Extent of regretted sexual intercourse among young teenagers in Scotland: a cross sectional survey

Abstract

The proportion of young people who have sexual intercourse before the age of 16 is increasing.1 Previous studies have found that sexual intercourse before the age of 16 is often regretted.1 2 Reported regret might result, however, from re-evaluation from a more mature perspective as most data have been reported retrospectively by older respondents. We conducted a large scale survey (the first such study in the United Kingdom) of sexual behaviour reported by young people aged under 15. View this table: Factors and circumstances reported to be associated with regret of first sexual intercourse by sex (from total sample of 7395) In 1996 and 1997 a questionnaire was administered to all third year pupils in 24 non-denominational state secondary schools in east Scotland as part of a sex education trial.3 The research was approved by Glasgow University's Ethics Committee for Non-Clinical Research Involving Human Subjects and the relevant local authorities' …