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Exposure to Adult-targeted TV During
Childhood Predicts Earlier Onset of First Sexual Intercourse
The more children watch
adult-targeted TV, the more likely they will engage in sexual
intercourse in early adolescence.
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Children between
the ages of 12 and 18 were interviewed and logged the TV programs
and movies that they watched on two random days. The study examined
the relationship between adult-targeted TV viewing and sexual debut
(first intercourse). After adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity,
household income, and age, researchers discovered that those who had
reported having had first intercourse previous to their second
interview spent more time watching adult-targeted TV than those who
had not reported having had intercourse. Results from the Center on
Media and Child Health state, “For every hour that the youngest
group watched adult-targeted TV at wave I, the risk of having
intercourse by wave II increased by 33%.” Having become sexually
active was not, however, associated with subsequently watching more
adult-targeted TV.1
1Pediatric
Academic Societies annual meeting. Delgado H, et al, "Exposure to
adult-targeted TV during childhood predicts earlier onset of first
sexual intercourse" PAS 2009; Abstract 4750.6. May 4, 2009
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