Cross-National Trends in Early Sexual Initiation Among 15-Year-Old Adolescents, 2002-2022.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

We examined how the proportion of adolescents who engaged in early sexual intercourse (before the age of 14) changed between 2002 and 2022 across 37 countries.

Methods

Data of 15-year-old adolescents participating in the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 survey rounds of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study were analysed (N = 312,702). We used uni- and multivariate multilevel binary logistic regression models to test whether rates of early sexual initiation changed over time. Country, gender, family affluence, parental support and the clustering effect of school were incorporated in the statistical models; linearity was tested by cubic and quadratic terms in the multivariate models.

Results

A significant but very small decline over

SUBMITTER: Kolto A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11932834 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature