Reviews past five years of professional literature on adolescent sexuality to determine factors that influence adolescent sexuality. Discusses importance of family and religion on sexual attitudes and behaviors, how sexual activity is related to other age-related behaviors and delinquency, relationship between early coital behaviors and risk of…

Investigated relationship between early sexual maturation and psychosexual behaviors of dating and sexual intercourse among national sample of adolescent girls. Found early-maturing girls more likely to have experienced earlier dating and coital onset than late-maturing peers. Blacks experienced menarche and first intercourse at earlier ages, yet…

Examined sexual activity of Nigerian high school youth. Students (N=240) responded to a questionnaire. Results indicated that boys and girls differed significantly in their sexual behavior. Found considerable differences in sexual behavior due to age. (RC)

Differentiates between several terms used to refer to the five-year period between ages 9 through 13 (for example, "youth,""pubescence,""puberty," and "preadolescence"). Theories related to preadolescence, including the developmental theories of Piaget, Kohlberg, and Erikson, are briefly discussed, and…

Examined condom use among 1,312 male adolescents. Found that subjects had become sexually active, on average, at 13.9 years. Sixty percent reported using condom at first intercourse; its use decreased to one-third when utilization at each intercourse was examined. Condom use was greatest in 14-year olds and decreased in older adolescents, being…

Research determined females with unwanted sexual experiences were likely to be victims of violence, to have run away, to be substance abusers, and have family members with drug/alcohol problems. Four factors explained 39% of variance in age of first pregnancy: family member with drinking problem, age first hit by family member, age first got…

Surveyed 396 sexually experienced college students. Results indicated that, compared to early coital initiators, late coital initiators were more effective contraceptors during initial coitus, had more committed relationships with initial sex partners, engaged in more contraceptive use discussion and planning, and used more authoritative and…

Analyzed adolescents' (N=500) evaluations of factors which would influence their sexual decisions. Results idetified six factors (family establishment competence, external morality, consequences of childbearing, self-enhancement through sexual intercourse, intimacy considerations regarding sexual intercourse, consequence of marriage) which were…

A review of 20 United States studies of adolescent sexual behavior was undertaken to integrate data accumulated over the past three decades. Several methodological incongruities made comparisons difficult, so suggestions are made for future research. Available data suggest a gradual evolution, not a revolution, in adolescent sexual behavior.…

Summarizes that sexual activity was strongly associated with age, knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases, and attitudes toward sexuality. Positive affective responsiveness in the family was associated with sexual activity and number of sexual partners. Use of contraceptives was negatively related to affective involvement between parents.…

Surveyed high school students (N=268) comparing those who had and had not taken sex education classes. Results indicated that gender identity exerts a significant impact on sexual attitudes and knowledge. Age and grade achievement influence sexual behavior. (RC)

Conducted a survey of 288 adolescents to see how their sources of sexual information, sexual interests, and actual knowledge were related to their sex, age, urban or rural residence, and ethnicity. Findings suggest that demographic characteristics of students should be considered by persons interested in adolescent sexual knowledge. (Author)