Variables associated with early sexual intercourse among adolescents of Costa Rica

Abstract

Introduction: The initiation of sexual intercourse is an important life event for both women and men and it has been associated with some health risk behaviors, disengagement from education and a lack of support from family. Objective: Identify variables associated with early sexual relations among Costa Rican adolescents, the time of initiation, and the context characteristics in which this experience occurs. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional and descriptive study carried out with 1106 students from 24 high schools in Costa Rica. Several multivariate models were run to study the association between variables and sexual intercourse among the adolescents. Results: The average age of sexual onset found in the sample was 14.6 years. The variables associated with early sexual intercourse were working, alcohol intake, low socioeconomic level, age, not feeling part of the educative center and no parental support. Conclusions: Our results emphasize the need to plan preventive actions and execute effective sexual health interventions to address adolescent sexuality in a holistic manner.