Association between Timing of Sexual Initiation and Suicidal Ideation among Adolescents in South Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background The age of adolescents' sexual initiation is decreasing worldwide. Early sexual initiation has been reported to affect social, physical, and mental health, but little is known about the relationship between the timing of sexual initiation and suicidal ideation. Purpose This study was designed to identify the association between the timing of sexual initiation and suicidal ideation by gender. Methods This cross-sectional study used data from South Korea's Youth Health Behavior Online Survey for 2016. Data on first- to 12th-grade students (N = 10,810) were analyzed using descriptive statistics, χ2 tests, and hierarchical logistic regression. Results The results revealed a significant relationship between early sexual initiation and suicidal ideation among both boys and girls. This relationship remained significant after controlling for confounding variables that are known to affect suicidal ideation, including perceived stress, hopelessness, school grades, and sociodemographic characteristics. The risk of suicidal ideation was higher among students who first experienced sex in earlier grades (before the ninth grade) and was also higher in girls than in boys. Conclusions/Implications for Practice Health providers should be aware of the potentially higher risk of suicidal behavior among adolescents after early sexual initiation. Given the extreme sensitivity and vulnerability of this target population, a multidisciplinary school- or community-based intervention program to promote the mental health of affected individuals and the general student population is warranted.