Recalled Explanations for Adolescent Girls’ Engagement in Age-Discordant Sexual Relationships

Abstract

Age-discordant sexual relationships are associated with negative sexual health outcomes for adolescent females. We were particularly interested in females' motivations for engaging in these relationships, and in contextual factors that increase receptivity to age-discordant relationships in the United States (U.S.). However, recent research addressing this topic in the U.S. has been sparse. To address this gap in the literature, we recruited 15 women (Mdn age = 26 years; 93 % African American) from an urban, publicly funded sexually transmitted disease clinic to qualitative interviews. Reasons given by women for their involvement in age-discordant sexual relationships as adolescents included: (a) desire for an actively engaged father figure, (b) to obtain material support, (c) to escape from a troubled home life, and (d) to express independence and maturity. Thus, familial, economic, and developmental factors motivate socioeconomically disadvantaged adolescent females to enter into age-discordant sexual relationships. Efforts to reduce females' participation in these relationships will need to address socioeconomic vulnerability and family relationships.

Sexual risk among African American girls seeking psychiatric care: A social-personal framework.

“…One, it is possible that the communication was ineffective at negotiating safer sex because of male-female power differentials. African American girls’ first sexual partner tends to be an older male (Cort, Senn, Carey, & Braksmajer, 2016), and older males wield more power over younger girls and are more likely to refuse condoms (Manlove, Terry-Humen, & Ikramullah, 2006; Ryan, Franzetta, Manlove, & Schelar, 2008). Second, the content of the communication may reflect “urging” by partners to engage in unsafe sex or suffer relationship loss (e.g., “if you won’t do it, another girl will.”).…”