title: Young women's sexual involvement in emerging adulthood.
abstract: Using data from the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life Study, this study examined the association of peer, family, attitudinal, aspirational, and attainment factors relevant to 820 young women's (aged 18-19) number of sexual partners. Overall, this study found that perceived peer norms and early onset of sexual initiation had a positive and statistically significant association with the respondents' number of lifetime sexual partners. While high school performance and college aspirations were inversely associated with the number of lifetime partners, their current level of educational attainment was not. Finally, racial disparities in the accrual of partners were contingent upon the respondents' attitude to premarital abstinence and educationally related factors. Understanding risk and protective factors may help public health policy planners and health care professionals formulate a more effective ecologically based approach to mitigate sexual health risks and social repercussion related to dating for young women.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Social Work , The University of Texas at El Paso , El Paso , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Yok-Fong
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Paat
authors.affiliation: b School of Public Health , The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Margaret Markham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Education; emerging adults; family; peers; sexual attitudes; sexual partners