.6% in the intervention group. However, after the intervention, the mean score of knowledge and attitude for control were (87.58 and 194.12) respectively. Sexual abstinence in the control was 84.4% and intervention was 97.3% respectively. The educational interventions resulted in a significant difference in sexual abstinence between intervention and control groups (OR = 13.89, 95% Confidence Interval (2.46-78.18, P < 0.003). CONCLUSION: Educational intervention, which was guided by HBM, significantly improved sexual abstinence and the knowledge of adolescents on pregnancy prevention among the intervention group. Provision of comprehensive sex education guided by behavioural theories to adolescents at Senior High Schools in Ghana is recommended. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was retrospectively registered in Protocol Registration and Results System (PRS) with trial number NCT03384251 .

The Role of Culture in Maintaining Post-Partum Sexual Abstinence of Swazi Women.

Eswatini is one of the countries in the African continent where post-partum sexual abstinence is practiced. Beside scarcity of research exploring sexual abstinence in Eswatini, there are only a few studies that explore post-partum abstinence across HIV-positive and negative women in sub-Saharan Africa. The study explored the practice of post-partum sexual abstinence in Swazi women and examined how cultural beliefs influence and promotes the perpetuation of the practice. The study population consisted of post-partum women who were selected, using purposive sampling. Thematic approach was used for data analysis. Despite feeling that the period for post-partum, sexual abstinence was long; the participants adhered to the practice as prescribed by their culture. Nevertheless, they felt that the practice is imposed on women only because while they are observing post-partum abstinence, their partners get to sleep with other sexual partners. They raised concerns that the practice increases the risk of acquiring HIV and sexually transmitted infections. There is an element of coercion to the practice of post-partum abstinence, the myths and misconceptions around the early resumption of sexual intercourse forces the practice on women. At the family and community level, the discussions to change the way sexual abstinence is viewed and practiced are crucial.

Religiosity and sexual abstinence among Nigerian youths: does parent religion matter?

BACKGROUND: Religion plays an important role in youth behaviours, making it a significant factor in the discourse on youth sexuality in sub-Saharan Africa. Several studies have found that religion and religiosity play an important role in the sexual behaviours of young people. However, little research in Nigeria has examined the mechanisms through which religiosity influences youth sexual behaviour and if parents' religion moderates this relationship. Guided by the social control theory, this paper contributes to the existing literature by examining the relationship between religiosity and youth sexual behaviour. METHODS: Data for the study came from 2399 male and female youth aged 16-24 years in four states purposively selected from four regions in Nigeria. Abstinence was the sexual behaviour of interest. Logistic regression was used to examine this relationship. RESULTS: Results showed that 68% of the youth had never had sex. Religiosity was a protective factor for youth sexual behaviour and this positive association was still evident even after controlling for other covariates. Youth who were highly religious (OR - 1.81, CI- 1.13-2.88) had significantly higher odds of abstaining compared to their counterparts who were not religious. CONCLUSION: Religiosity is a protective factor for sexual abstinence among youth in Nigeria. Policy makers can work around using religious institutions for behavioural change among youth in Nigeria.

Correlates of sexual inactivity and met need for contraceptives among young women in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Young women in sub-Saharan Africa continue to experience unintended pregnancies despite effective contraceptive methods being more readily available than ever. This study sought to determine the correlates of met need for contraceptives and sexual inactivity among young women in Ghana who want to postpone childbearing. We examine this among all women and then separately by marital status. METHODS: Using data from 1532 females aged 15-24 years from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, we conducted descriptive and multinomial logistic regression analyses to assess sociodemographic, economic and obstetric determinants of the type of family planning method (current abstinence, modern contraceptive method) used by married and unmarried young women. RESULTS: A higher proportion (~ 44%) of the respondents was currently abstinent compared to those with met need (~ 25%). Abstinence was higher among single young women while unmet and met need were higher among the married. Having at least senior high school education was significantly associated with the likelihood of current abstinence (especially among single women) and with met need. Being in the middle and rich categories, on the other hand, was associated with lower likelihood of current abstinence and a met need. Compared with multiparous women, those with one or no surviving child had a lower likelihood of being abstinent and having a met need. Other correlates of both current abstinence and met need are region of residence and ethnicity, while previous pregnancy termination and age were associated with abstinence and contraceptive use, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Unmet need is high among young women but abstinence is an option they are using. As reproductive health programmes target the at-risk groups, the secondary and higher educational levels must be attained by most women as this is associated with use of abstinence and met need.

Risk and Protective Factors Associated With Lifetime Sexual Experience Among Rural, Reservation-Based American Indian Youth.

