Adolescent females: Their sexual partners and the fathers of their children

This study examines age differences among adolescent females, the fathers o f their children, and their first sexual partners, as well as the girl's re lationship to her first partner It use; data from Vital Statistics, the Nat ional Maternal and infant Health Survey, and the 1995 National Survey of Fa mily Growth. We investigate the potential impact of statutory rape laws an teen fertility and the initiation of sexual activity We find that age diffe rences between teen mothers and the fathers of their children follow histor ic norms. We further show that one may draw misleading conclusions about th e extent to which teen girls engage in sexual activity with older men if co nclusions are based simply on data on births. Finally: our demonstration of the potential effects of statutory rape laws on teen births and the age pa ttern of first intercourse suggests that even successful enforcement of the se laws is unlikely to lead to substantial reductions in teen childbearing.