Prevalence of sexual experience among Korean adolescent: age-period-cohort analysis

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:Since exposure to sexual content and early sexual initiation among adolescents have become serious social issues in Korea, an in-depth analysis of trends in the prevalence of sexual experience among Korean adolescents is necessary to project the trends and policies required for the next 10 years. The objective of this study was to identify the contributions of age, period, and birth cohort effects on the prevalence of sexual experience in Korean adolescents. METHODS:We analyzed age-specific, period-specific, and birth cohort-specific trends in the prevalence of sexual experience among 911,502 adolescents (469,593 boys, 51.5%; 441,909 girls, 48.5%) aged 12 years to 17 years from the 2006 to 2017 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. Joinpoint regression analysis was conducted to examine significant changes in the prevalence of sexual experience and to find the optimal number and location of places where trends changed. RESULTS:The prevalence of sexual experience generally increased with age in all periods in both boys and girls. In boys, the prevalence of sexual experience increased in recent periods, especially in the age group of 12-13 years, while the prevalence of sexual experience decreased in the age group of 16-17 years. In girls, the age group of 12-13 years showed an increased prevalence of sexual experience in recent periods. However, the prevalence showed a decreasing trend in the age group of 16-17 years. CONCLUSIONS:In boys and girls, sexual experience increased with age, although this tendency has slowed in recent cohorts. Therefore, early sex education is needed.

Factors associated with adolescents’ sexual experience based on the biopsychosocial model: a cross-sectional study using the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS)

“…According to a trend analysis (2006–2017) on the sexual experience of Korean adolescents, the prevalence of sexual experience among 16–17 year-olds is higher than that of 12–13 year-olds, although it has been gradually decreasing. 3 Moreover, the greater rate of sexual experience of boys than girls is similar to that reported in other studies. In China, where sex is taboo, male adolescents have more sexual intentions than females.…”

“…2 The age of onset of sexual experience is reducing, 2 and the prevalence of recent sexual experience has been increasing in both boys and girls aged 12–13 years. 3 According to a report by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System in the USA, approximately 38% of high school students have sexual experience in the USA. 4 For adolescent women aged 16–19 years, the rates of sexual experience in the USA and Britain were approximately 49% and 65%, respectively.…”

Início da atividade sexual e sexo protegido em adolescentes

“…[9][10][11] International studies also show ages under 15 at first intercourse. 14,15 The discrepant values of sexual initiation detected in the present study, 8 and 9 years old, demonstrate conditions of greater vulnerability among adolescents, which must be better investigated in this population.…”

“…The early sexual initiation identified, being more prevalent among male participants, possibly reflects issues of gender, family values and social attitudes. 9 The trend of early sexual initiation in males, regardless of location and socio-cultural context, was detected in different cases, 3,5,9,15 with the observation of a greater number of sexual partners among male adolescents. 5,[13][14][15] Early sexual initiation is considered to have a negative impact on the physical, mental and psychosocial development of the adolescents, 11 and represents a risky behavior, due to the possibility of having relations with a greater number of sexual partners during life and greater chances of exposure to STIs.…”

Sexual-Related Knowledge, School and Family Sexuality Education and Its Association with Experience of Sexual Intercourse among Vocational Secondary School Students in China

“…Although the proportion of sexual intercourse among VSSS in this study (5.8%) is lower than that of adolescents aged 15–17 in Taiwan (15.7%) and South Korea (6.76%) [ 44 , 45 ], it is higher than that of the national representative survey among the same-age adolescents in China’s urban areas (2.8%) [ 46 ]. Due to the sensitivity, however, most of the VSSS did not acquire information about sexual behavior, reproduction and contraception, and decision-making about sex from their schools and families, putting them at higher risk of unintended pregnancy, induced abortion, and STDs/HIV infection.…”