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Teens and Older Sexual Partners: New Research Points to Long-Term Negative Consequences |
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From Ascribe Newsfeed: Teens who have a sexual relationship with an older partner may face adverse consequences not only in the short-term but also into young adulthood, according to new research from Child Trends. Female teens who have sex with an older partner are more likely to acquire a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and to have a nonmarital birth in young adulthood than females with a similar-age partner. - Ten percent of female teens have had sex at a young age (before age 16) and with an older sexual partner, while less than 2 percent of male teens have. The combination of having sex at a young age and with an older partner is linked to an especially high risk of an STD for girls. "This study adds to a growing body of evidence that the combination of having sex at a young age and having an older sexual partner is particularly risky, especially for STDs among females," said Suzanne Ryan, Ph.D., the lead author of the study. "When young teen girls have an older sexual partner, there may be unequal power dynamics that lead to less consistent condom use and a greater risk of an STD." In addition to age at sex and partner age, the study examined other adolescent relationship characteristics that pose a risk for young adult reproductive health outcomes. Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center that studies children from pregnancy to the transition to adulthood. We provide direct, immediate access to mainstream national media for 600 colleges, universities, medical centers, public-policy groups and other leading nonprofit organizations. AScribe transmits news releases directly to newsroom computer systems and desktops of major media organizations via a supremely trusted channel - The Associated Press.
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