BMJ No 7124 Volume 316
Papers Saturday 3 January 1998
First sexual intercourse: age, coercion, and later regrets reported by a birth cohort
Nigel Dickson, Charlotte Paul, Peter Herbison, Phil SilvaAbstract
Objectives: To investigate how age at first sexual intercourse is related to the reported circumstances and to determine how these corresponded to views in early adulthood about its timing.Design: Cross sectional study within a birth cohort using a questionnaire presented by computer.
Setting: Dunedin, New Zealand in 1993-4.
Subjects: 477 men and 458 women enrolled in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, comprising 92% of survivors of the cohort.
Results: The median age at first intercourse was 17 years for men and 16 years for women. Only one man (0.2%) but 30 (7%) women reported being forced to have intercourse on the first occasion. For women, there were increasing rates of coercion with younger age at first intercourse. More men than women reported that they and their partner were equally willing (77% (316/413) v 53% (222/419)). Mutual willingness of both partners was greater for those who reported that it was also the first time for their partner. Timing of first intercourse was considered about right by 49% (200/411) of men and 38% (148/388) of women. Many women (54% (211/388) reported that they should have waited longer, and this rose to 70% (90/129) for women reporting intercourse before age 16.
Conclusions: Most women regretted having sexual intercourse before age 16. First intercourse at younger ages is associated with risks that are shared unequally between men and women. This information is important to young people themselves.
Introduction
In many developed countries, including New Zealand, there has been a substantial lowering of the age at first sexual intercourse over the past 30 years.(1) Early intercourse carries increased risks of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, which may result in long term health and social disadvantages.(2,3)
Individual (physical and social) and societal factors influence adolescent sexual behaviour.(4) Children are exposed to sexual images through the media. Social and peer pressure may arise from the portrayal of sex as glamorous, pleasurable, and adult, while negative consequences and the responsibilities involved in sexual relationships are seldom portrayed.(5) Although more liberal attitudes of society have influenced the behaviour of the current generation of young people, few studies have considered the views of young people themselves about early intercourse(4)(6-8) even though they have to bear the consequences.
The aim of our study was to investigate the circumstances of first sexual intercourse and to determine how these corresponded to views in early adulthood about its timing. Of interest was the extent of the differences in views between young men and women who reported similar sexual behaviour.
Methods
Our subjects were enrolled in the Dunedin multidisciplinary health and development study, a longitudinal study of a cohort born in Dunedin in 1972-3, which has been described elsewhere.(9) At age 18 years, subjects were asked about their sexual behaviour in the previous 12 months, and, at age 21, were questioned more extensively about their sexual behaviour and attitudes. The subjects generally returned to Dunedin for this assessment, even if they were living overseas.
Many of the questions were based on the 1990 British national survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles.(6,7)(10) The subjects were presented with questions by computer and were informed that double coding would make their responses anonymous. Those subjects who reported having had heterosexual intercourse were asked about their first experience. Subjects were also asked about occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases, as has been described elsewhere.(11)
To examine repeatability of reporting of age at first intercourse, we compared the responses made at the two assessments of the subjects who reported at the second assessment (at age 21) that they had had intercourse after the age at which they attended the first assessment (at age 18).
We compared answers with chi2 tests by means of the statistical package Epi-Info.(12)
Results
| Of the 1,037 members of the cohort formed at age 3 years, 935 (92%) of the 1,020 survivors completed the questions on sexual behaviour at age 21. Of the 477 men, 419 (88%) reported having had heterosexual intercourse (two did not answer this question). Of the 458 women, 421 (92%) reported having had heterosexual intercourse. The median age of first intercourse was 17 years for men and 16 years for women. Of the men, 28% (129/469) reported having had intercourse at age 15 or less, as did 32% (145/457) of the women (figure). Eight men and one woman did not give an age. |  | |
| Cumulative rates of reported age of first heterosexual intercourse among 477 men and 458 women. |
Among the subjects for whom such a comparison was possible, 94% (112/119) of men and 98% (183/187) of women were consistent in their reporting of age at first intercourse at the assessments for 18 year olds and 21 year olds.
