Dating and Sexual Behavior in Military Dependent Adolescents

Dating and sexual behavior of 395 adolescent patients in two military adolescent clinics were reviewed to evaluate the extent and nature of dating and sexual activity among military dependent adolescents. Nearly 50% of all adolescents had dated by the completion of junior high school, and nearly 20% of junior high school males and females were sexually active. Half of all females were sexually active by age 17 and half of all males by age 19. Twenty to 33% of high school age females had dated active duty military males, while 11 to 15% of high school age females had had prior sexual intercourse with active duty males. These results show dating and sexual activity to be as prevalent in military dependent adolescents as in their non-military dependent peers. Sexual experiences such as rape and intercourse with active duty males are also common. Appropriate sex education is clearly needed for adolescents and that education must begin before the junior high school level. The poor use of contraception plus the prevalence of sexual intercourse with high risk partners demonstrates the failure of current sex education measures in this population. Physicians must support educators in providing appropriate, timely sex education in the school systems.