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Adolescents' Transition to First Intercourse, Religiosity, and Attitudes about Sex
- Social Forces
- The University of North Carolina Press
- Volume 81, Number 3, March 2003
- pp. 1031-1052
- 10.1353/sof.2003.0039
- Article
- Additional Information
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Using two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examines two sets of relationships between attitudes, religiosity, and first sex among adolescents. First, I estimate the effects of religiosity and attitudes about sex on the likelihood of engaging in first sex. Then, I estimate the effect of having sex on subsequent religiosity and attitudes. The findings are consistent with past research that finds attitudes are a significant predictor of sexual activity. The effect of religiosity on first sex is mediated by attitudes about sex. Regarding reciprocal effects, having sex for the first time has a significant effect on later attitudes, but not religiosity. This study highlights the importance of going beyond traditional, recursive models that consider only one side of a causal relationship.