Table 1 shows that, whereas 77% of men reported that they and their
partners were "equally willing," only 53% of women reported this.
Only one man (0.2%) but 7% of women reported that their first episode
of intercourse was "forced." For women, but not for men, there was
a tendency for those having earlier intercourse to be more likely to
report being forced. For both sexes, with increasing age at first
intercourse, more subjects reported that they and their partner were
equally
To determine whether gender differences in reported willingness were
due to different ages of partners, we did an analysis restricted to
those who reported the age of their first partner to be within one year
of their own (table 2). In this subgroup there were few differences
from the main cohort (table 1), and the differences between men and
women were similar among those with earlier and later first
intercourse. Hence age differentials did not seem to be driving the
gender differences in reported willingness.
In contrast, an analysis restricted to men and women who reported that
it was also their partners' first intercourse found no gender
differences in reports of both being equally willing (table 3). There
were much smaller differences between the proportion of men reporting
themselves as more willing and the proportion of women reporting their
partners as more willing, and vice versa, and these differences were
not significant.
When asked to reflect on their first intercourse (excluding those who
reported being forced, who were not asked), 16% of men but 54% of
women reported that they "should have waited longer before having sex
with anyone," while 11% of men but only 1% of women reported that
they "should not have waited so long" (table 4). There was also a
marked gender difference in those who responded "don't know or no
opinion." For women only, those who first had sex at younger ages
were more likely to say that they should have waited longer. For both
sexes, subjects who were older at first intercourse were more likely to
report that it was about the right time. But the proportion of men who
thought that they waited too long was not related to
age.
Being "curious about what it would be like" was the commonest
reason given by both sexes for first intercourse (table 5). Fewer men
than women reported the main reason as being "carried away by
their feelings" or being "in love," and more men than women
reported that they "wanted to lose their virginity." Ten per
cent of both sexes reported the main reason as being "a bit drunk at
the time," and more reported alcohol as being one factor. Men who
first had intercourse under the age of 16 were significantly more
likely to report the main reason to be curiosity, and less likely to
report being in love, than later initiators. Women who first had
intercourse under age 16 were more likely to report the main reason to
be that "most people of their age were doing it" and were also
less likely to report being in love than later
initiators.
More men had "just met their partner for the first time," and
fewer were in a "steady relationship." Similarly, more men reported
having had sex only once with their first partner, and for fewer men
the relationship continued for more than one year. For half the men but
30% of women, first intercourse happened "on the spur of the
moment." Men were more likely to be the same age or older than their
first partner, and women more likely to be younger. First intercourse
before age 16 for men was more commonly associated with a transient
relationship than later intercourse, and less commonly associated with
alcohol consumption. For women, these factors did not seem to be age
related.
There were differences in the circumstances of first intercourse
between those who reported that it was also their partner's first time
and the remainder. The former group were more likely to be in a
"steady relationship" (54% v 24% for men, 84%
v 41% for women), more likely to have planned the event
with their partner (21% v 5% for men, 28%
v 10% for women), less likely to have been influenced
by alcohol (17% v 28% for men, 9% v
23% for women), and less likely to have no subsequent relationship
(23% v 47% for men, and 11% v 29% for
women).
Sexually transmitted diseases were reported by 13% of men who first
had intercourse under 16 years old and by 6% of later initiators. The
corresponding proportions for women were 28% and 12%. In our study the median age at first intercourse was lower for
women than for men; being "forced" at first intercourse was more
common for women, especially girls who had intercourse before age 14;
and reported mutual willingness at first intercourse and views on
whether the timing was right differed substantially between men and
women.
