Extent of regretted sexual intercourse among young teenagers in Scotland: a cross sectional survey
BMJ 2000; 320 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7244.1243 (Published 06 May 2000) Cite this as: BMJ 2000;320:1243- Daniel Wight, senior researcher (danny@msoc.mrc.gla.ac.uk)a,
- Marion Henderson, senior researchera,
- Gillian Raab, professorb,
- Charles Abraham, professorc,
- Katie Buston, researchera,
- Sue Scott, professord,
- Graham Hart, associate directora
- a MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow G12 8RZ
- b School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Napier University, Merchiston, Edinburgh EH10 5DT
- c School of Social Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QN
- d Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3JT
- Correspondence to: D Wight
- Accepted 24 January 2000
The proportion of young people who have sexual intercourse before the age of 16 is increasing.1 Previous studies have found that sexual intercourse before the age of 16 is often regretted.1 2 Reported regret might result, however, from re-evaluation from a more mature perspective as most data have been reported retrospectively by older respondents. We conducted a large scale survey (the first such study in the United Kingdom) of sexual behaviour reported by young people aged under 15.
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Methods and results
In 1996 and 1997 a questionnaire was administered to all third year pupils in 24 non-denominational state secondary schools in east Scotland as part of a sex education trial.3 The research was approved by Glasgow University's Ethics Committee for Non-Clinical Research Involving Human Subjects and the relevant local authorities' …