Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 46, Issue 1 , Pages 25-31, January 2010

Longitudinal Predictors of Change in Number of Sexual Partners across Adolescence and Early Adulthood

  • Marni L. Kan, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Marni L. Kan, RTI International, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194.
    • ,
  • Yen-hsin Alice Cheng, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
    • ,
  • Nancy S. Landale, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania
    • ,
  • Susan M. McHale, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania

Received 5 September 2008; accepted 7 May 2009. published online 13 July 2009.

Abstract 

Purpose

Although sexual risk behavior has negative consequences in adolescence and early adulthood, little is known about pathways of sexual risk across development and their correlates. Study goals were to examine trajectories of number of sexual partners across adolescence and into early adulthood, and to investigate hypothesized individual and family-level predictors.

Methods

A subset of 8,707 white, black, and Mexican American participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health reported on their motivations to have sex, family warmth, and perceptions of maternal attitudes about sex at Wave 1 and on their sexual relationships at each year of age across the three waves of the study.

Results

Multilevel growth curves of number of sexual partners between ages 11 and 27 showed increases in sexual risk across adolescence and deceleration in early adulthood, but differed somewhat as a function of demographic characteristics. As expected, adolescent motivations to have sex and perceptions of permissive maternal attitudes about sex predicted more sexual partners in adolescence, whereas family warmth predicted fewer sexual partners across gender and racial/ethnic groups. Predictors did not differentiate youth as strongly in early adulthood. Interactions between predictors supported a cumulative risk framework, such that perceived permissive maternal attitudes or low family warmth combined with high adolescent motivations to have sex predicted the highest number of sexual partners in adolescence.

Conclusions

This study advances our understanding of change in sexual behavior across development and the individual and contextual correlates of such change. Findings document the cumulative implications of individual cognitions, family experiences, and social contexts for adolescent and young adult sexual experiences.

Keywords: Sexual behavior, Sexual partners, Adolescence, Early adulthood, Family, Attitudes, Race/ethnicity

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 30.00 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S1054-139X(09)00181-5

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.05.002

Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 46, Issue 1 , Pages 25-31, January 2010

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution