title: Understanding sexual behaviors of adolescents within a biopsychosocial framework.
abstract: In this article, adolescent sexual behavior is discussed within a biopsychosocial framework. Prevalence rates for both coital and noncoital behaviors are presented, and trends in coital behaviors are noted over time. Special attention is paid to the role culture plays in the development of sexual behaviors. The discussion includes prevalence rates and trends of pregnancies/births and sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents and the impact of these outcomes for both adolescents and their offspring.
authors.affiliation: Division of Adolescent and Behavioral Health, Department of Pediatrics and Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0319, USA. baasulan@utmb.edu
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Auslander
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Margaret J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Blythe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003075:Coitus; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012931:Social Environment; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology