title: Intention to postpone sexual initiation among Puerto Rican female adolescents.
abstract: The purpose of this analysis is to examine the factors associated with intentions to initiate sexual intercourse among a group of female high school students in Puerto Rico. A large metropolitan high school was purposively selected for the study. The mean age of the girls who participated in the study (N = 133) was 16. 13% of the surveyed girls reported having had intercourse at some point in their lives. 45% indicated when answered that they were sure they would not initiate sex during the next year; 18% answered that it probably would not happen; and the others (28%) responded with an even 50-50 chance or more that it will probably happen. A multiple regression/correlation analysis showed that the mother's traditional sexual values along with the teen's own conventional behavior, traditional sexual values as well as a perception of conventional behavior by their peers were related to a lower expectation of sex initiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico.
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Vélez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ungemack
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011647:Puerto Rico; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires