Patterns of Sexual Behavior during Adolescence and Young Adulthood: Predictors and Consequences

Introduction:  Understanding the patterns of adolescent and young adult sexual behavior is important because they have implications for unintended pregnancy and STI as well as healthy sexuality in adulthood. While sexual behavior carries with it risks for negative consequences, it is also a part of the healthy development of adolescents and young adults. Much research has identified the predictors of single risky sexual behaviors during adolescence and young adulthood; however less has been done to look at how social developmental processes and other contextual factors relate to patterns of multiple sexual behaviors. This study used a person-centered approach to identify classes of sexual behavior over time. This type of approach allows us to see how different sexual behaviors interrelate in typical patterns. Next, the study assessed whether the developmental processes described by the social development model predict the identified classes of sexual behavior.

Methods:  This study used data from Raising Healthy Children, a longitudinal etiological study. Data for the study came from surveys conducted annually from grade 9 through age 24 (N=1,040). Latent class analysis was used to examine how 5 indicators of adolescent sexual behavior (e.g., concurrent sexual partners, inconsistent condom use) interrelated across five time points (ages 19 through 23) to form distinct classes of sexual behavior. Next, a 3-step latent class regression analysis was conducted to analyze high school social and cognitive predictors of class membership.

Results:  Five latent classes of sexual behavior from ages 19 to 23 were identified for men and women. The identified patterns were similar by gender; however there were important differences in the proportion of males and females estimated to be in each of the five classes and in the levels of individual sexual risk behaviors within each behavior patterns.  This study also showed that risk and protective socialization processes during high school impact sexual behavior during young adulthood.

Conclusions:  By describing the patterns and prevalence of different types of sexual behavior among a community sample of young adults, this study provides insight into the types of health promotion messages that may be most beneficial for young adults.  For example, young men were more likely than women to report having casual sex, while young women were more likely to report having concurrent sexual partners.  These sexual behaviors have implications for the spread of STI’s, especially within the context of relatively high inconsistent condom use. The results also support the need for prevention interventions to include activities to promote positive family environments and positive peer norms and relationships during adolescence.