Older boyfriends and girlfriends increase risk of sexual initiation in young adolescents

Purpose: To explore the prevalence and impact of older boyfriends or girlfr iends on sexual behavior in sixth graders (mean age 11.5 years). Methods: Students in 19 ethnically diverse middle schools in an urban area were surveyed (n = 2829, response rate 68%). Instrument measured demographi cs, age of oldest boyfriend or girlfriend, unwanted sexual advances, peer n orms, and sexual behavior. Students with older, same-age, or no boyfriend o r girlfriend were compared on demographic and psychosocial variables using analysis of variance. Separate multivariate logistic regressions for both b oys and girls were used to predict sexual behavior from demographics, psych osocial variables, and age categories of boyfriend or girlfriend. Results: One-half of the respondents (56%) had never had a serious boyfrien d or girlfriend, 35% reported that their oldest boyfriend or girlfriend was <2 years older than they, and 8.5% reported a partner <greater than or equ al to>2 years older. Those reporting an older boyfriend or girlfriend were more likely to be Hispanic, were less acculturated, reported more unwanted sexual advances and more friends who were sexually active, and, among girls , were more likely to have experienced menarche. Overall, 4% of students re ported ever having had sex. Students with an older boyfriend or girlfriend were over 30 times more likely than those with no boyfriend or girlfriend e ver to have had sex (odds ratio = 33.8 for boys and 44.2 for girls). In the multivariate logistic regressions, peer norms about sexual behavior, havin g experienced unwanted sexual advances, and having a boyfriend or girlfrien d were strongly associated with having had sex. Conclusions: Having an older boyfriend or girlfriend, although rare, is ass ociated with early sexual onset and unwanted sexual activity in this popula tion of sixth graders. (C) Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2000.