Boys in 1-Parent Homes Have Sex Earlier, CDC Says

Boys living in single-parent households are much more likely to have sex by age 15 than boys living with both parents, according to a CDC report that examined the sexual attitudes and behaviors of males ages 15-44. One in four males living with one parent reported they had sex by age 15, compared with around one in seven of those living in two-parent homes, said the study, which was released yesterday.

Lead author Gladys Martinez and colleagues conducted face-to-face interviews with 4,900 males in 2002. Martinez said the findings speak to broader social issues. "It's not as simple as saying teens living with two parents are less likely to have sex. It's really a measure of resources," she said. For example, two-parent households usually have higher education and income levels, and are more likely to be able to afford after-school care and other activities.

"I think almost any parent will tell you from a common sense point of view that having two, careful, watchful parents is better than one," said Bill Albert, spokesperson for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. That means, he said, that already stretched "heroic" single parents must find ways to counteract the odds.

The surveys revealed that when asked about their first experience with sexual intercourse, many men reported they had mixed feelings or were not ready. Among white males, 28 percent said they were uncertain or did not want to have intercourse the first time they had sex. Among African-American males, the figure was 41 percent; and among Hispanic males, 34 percent.

In addition, the study found:

• About half of men without a high school diploma have had a child out of wedlock, compared to 6 percent among college graduates.
• Twenty-five percent of African-American fathers had their first child before age 20; 19 percent of Hispanic men and 11 percent of white men became fathers while teens.

The study, "Fertility, Contraception, and Fatherhood: Data on Men and Women from Cycle 6 of the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth," was published in Vital and Health Statistics (2006;23(1)).

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