Sexually Active Teens With Romantic Relationships More Likely To Use Contraception, Study Says

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 05 Mar 2008 - 5:00 PST

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Sexually active teenagers who identify their relationships with partners as romantic and who go out socially with those individuals are more likely to use contraceptives than similar teens in casual relationships, according to an analysis of data collected by Child Trends, the Washington Post reports.

Teenagers who identify their relationships as romantic may be more likely to use contraceptives because they feel more comfortable talking about them with a partner they know and trust, according to Jennifer Manlove, a senior research scientist at Child Trends. She added that among girls, good communication and the quality of the relationship appear to play an important role in decision making.

For the study, published in the August 2007 issue of the journal Demography, Manlove and colleagues analyzed information on more than 4,500 unmarried, sexually experienced teenagers in grades seven through 12. Teenagers in the study were, on average, 16 years old when they first had sex. The study found that contraception use is not as regular as health officials thought, the Post reports. Four out of 10 sexually active teenagers reported not using contraceptives at all or using them infrequently, the study found. Students who reported having multiple partners were less likely to use contraceptives.

According to the study, girls were more likely to use contraception with boys their own age, compared with older boys and men. The study found that birth control use in one relationship did not mean that a teen would do the same with another partner. In light of the results, it is not enough for parents to focus simply on whether their children are having sex, Manlove said. She added that parents should engage their children in conversations about what healthy relationships are, pay attention to the power dynamics of any relationship and stress the importance of contraception (Stepp, Washington Post, 3/4).

A fact sheet on the study is available online on Child Trends' Web site (.pdf).

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