"One-Night Stands" and Short-Term First Sexual Relationships

Jennifer Manlove, Child Trends
Elizabeth Terry-Humen, Child Trends
Kerry Franzetta, Child Trends

This study uses data from Add Health and the NSFG to examine the longevity of adolescents' and young adults' first sexual relationships. Our primary goal is to enhance our understanding of which characteristics predict the termination of a sexual relationship with a first partner after only one month or less of sexual activity. This topic is important because we expect that shorter-term relationships are more casual, and that adolescents in these relationships are less likely to use contraception and more likely to acquire an STI or experience an unplanned pregnancy. Logistic regression models find that characteristics of the sexual relationship and the sexual partner are associated with length of first sexual relationship, net of individual and family background characteristics. We will use Heckman selection models to assess possible endogeneity between an individual's choice to become sexually active and the length of their first sexual relationship.