Pubertal Development and Sexual Intercourse Among Adolescent Girls

Abstract

There are strong reasons to assume that early onset of puberty accelerates coital debut among adolescent girls. Although many studies support this assumption, evidence regarding the putative causal processes is limited and inconclusive. In this research, longitudinal data from the 1986 Northern Finland Birth Cohort Study (N = 2,596) were used to address three theoretical explanations: (a) a direct effect premised on biological processes, (b) a mediated path based on social psychological processes, and (c) a spurious effect derived from the evolutionary theory of socialization. In support of the social psychological pathway, the negative association between age at menarche and coital status at age 15 was almost fully mediated by differential social exposure-an empirical construct measuring involvement in high-risk social contexts.

Cumulative contextual risk at birth in relation to adolescent substance use, conduct problems, and risky sex: General and specific predictive associations in a Finnish birth cohort

“…The specific effect was moderated by gender, such that positive prediction from CCR to risky sex was evident for girls but not boys. Developmental theory and etiological studies suggest that early exposure to risk may accelerate pubertal development (Belsky et al, 2010), and prior research has shown that early maturation is a risk factor for precocious sexual debut and risky sex behavior, particularly among girls (Savolainen et al, 2015). It is possible that this developmental process explains the specific effect of CCR on risky sex.…”

“…Thus, it is unknown if CCR primarily has effects on general problem behavior or if it might also have specific effects on particular outcomes. For example, early adversity in the form of CCR might lead to accelerated pubertal development (Belsky, Houts, & Fearon, 2010), which is associated with earlier initiation of sexual activity and sex-risk behavior (Savolainen et al, 2015). These processes could result in a specific effect from early CCR to adolescent risky sex, over-and-above heightened risk for general problem behavior.…”

Frequent Residential Relocations Cumulatively Accelerate Menarcheal Timing in a Sample of English Adolescent Girls

“…The absence of an association between menarche and intended reproductive timing in this sample is perhaps not surprising given that this relationship tends to be indirect and mediated by sexual initiation (Udry, 1979;Andersson-Ellströ m et al, 1996;Deardorff et al, 2005;Dunbar et al, 2008;Savolainen et al, 2012). Although it is possible that some of the sample were sexually active it is likely to be only a small proportion.…”

“…In terms of menarche, neighbourhood-level adversity has been largely ignored. If one considers that associations between early menarche and early childbearing in females have been directly (Dunbar et al, 2008) and indirectly (Udry, 1979;Helm & Lidegaard, 1990;Andersson-Ellströ m et al, 1996;Deardorff et al, 2005;Savolainen et al, 2012) found in the literature, it is plausible that neighbourhood-level factors could also play a role in menarche. Women living in neighbourhoods with higher levels of disadvantage (McCulloch, 2001;Nettle, 2010) and mortality rates (Wilson & Daly, 1997), decreased life expectancies, fewer healthy years (Nettle, 2011) and lower perceptions of safety (Johns, 2011) tend to have younger ages at first birth.…”

“…Geronimus (1987), and more recently Johns et al (2011), argued that these types of harsh environmental cues accelerate reproductive trajectories in females by signalling a threat to future reproductive opportunity. If one considers that associations between early menarche and early childbearing in females have been directly (Dunbar et al, 2008) and indirectly (Udry, 1979;Helm & Lidegaard, 1990;Andersson-Ellströ m et al, 1996;Deardorff et al, 2005;Savolainen et al, 2012) found in the literature, it is plausible that neighbourhood-level factors could also play a role in menarche.…”