The Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel

What are the arguments for delaying intercourse?

The most compelling arguments for delaying first intercourse are based on evidence of its consequences. Early experience of sexual intercourse is more likely to be accompanied by feelings of regret, is associated with larger numbers of sexual partners, both in the recent past and over a lifetime, and - of greatest importance in terms of health consequences - is less likely to be protected from unplanned pregnancy (Wellings et al, 1994, Johnson, et al 1994).

The younger the girl at first intercourse the sooner it occurred in the relationship and for almost half of the girls first intercourse was unplanned. Although almost half used contraception on the first occasion, only one third of the girls used contraceptives regularly. Most expressed the wish that they had delayed intercourse until they were older. (Curtis et al, 1988)

The general consensus in the research is that regret over the timing of early experience is not uncommon amongst young people. More than a third of women aged 16 to 24 considered their first experience of intercourse to have been too soon, and the figure rises to half if they were under 16 at the time. Women are twice as likely as men to reflect that their first intercourse happened too early. This may be because first sexual experience for young women is often a disappointing experience, partly because the reality fails to live up to the expectations.

"It was so different from what I'd imagined. I was just so detached from it. I was thinking 'Well is this what happens then?' When you see it on television and read about it in romantic novels and that sort of thing it is totally different. You see all these love scenes on TV and they are all panting away and saying that's lovely. And you think 'Oh!' But when it comes to the real thing it's a big disappointment. I think it's the mass media that I get my expectations from."
(Young woman interviewed by Kent and Davies, 1992)

Teenage magazines do contain articles on how to enhance sexual pleasure. The suggestion has been made that they may thereby generate anxiety around performance and the perfection of technique (Kent and Davis, 1992), but by the same token, it is certainly to women's advantage to have it acknowledged that sexual pleasure is their right and to empower them to seek it.

TMAP Research - Role of Teen Magazines in the Sexual Health of Young People

The Luff Bill

Age rating

Editorial balance

Encouraging early activity

'Herding' instinct

Is early sexual activity bad?

Arguements for delaying intercourse

Contraception

Educational role of magazines

Preferred sources of information



			What are the arguments for delaying intercourse? The most compelling arguments for delaying first intercourse are based on evidence of its consequences. Early experience of sexual intercourse is more likely to be accompanied by feelings of regret, is associated with larger numbers of sexual partners, both in the recent past and over a lifetime, and - of greatest importance in terms of health consequences - is less likely to be protected from unplanned pregnancy (Wellings et al, 1994, Johnson, et al 1994). The younger the girl at first intercourse the sooner it occurred in the relationship and for almost half of the girls first intercourse was unplanned. Although almost half used contraception on the first occasion, only one third of the girls used contraceptives regularly. Most expressed the wish that they had delayed intercourse until they were older. (Curtis et al, 1988) The general consensus in the research is that regret over the timing of early experience is not uncommon amongst young people. More than a third of women aged 16 to 24 considered their first experience of intercourse to have been too soon, and the figure rises to half if they were under 16 at the time. Women are twice as likely as men to reflect that their first intercourse happened too early. This may be because first sexual experience for young women is often a disappointing experience, partly because the reality fails to live up to the expectations. "It was so different from what I'd imagined. I was just so detached from it. I was thinking 'Well is this what happens then?' When you see it on television and read about it in romantic novels and that sort of thing it is totally different. You see all these love scenes on TV and they are all panting away and saying that's lovely. And you think 'Oh!' But when it comes to the real thing it's a big disappointment. I think it's the mass media that I get my expectations from." (Young woman interviewed by Kent and Davies, 1992) Teenage magazines do contain articles on how to enhance sexual pleasure. The suggestion has been made that they may thereby generate anxiety around performance and the perfection of technique (Kent and Davis, 1992), but by the same token, it is certainly to women's advantage to have it acknowledged that sexual pleasure is their right and to empower them to seek it.
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	Contact: Kerry Neilson , TMAP secretariat, kerry.neilson@ppa.co.uk, 0207 400 7520

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