HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2006.097923v1 98/1/162    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Brady, S. S. Articles by Halpern-Felsher, B. L. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brady, S. S. Articles by Halpern-Felsher, B. L. Related Collections Adolescent Health Gender Health Promotion Prevention Sexual Health

Sonya S. Brady, PhD and Bonnie L. Halpern-Felsher, PhD

At the time of the study, Sonya S. Brady was with the Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco. Bonnie L. Halpern-Felsher is with the Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Sonya S. Brady, PhD, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 1300 S Second St, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454 (e-mail: ssbrady{at}umn.edu).

Objectives. We examined the social and emotional consequences among adolescents of refraining from sexual activity (oral or vaginal sex) and whether these consequences differed over time and by gender and sexual experience.

Methods. Adolescents (N=612; 58% female) recruited from 2 schools were assessed at 4 time points separated by 6-month intervals, beginning in fall of ninth grade.

Results. The percentage of adolescents who reported only positive consequences (e.g., they felt responsible, friends were proud) dramatically decreased over time, whereas the percentage that reported negative consequences (e.g., they felt left out, partners became angry) steadily increased. Adolescent girls and sexually experienced adolescents were more likely to report both positive and negative consequences than were adolescent boys and sexually inexperienced adolescents. Adolescents who began the study with sexual experience were more likely to report positive consequences of refraining from sexual activity by the end of the study than those who initiated sexual activity later.

Conclusions. Sexual education programs should address how adolescents can cope with or prevent negative consequences of refraining from sexual activity, so that decisions to abstain are rewarding and decisions to engage in sexual activity are motivated by maturity and readiness.