These findings are similar to what is known about recent sexual
behaviour in Britain. Median age at first intercourse for the New
Zealand women (16 years) was lower than for British women (17 years),
while the age for men was the same (17 years).(6,7)
Convergence between men and women in age at first intercourse has been
reported for younger cohorts in Britain.(6,7) In New
Zealand we have observed a crossover in the past 20 years, with more
women than men now having first intercourse before age
18.(1) This has also been observed in Norway(13)
and Sweden(14) but not in the United States.(15)
Being forced at first intercourse was reported less commonly by women
of all ages in the British national survey (2%)(6,7)
compared with our study (7%) or the American national survey
(4%).(4) This may reflect cultural differences, but that
fewer American women in younger cohorts wanted first intercourse to
happen when it did suggests an increase in coercion in younger cohorts
or at younger ages at first intercourse. Differences between men's and
women's accounts of mutual willingness and timing were also more
extreme in New Zealand than in Britain.(6,7) Our results
suggest that such differences may become greater in younger cohorts in
Britain in the future.
Reliability of study Views of appropriateness of timing and willingness may be influenced by
biased reporting. Respondents' conforming to social expectations
should have been minimised by the use of a computer presentation and
anonymity. Gender based stereotyping in reported willingness is
possible but is unlikely to be the main explanation because we found
few gender differences in willingness for those who reported it was
also the first time for their partner. Moreover, views constructed
several years after first intercourse should not be construed simply as
rationalisation of past events but, as Giddens suggests, as part of the
narrative reconstruction of the past within which we make sense of our
lives.(19) What happens after first intercourse may be more
important than what happens at the time in influencing subsequent
regret. Considerably more young men than women were unable to give an
opinion about past events, suggesting less reflection by young men, as
others have found.(20)
Gender differences Feelings about the timing of first intercourse also varied greatly by
gender, especially for those reporting first intercourse before age 16.
This was not obviously related to the reasons given for first
intercourse. The explanation for the apparent divergence of views of
timing of first intercourse in this generation needs further
examination. One factor may be that young women who reported having
intercourse before age 16 were more likely to have an older partner.
One implication of these findings is that earlier first intercourse is
associated with risks that are shared unequally between young men and
women. As well as pronounced gender differences in mutual willingness
and retrospective views of appropriate timing, we found greater
absolute differences in reported occurrence of sexually transmitted
diseases in those reporting early intercourse. The risks of early and
unwanted pregnancies are also borne by women.
It is unclear whether young age at first intercourse was itself
responsible for the lack of willingness and subsequent regret reported
by many young women. Whatever the explanation, these results show that
a substantial proportion of young women regret early intercourse. These
findings need to be considered by young people themselves.
We thank Louise Garrett and Denise Powell for monitoring the
interviews, and the other staff of the Dunedin multidisciplinary health
and development study who were involved in the collection of the data
and other aspects of the study. We appreciate the helpful comments of
Tom Cunningham, Rob McGee, Libby Plumridge, David Skegg and Brigid
Wilson. We particularly thank the sample members and their families for
their long term involvement in the study.
Contributors: ND
coordinated collection of data on sexual and reproductive health within
the Dunedin multidisciplinary health and development study. He
initiated and formulated the design of this analysis, wrote the first
draft of the paper, and participated in the statistical analysis. CP
was particularly involved in the development of core ideas, literature
review, interpretation of data, and the writing of the paper. PH
coordinated the computing aspects of the data collection and the
statistical analysis. PS founded and directed the overall Dunedin
multidisciplinary health and development study, including ethical
aspects and study member relationships. He contributed to the editing
of the paper. ND and CP are guarantors of the study.
Funding: This study was part of the Dunedin multidisciplinary
health and development study and funded by the Health Research Council
of New Zealand.
