Factors associated with early sexual initiation in girls: French data from the international survey Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC)/WHO

Inspite of unquestionable progress, the protection of girls at first sexual intercourse is still not perfect. The main risks are well known (sexually transmitted infections [STIs], unwanted pregnancies, psychological consequences) and seem to be higher in the case of early sexual initiation. The aim of this epidemiological study is to analyse factors associated with early heterosexual intercourse (age 15 or before) among girls, considered as risk factors for pregnancies and STIs. Our data come from the 2002 international survey Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC)/WHO. The questionnaire is completed anonymously in class and measures health, health behaviours and their contexts among 11-, 13- and 15-year-old students. Only the 15 year-olds are asked about their sexual behaviour. In France, 1264 15-year-old (plus or minus six months) girls have answered the survey. Two hundred and twenty-four girls (17,7 %) state they have already had sexual intercourse. Among these, 88,4 % say that condoms and/or pills were used at last sexual intercourse. Multivariate analysis (n=1159) show that seven variables are significantly and independently linked to a higher frequency of early sexual intercourse: single-parent or reconstructed family, repeated drunkenness, daily smoking, cannabis experimentation, frequent evenings out, negative life appreciation and early menarche. Identifying factors associated with early sexual initiation should help professionals to better take care of those high risk adolescent girls.