Employment and the Sexual and Reproductive Behavior of Female Adolescents

Abstract

Program planners and policymakers should be aware of the potential association between adolescent employment, particularly intense employment, and the likelihood of initiating intercourse and experiencing pregnancy, even if causality is still unclear.

Adolescent Development in Interpersonal Context

“…Regarding the impact of working on negative behavior and adjustment, evidence suggests links between working long hours and increases in aggression, school misconduct, precocious sexual activity, and minor delinquency (Gottfredson, 1985;Rich & S. Kim, 2002;Wright et al, 1997). Smoking, drinking, and drug use are also higher among teenage workers than nonworkers, especially among students who work long hours (e.g., Bachman & Schulenberg, 1993;Mihalic & Elliott, 1997;Mortimer & Johnson, 1998;Steinberg et al, 1993;Wu, Schlenger, & Galvin, 2003).…”

Producing adulthood: Adolescent employment, fertility, and the life course

“…Exceptions that examine the relationship between adolescent work and fertility (Colen et al 2006;Kraft and Coverdill 1994;Rich and Kim 2002) generally focus on young adults rather than teens and often fail to address self-selection. Colen et al (2006) and Olsen and Farkas (1990) are important exceptions, but study employment at the aggregate rather than the individual level so any relationship may reflect reactions to significant others' employment.…”

“…Similarly for women, opportunity cost (or countercyclical fertility) theory suggests employment should reduce fertility by increasing its costs through foregone earnings and human capital development (Butz and Ward 1979). Having a child could jeopardize the employment, income, and social status of working youth (Kraft and Coverdill 1994;Rich and Kim 2002). Opportunity costs should be strongest in skilled and high paying jobs and among low income youth.…”

Fatores associados ao início da vida sexual de adolescentes matriculados em uma unidade de saúde da família da zona leste do Município de São Paulo, Brasil

“…A literatura tem mostrado que, na maioria das vezes, a iniciação sexual de adolescentes do sexo masculino ocorre mais precocemente que a do sexo feminino 1,2 e que os indivíduos negros, os ausentes do sistema educacional ou que tenham baixa escolaridade, pertencentes a grupos sociais mais desfavorecidos, trabalhadores e sem religião são aqueles mais propensos a iniciar-se sexualmente na adolescência 3,4,5,6,7,8 . A idade também mostrou-se positivamente associada à primeira experiência sexual nessa fase 8,9 , o que parece revelar que, mesmo sendo um evento que ocorre mais freqüentemente nesse período do ciclo vital, é um processo gradual, que vai ganhando dimensão ao longo da adolescência.…”