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin
Multidisciplinary Health and Development Unit,
Correspondence to: Dr Dickson
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Table 1 - Reported age at first sexual intercourse and
willingness of respondent and first sexual partner (values are numbers
(percentages)) Age (years) Self more
willing Both equally
willing Partner more
willing Cannot remember or not
stated Self also willing or
persuaded Self forced Men
13 and under (n=35) 3
(9) 24 (69) 4
(11) 0 4 (11) 14-15
(n=94) 9 (10) 70 (75) 6
(6) 0 9 (10) 16-17
(n=159) 11 (7) 119
(75) 23 (15) 1 (1) 5 (3)
18-19 (n=101) 8 (8) 81
(80) 8 (8) 0 4 (4)
20-21 (n=24) 1 (4) 22
(92) 1 (4) 0 0 Total
(n=413) 32 (8) 316
(77) 42 (10) 1 (<1) 22
(5) Women 13 and under
(n=28) 0 9 (32) 12
(43) 7 (25) 0 14-15
(n=117) 0 59 (50) 42
(36) 9 (8) 7 (6) 16-17
(n=175) 2 (1) 91 (52) 62
(35) 13 (7) 7 (4) 18-19
(n=80) 3 (4) 50 (63) 25
(31) 1 (1) 1 (1) 20-21
(n=19) 0 13 (68) 6
(32) 0 0 Total (n=419) 5
(1) 222 (53) 147 (35) 30
(7) 15 (4) Table 2 - Reported willingness at first sexual
intercourse of respondent and sexual partner, who was reported to be
the same age (within 1 year), by age at first intercourse. (Values are
numbers (percentages))
Age at first intercourse
15 and under
years 16 years and under
Men (n=81) Women
(n=49) Men (n=195) Women (n=150)
Self more willing 10
(12) 0 14
(7) 3 (2) Both equally willing 62
(77) 29 (59) 149
(76) 83 (55) Partner more willing 3
(4) 17 (35) 27
(14) 60 (40) Cannot remember 6
(7) 3 (6) 5
(3) 4 (3) Table 3 - Reported willingness at first sexual
intercourse of respondent and of sexual partner for whom it was also
the first intercourse. (Values are numbers (percentages))
Men (n=123)
Women (n=86) Self more
willing 13 (11) 1
(1) Both equally willing 100 (81) 68
(79) Partner more willing 7 (6) 16
(19) Cannot remember 3 (2) 1
(1) Table 4 - Men's and women's views, at age 21, of
timing of their first sexual intercourse (excluding those who reported
being "forced" in first intercourse).
(Values are numbers
(percentages))
Age at first intercourse (years)
Should have waited
longer
About right
Should not have waited
so long
Don't know or no opinion Men
13 and under (n=35) F8
(23) 12 (34) 4 (11) 11 (31)
14-15 (n=94) 15 (16) 40
(43) 9 (10) 30 (32) 16-17
(n=157) 21 (13) 79 (50) 18
(12) 39 (25) 18-19 (n=101) 18
(18) 55 (55) 8 (8) 20 (20)
20-21 (n=24) 2 (8) 14
(58) 4 (17) 4 (17) Total
(n=411) 64 (16) 200 (49) 43
(11) 104 (25) Women 13 and under
(n=22) 16 (73) 2
(9) 0 4 (18) 14-15
(n=107) 74 (69) 28
(26) 0 5 (5) 16-17
(n=162) 91 (56) 61 (38) 1
(1) 9 (6) 18-19 (n=78) 23
(30) 47 (60) 2 (3) 6 (8)
20-21 (n=19) F7 (37) 10
(53) 0 2 (11) Total
(n=388) 211 (54)F 148
(38) 3 (1) 26 (7) Table 5 - Factors and circumstances reported to be
associated with first sexual intercourse by to gender and age at first
intercourse (excluding those who reported being "forced" in first
intercourse).
(Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated
otherwise)
Age at first sexual intercourse
(years)
Men Women
All
ages 15 and under 16 and over P
value* All
ages 15 and under 16 and over P value*
Main
factor n=409 n=129 n=280
n=387 n=129 n=258
Curious
about what it would be like 141
(35)57
(44)84
(30)0.007 105
(27)38
(30)67
(26)0.54
Carried away by my feelings 25
(6)9
(7)16
(6)0.78 51
(13)17
(13)34
(13)0.87
Most people of my age group doing it 14
(3)3
(2)11
(4)0.56 22
(6)12
(9)10
(4)0.052
Seemed like natural follow on in relationship 58
(14)12
(9)46
(16)0.077 62
(16)19
(15)43
(17)0.73
I was a bit drunk at the time 42
(10)12
(9)30
(11)0.79 40
(10)13
(10)27
(11)0.95
I wanted to lose my virginity 56
(14)17
(13)39
(14)0.96 18
(5)5
(4)13
(5)0.80 I
was in love 42
(10)7
(5)35
(13)0.044 63
(16)12
(9)51
(20)0.013
None of the above apply 23
(6)8
(6)15
(5)0.91 17
(4)6
(5)11
(4)0.93
Cannot remember 8
(2)4
(3)4
(1)0.26 9
(2)7
(5)2
(1)0.008
Any factor
(multiple responses
possible)n=412 n=129 n=283
n=390 n=130 n=260
Curious
about what it would be like 242
(59)78
(61)164
(58)0.71 225
(58)81
(62)144
(55)0.23
Carried away by my feelings 50
(12)13
(10)37
(13)0.48 68
(17)20
(15)48
(19)0.54
Most people of my age group doing it 86
(21)19
(15)67
(24)0.052 82
(21)31
(24)51
(20)0.38
Seemed like natural follow on in relationship 111
(27)19
(15)92
(33)<0.001 115
(30)27
(21)88
(34)0.012
I was a bit drunk at the time 103
(25)23
(18)80
(28)0.032 78
(20)24
(19)54
(21)0.69
I wanted to lose my virginity 124
(30)44
(34)80
(28)0.28 62
(16)18
(14)44
(17)0.52
I was in love 70
(17)12
(9)58
(21)0.008 108
(28)23
(18)85
(33)0.003
None of the above apply 23
(6)11
(9)12
(4)0.13 30
(8)14
(11)16
(6)0.16
Cannot remember 17
(4)9
(7)8
(3)0.090 8
(2)7
(5)1
(<1)0.002
Length of subsequent sexual
relationship n=404 n=124 n=280
n=380 n=124 n=256
Only
once with first partner 163
(40)63
(51)100
(36)0.006 98
(26)37
(30)61
(24)0.26
Continued for <3 months 84
(21)30
(24)54
(19)0.32 89
(23)27
(22)62
(24)0.69
Continued for 3-12 months 69
(17)16
(13)53
(19)0.18 71
(19)30
(24)41
(16)0.076
Continued, but ended after >12 months 38
(9)12
(10)26
(9)0.91 61
(16)19
(15)42
(16)0.90
Still continuing
(at 21 year assessment)50
(12)3
(2)47
(17)<0.001 61
(16)11
(9)50
(20)0.012
Nature of
relationship n=396 n=127 n=269
n=390 n=130 n=260
Prostitute 7
(2)1
(1)6
(2)0.44 0 0 0
Just
met for first time 45
(11)10
(8)35
(13)0.18 25
(6)5
(4)20
(8)0.21
Met recently 72
(18)31
(24)41
(15)0.039 49
(13)23
(18)26
(10)0.046
Knew each other, but not in a steady relationship 138
(35)56
(44)82
(31)0.011 106
(27)43
(33)63
(24)0.08
Steady relationship at the time 134
(34)29
(23)105
(39)0.009 197
(50)54
(42)143
(55)0.016 Living together
(but not engaged or
married)0 0 0
4
(1)4
(3)0 0.012
Married 0 0 0
3
(1)0 3
(1)0.55 Other
0 0 0
6
(2)1
(1)5
(2)0.67
Circumstances n=410 n=129 n=281
n=387 n=130 n=257
Happened
on spur of the moment 203
(50)64
(50)139
(50)0.94 117
(30)45
(35)72
(28)0.22
I expected it to happen, but was not sure when 100
(24)36
(28)64
(23)0.32 142
(37)46
(35)96
(37)0.79
I expected it to happen at that time 25
(6)4
(3)21
(8)0.13 38
(10)12
(9)26
(10)0.92
I planned it to happen at that time 13
(3)3
(2)10
(4)0.76 18
(5)5
(4)13
(5)0.78
We planned it together beforehand 40
(10)9
(7)31
(11)0.27 54
(14)14
(11)40
(15)0.16
Cannot remember 29
(7)13
(10)16
(6)0.16 18
(5)8
(6)10
(4)0.46
Partner's sexual
experience n=414 n=129 n=285
n=389 n=129 n=260
Partner's
first time also 123
(30)38
(30)85
(30)0.97 85
(22)23
(18)62
(24)0.22
Think it was partner's first time 31
(8)11
