title: Early sexual debut in Norwegian youth with epilepsy: A population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In comparison with controls, youth with epilepsy (YWE) have greater psychosocial problems. However, information about their sexual behavior is sparse. We have performed a large, population-based questionnaire study to examine differences in sexual behavior between YWE and controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomly chosen cohort of youth (13-19 years) from Akershus county, Norway (n=19,995) was asked to complete a questionnaire anonymously with questions on epilepsy and sexual activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 85%. Two hundred forty-seven participants reported having or having had epilepsy, i.e., a lifetime epilepsy prevalence of 1.2%. Compared with controls, a higher proportion of YWE reported having had sexual intercourse (43.6% vs. 35.3%, p=0.009). The mean age at sexual debut was significantly lower in YWE than in controls (14.0 years vs. 15.0 years, p<0.001), and this was particularly marked among boys. A higher proportion of YWE reported not having used contraceptives at their last sexual intercourse compared with controls (31.6% vs. 22.3%, p=0.03). Ten percent of YWE, compared with 2% of the controls, reported that they had been forced into their first sexual intercourse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In YWE, some aspects of sexual behavior differ from those of their peers, with earlier sexual debut and less frequent use of contraceptives. More attention should be directed toward this subject, aiming at avoiding unwanted pregnancies and potential emotional traumas in this already vulnerable patient group.
authors.affiliation: The National Center for Epilepsy, Division for Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: mortenl@ous-hf.no.
authors.forename: Morten I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Lossius
authors.affiliation: The National Center for Epilepsy, Division for Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Kristin Å
authors.initials: KÅ
authors.lastname: Alfstad
authors.affiliation: Division of Mental Health, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Petter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mowinckel
authors.affiliation: Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Jocelyne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clench-Aas
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Division for Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Norway; Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gjerstad
authors.affiliation: The National Center for Epilepsy, Division for Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Karl O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Nakken
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003270:Contraceptive Agents
keywords: Epilepsy; Population-based; Psychosocial; Sexual behavior; Youth