Early sexual debut and risky sex in young adults: the role of low self-control

摘要

BACKGROUND:The purpose of this study was to examine the role of low self-control as a mediator or moderator between early age at sexual debut and risky sexual behavior in young adulthood.METHODS:Data on 5734 male and female Add Health participants were used. Self-control (waves 1 & 3), age at sexual debut (wave 3) and risky sexual behavior (wave 4) were used in a structural equation modeling framework to assess the relationships of interest.RESULTS:Approximately 17% of respondents were??15?years at first sexual intercourse. Among females only, both early age at first intercourse (Parent-report: z?=?5.08, p??.001; Self-report: z?=?2.05, p??.05) and low self-control at wave 3 (Parent-report: z?=?2.30, p??.05; Self-report: z?=?2.31, p??.05) mediated the relationship between low self-control at wave 1 and risky sexual behaviors in young adulthood. Similarly in the male-only model, both early age at first intercourse (Parent-report: z?=?2.92, p??.01; Self-report: z?=?3.04, p??.01) and low self-control at wave 3 (Parent-report: z?=?1.99, p??.05; Self-report: z?=?3.15, p??.01) mediated the relationship between low self-control and risky sexual behaviors in young adulthood. There was evidence of moderation in the male-only model (-?0.26, p??.01), such that lower impulsivity strengthened the relationship between early sex and risky sex.CONCLUSIONS:This study confirms the role of executive functions in sexual behaviors and suggests that interventions aimed at improving self-control may be beneficial in reducing risky sexual behavior.