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Number of Sexual Partners for Adolescent Females

by Family Structure and Religious Practice

  Family Structure: According to the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Waves I and II, female students in Grades 7-12 had an average of 0.71 sexual partners when they lived in intact married families, whereas those who had a stepparent or divorced parents had an average of 1.39 and 1.29 sexual partners, respectively.  In between were those whose parents never married (0.88), and those who lived in cohabiting families with one natural parent (1.07) or both natural parents (1.15).     Religious Practice: Female students in Grades 7-12 who worshipped at least weekly had an average of 0.61 sexual intercourse partners, while those who worshipped one to three times a month had an average of 0.92, or 50 percent higher, according to the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Waves I and II.  The average jumped significantly for students who attended a few times a year (1.41), 130 percent higher, or never (1.55), 150 percent higher. Family Structure and Religious Practice Combined: Adolescent girls from intact families who worshipped frequently had the fewest sexual partners in high school. Female students in Grades 7-12 had an average of 0.47 sexual partners when they lived in intact families and worshipped at least monthly.  By contrast, those who worshipped less than monthly and came from broken or reconstituted families had an average of 1.55 sexual partners.  Those who worshipped at least monthly but came from broken or reconstituted families had 0.93 partners, and girls who came from intact families but worshipped less than monthly had a slightly higher average of 1.14.  The data was taken from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Waves I and II.  ]]>