(9)20
(7)0.73 17
(4)7
(5)10
(4)0.65
Think it was not partner's first time 26
(6)11
(9)15
(5)0.24 21
(5)8
(6)13
(5)0.80
Not partner's first time 191
(46)46
(36)145
(51)0.006 243
(63)84
(64)159
(61)0.52
Don't know 43
(10)23
(18)20
(7)0.002 23
(6)7
(5)16
(6)0.95
Partner's age
n=410 n=128 n=282
n=388 n=129 n=259
Partner
2 years or more younger 34
(8)0 34
(12)<0.001 1
(<1)0 1
(<1)0.99
Partner same age or within 1 year 276
(67)81
(63)195
(69)0.29 189
(49)45
(35)144
(56)<0.001 Partner 2-4 years
older 76
(19)40
(31)36
(13)<0.001 147
(38)65
(50)82
(32)<0.001
Partner 5 years or more older 24
(6)7
(6)17
(6)0.99 52
(13)19
(15)33
(13)0.70 *Comparison between those who experienced first intercourse when
aged 15 years and under and those who experienced it when 16 years and over. Discussion
There are advantages in our sample and methods, including an
unusually high response(16); computer presentation, which
seems to facilitate disclosure(17); and the chance to check
the repeatability of some responses at ages 18 and 21. Moreover,
comparison of the responses at age 18 with national survey findings
supports the likelihood of greater disclosure.(18)
Discrepancies between the interpretation of apparently similar
events by young men and women were considerable. We found that 77% of
men but only 53% of women claimed they were as equally willing as
their partner at first intercourse, suggesting that, at younger ages, a
gender difference in reported willingness remains despite convergence
in behaviour. There are, however, difficulties in interpreting men's
and women's reporting of their partner's willingness in a population
sample. Only among those for whose partner it was also first
intercourse could the accounts possibly match. In this subgroup the
differences between men and women in reported willingness were much
smaller. Though this is reassuring, the men and women who reported that
their partner was also inexperienced were a special group who differed
in other ways from the rest of the sample. It is not possible to sort
these effects out, but is noteworthy that, for women, an inexperienced
partner was associated with greater mutual willingness at any age at
first intercourse up to 20 years.
Key Messages
We questioned a cohort of young New Zealand adults about the
circumstances of their first sexual intercourse and their views about
the timing of first intercourse Median age at first intercourse was 17 years for men and 16
years for women. Being forced at first intercourse was commonly reported by
women, especially those who experienced intercourse before age 14, and
most women who had intercourse before age 16 reported that they should
have waited longer More men than women said that both they and their partner were
equally willing at first intercourse, and reporting of equal
willingness was greater among those who reported that it was also the
first sexual intercourse for their partner As well as pronounced gender differences in mutual willingness
and retrospective views of appropriate timing, more women reported
occurrence of sexually transmitted disease, especially among those who
had intercourse before age 16
Conflict of interest: None.
(Accepted 3 September 1997)
University of Otago Medical School,
PO Box 913,
Dunedin,
New Zealand
Nigel Dickson
senior research fellow
Charlotte Paul
associate professor of epidemiology
Peter
Herbison biostatistician
University of Otago
Medical School
Phil Silva director
email: ndickson@gandalf.otago.ac.nz
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