Adolescent Sexual Behavior and Academic Performance: The Effects of School Contexts.

This study explores the link between adolescent academic performance and sexual behavior. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement (AHAA) study, we examine whether course-taking patterns and school performance are related to adolescent sexual initiation, and whether these associations account for the link between cognitive ability and postponed sexual debut. Preliminary results indicate that students? positions within the educational system influence their sexual behavior. Findings suggest that while adolescents with high PVT scores are more likely to postpone sexual activity, they do so because their cognitive abilities position them in more advanced courses in which they perform well. Future analyses (to be presented at ASA) will further investigate these findings by investigating whether course-taking patterns and sexual behavior are linked through social context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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