Parents and neighborhoods have more impact than schools on when a teen starts having sex Teens whose parents restricted their dating were much less likely to have sex by 10 grade Close-knit families and communities also delay sex, but school messaging had no impact THURSDAY, June 6, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Teenagers who are part of close-knit neighborhoods and families are less likely to have sex at a young age, a new study has found. On the other hand, teens’ schools have less influence on their sexual behavior, researchers report. “Our results echo other studies’ findings on the importance of families and neighborhoods in protecting youth from risky behaviors, and show that feeling connected to one’s local community can mitigate sexual risky behaviors,” said lead researcher , a pediatrician with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Teens whose parents restricted their dating were 55% less likely to have sex by 10 grade, results showed. So were kids who spend less time alone when home (8% less likely), and who had tight-knit families (7% less likely). Teenagers from close-knit neighborhoods were 10% less likely to have sex by 10 grade, results show.
However, no school factors were associated with delaying sex until later in high school, researchers found. Meanwhile, teens from disadvantaged neighborhoods with less education were about 24% more likely to have sex by 10 grade, researchers added. “Parents should not underestimate the impact they can .