Early sexual initiation is a catalyst for sexually transmitted infection and unintended pregnancy. American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth initiate sex prior to age 13 more often than other U.S. youth, contributing to current inequalities in sexual health. Identifying what factors were associated with lifetime sexual experience among AI/AN youth can inform the development of primary prevention programming to delay sexual initiation, alleviate the costs of early sexual activity, and improve sexual health outcomes in this population. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 267 AI youth ages 13-19, recruited from a rural, reservation-based community. We used multivariate logistic regression models to estimate associations between independent variables and lifetime sexual experience (vaginal and/or anal sex) across the following categories: sociodemographic, knowledge, attitudes/perceptions, beliefs, intentions, skills, behaviors, and theoretical constructs. The sample was 56.2% female, mean age 15.1 years (SD = 1.7), and 22.5% were sexually experienced. In our final model, condom use self-efficacy (attitude/perception factor) and intentions to remain abstinent until marriage (intention factor) were associated with lower odds of lifetime sexual experience. Age (sociodemographic factor), intention to have sex (intention factor), use of any contraception (behavior factor), and higher response efficacy (theoretical construct) were associated with lifetime sexual experience. Of these, intention to have sex was the strongest indicator. These results both corroborate and contrast with other research conducted among rural, reservation-based AI/AN youth. Our findings show programs targeting intentions may have the greatest impact among reservation-based AI youth, and justify program delivery stratified by age group in this setting.

Technology-Based Interventions to Reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections and Unintended Pregnancy Among Youth.

PURPOSE: Technology-based interventions to promote sexual health have proliferated in recent years, yet their efficacy among youth has not been meta-analyzed. This study synthesizes the literature on technology-based sexual health interventions among youth. METHODS: Studies were included if they (1) sampled youth ages 13-24; (2) utilized technology-based platforms; (3) measured condom use or abstinence as outcomes; (4) evaluated program effects with experimental or quasi-experimental designs; and (5) were published in English. RESULTS: Sixteen studies with 11,525 youth were synthesized. There was a significant weighted mean effect of technology-based interventions on condom use (d = .23, 95% confidence interval [CI] [.12, .34], p < .001) and abstinence (d = .21, 95% CI [.02, .40], p = .027). Effects did not differ by age, gender, country, intervention dose, interactivity, or program tailoring. However, effects were stronger when assessed with short-term (1-5 months) than with longer term (greater than 6 months) follow-ups. Compared with control programs, technology-based interventions were also more effective in increasing sexual health knowledge (d = .40, p < .001) and safer sex norms (d = .15, p = .022) and attitudes (d = .12, p= .016). CONCLUSIONS: After 15 years of research on youth-focused technology-based interventions, this meta-analysis demonstrates their promise to improve safer sex behavior and cognitions. Future work should adapt interventions to extend their protective effects over time.

An Abstinence and Safer Sex Intervention for Adolescents Attending the Public Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinic in Singapore.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a behavioral intervention in increasing secondary abstinence and safer sex among heterosexually active adolescents aged 16-19 years. METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted at the only national sexually transmitted infection clinic in Singapore. The intervention focused on information giving, motivation, and skills building to abstain or practice safer sex. The outcome measures were self-reported secondary abstinence, consistent condom use, and keeping to one partner in the past 6 months over a 12-month period. We recruited 688 adolescents, with 337 participants receiving intervention and 351 receiving standard care (control). RESULTS: At the 12-month follow-up, 187 (56%) intervention participants and 189 (54%) control participants were retained. Over the 12-month period, the intervention had a significant effect on secondary abstinence in adolescent boys (42% vs. 27%, adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 1.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29-2.34) but not in adolescent girls (21% vs. 24%, aRR 1.10, 95% CI .68-1.66). Consistent condom use was higher among intervention adolescent girls than control adolescent girls (40% vs. 20%, aRR 2.01, 95% CI 1.32-2.82), but this effect was not evident in adolescent boys (51% vs. 43%, aRR 1.27, 95% CI .78-1.88). Intervention effect on keeping to one partner was evident in both adolescent boys (76% vs. 45%, aRR 1.35, 95% CI 1.06-1.50) and adolescent girls (79% vs. 65%, aRR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02-1.23). CONCLUSIONS: An intervention targeting adolescents in a clinical care setting did achieve an increase in secondary abstinence in adolescent boys, consistent condom use in adolescent girls, and keeping to one partner in both genders at 1-year assessment.

Postpartum Sexual Abstinence and its Implications for Under-Five Health Outcome among Childbearing Women in South-east Nigeria.

Abstinence from sexual intercourse after childbirth is a common practice deeply rooted in the cultures of different communities, including Nigeria with varying duration. Despite the high level of postpartum abstinence in the South-east compared to other neighbouring regions of Nigeria, under-five mortality is relatively higher in the South-east. This paper examined postpartum sexual abstinence as a predictive factor for under-five health outcome in Abia State with data from a sample of 609 childbearing women within 15-49 years. The mean duration of postpartum abstinence was 3.1±1.5 months; shorter in rural than urban areas with 2.7±1.4 and 3.5±1.3 months, respectively. The months of abstinence from sexual activity after childbirth is significantly related to experiences of under-five mortality and childhood diseases (p<0.05). The qualitative data showed that period of abstinence from sexual activity after childbirth is rooted in culture and was alluded to have great influence on under-five health outcomes. It is concluded that most women resumed sexual activity early after childbirth mostly to secure their marriages which affect their under-five children's health. Proper guidelines on resumption of sexual activity after childbirth to avoid its negative effects on under-five health outcome should be instituted to facilitate the achievement of sustainable development.