OTTAWA, May 3, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A new survey of Canadian youth has estimated that by age 15, 12% of boys and 13% of girls have already had sexual intercourse. The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) surveyed 3,212 youths who were aged 14 or 15 in 1998/99 or 2000/01, as reported by Statistics Canada.
In 2003, 28% of 15-17 year olds reported having had sexual intercourse at least once, with the proportion climbing to 80% by age 20 to 24. Additionally, one-third of sexually active 15 to 24-year-olds said they had more than one sexual partner in the previous year. Those whose first sexual encounter was by age 13 were also “significantly more likely” to have had two or more sexual partners in the previous year.
Age of first intercourse also correlated with sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk – those whose first encounter was by age 13 were more than twice as likely to report an STD than those whose first reported sexual intercourse at a later age. Overall rates of STDs were reportedly 4% among youth 15- to 24-year-old who had had sex at least once, although StatsCan reported “The true figure is likely higher than reported because of a possible lack of symptoms or awareness.”
The study found that girls with the lowest self-rated sense of worth at age 12 or 13 were also the most likely to become involved in premarital intercourse by age 14 or 15. Girls who reported drinking alcohol by age 12 or 13 were also more likely to have had sexual intercourse by age 14 or 15.
Boys who reported having had sexual intercourse by age 14 or 15, on the other hand, reported a higher prevalence of poor relationships with their parents.
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