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Encyclopedia of AIDS pp 1–7Cite as

Delayed Sexual Debut

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Definition

Early sexual debut, often defined as first sexual intercourse at age 13 or younger, is associated with multiple negative health outcomes, including subsequent sexual risk taking, unintentional pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections (STI). Evidence-based behavioral interventions (EBI) aimed at delaying first sex can be delivered to youth as well as parents and are part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy, especially when implemented by communities where the prevalence of HIV is high and many young teens are sexually active.

Why Delay Early Sexual Debut?

According to data from the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 6 % of teens in the USA report they first had sexual intercourse before they were 13 years of age; by 9th grade, 38 % of males and 28 % of females say they have had sex (Centers for Disease Control 2012). Compared to peers who delay initiation until they are older, young adolescent females are less likely to use condoms or other contraception not only...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lydia O’Donnell, Ed.D., Education Development Center, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA

    Erin Smith

Authors
  1. Erin Smith
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erin Smith .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Cell & Molecular Biology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Thomas J. Hope

  2. Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA

    Mario Stevenson

  3. University of California, San Diego Dept. Pathology, La Jolla, California, USA

    Douglas Richman

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1120 NW 14th Street; Suite 1019, 33136, Miami, FL, USA

    Lisa R. Metsch

  2. Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    Abby DiCarlo MA, MPH

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© 2016 Springer Science + Business Media, New York (outside the USA)

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Smith, E. (2016). Delayed Sexual Debut. In: Hope, T., Stevenson, M., Richman, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of AIDS. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9610-6_100-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9610-6_100-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9610-6

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