If a girl loses her virginity before the age of 15, there's a 46 percent chance she'll fall pregnant before turning 20.

[Earlybird]

....according to newly released research in America.

Seems very high to me.

What do you think?

Doesnt ring true for me or any of my friends. We all lost our virginity at 14/15, and I am now 33 and the only one who has children. A few have had abortions, but all in their 20s.

4 (inc me) of my friends were 15 or under

1 had a baby at 19

None of my friends lost their viginity that young
at school one friend had sex at 16, one at 17 the rest 18+
I was shocked at uni that out of a group of nine , boys and girls, I was the only one who'd had sex!

Presumably that's research on Americans, though? They have a stonkingly high teenage pregnancy rate (it's 68% higher than ours, and we have the fourth highest figure in the world (for countries for which reliable data is available)).

Doesn't suprise me. Before 15 is *very8 young and perhaps implies quite an immature and uncontrolled attitude to sex. This might correlate with less use of contraception etc

Besides - starting younger = more time = more chances for 'accidents' = more babies.

Yes, it does apply to Americans, but I wonder if it applies fairly equally to other countries.

More info from the research:

''Very young people tend to use less-reliable forms of birth control," says Harvard University Medical School professor of obstetrics Alice Domar. "They're more likely to rely on things like the rhythm method, and even if a teenage girl gets a prescription for [birth-control] pills, she's less likely than an adult to use it consistently." Hormones raging, a pubescent girl "might also be having sex more frequently?with a boyfriend who's young and immature and might refuse to use condoms, and she'll do anything to keep him."

Yes I was going to say what ProfessorLayton said.

FWIW I was 18 when I lost my virginity. Fell pregnant at 19.

Interesting Slambang - it would be interesting to see the percentage of how many women of all ages fall pregnant within 5 years of losing their virginity to see how it compares.

i was 15, i wasn't immature or uncontrolled, didn't get pregnant until i was 31. i would love to know how they glean these stats.

I was nearly 15 and lost my virginity in a planeed, controlled and enjoyable way...

15 seems so very young to me.

Was there anything about it you regret?

How would you feel about your own dd to losing her virginity at that age?

15 does seem young when you are in your 30s or whatever. At the time I lost my virginity (15) I felt totally ready for it. I was in a relationship (we were together for 18 months, which is a long time when you're that age), we were safe (I was on the pill and we used condoms), and I enjoyed it.

In terms of my own children, I would hope that they wait until they feel ready (whenever that is) and that they are safe and both parties enjoy it. I don't think people magically mature overnight on their 16th birthday, so for some people 15 will be the right time and for others, that time won't come until later.

Don't studies say that if a girl has a close relationship with her father it results in later sex and pregnancy.

I would not be comfortable if dd lost her virginity at 15.

It does seem very young to me (now that I am in my 30's!)

But there isn't anything about the experience that I really regret... I wanted to do it, wasn't coerced in any way at all, alcohol played no part in any way, I really liked the boy it was with, he really liked me, we used precautions, my body was ready (i.e I was turned on so it was enjoyable). Compared to alot of my contemparies at the time, it couldn't have gone much better, really...

Would I want my dd to lose her virginity at 15? No Way, are you mad?! But I hope they lose their virginity in a way that doesn't bring them regrets either at the time or later on in life

Don't they teach a lot of abstinence-only sex education in America? I think that is likely to skew the statistics and make sex => pregnancy far more than here.

When I went to get my contraceptive injection the family planning nurse said that in the rougher areas of town they had a lot of 13 year olds on it - her theory was that they couldn't stop them having sex but they could stop them getting pregnant.

I think the abstinence is down to the stronger religious element that frowns upon it.

There is also a much stronger moral code (not sure that is the right phrase) that frowns upon being sexually active at an early age. Very odd as 'society' wants to pretend that 15 year olds (and younger) are not sexually active rather than address the fact that many are.

I was 14 (almost 15) and had my first pregnancy in my 30's.

I never trust research coming out of a place with so many of those ridiculous abstinence programmes, tbh.

No wonder there are so many teen pregnancies there, it can be dead hard to access any contraception.

I was 16 when I lost it and thought all that 'true love waits' was a crock. There's love, and sex and love, and there's just a good ol' rodgering.

I don't regret a thing! I chose him among others based on the knowledge that he'd be cool about it and that he had good experience.

I'd like to see both my girls on the implant, though, if and when they get what they consider to be a boyfriend, and we'll be putting condoms on bananas when they hit secondary school (DS, too!) until I'm sure they get it right. In the dark, too.

'What do you say to a guy who won't use a condom?' 'Goodbye.' is soon to be our mantra.

'What do you say to a guy who won't use a condom?' 'You are an ignorant twat, and endangering yourself as much as anyone else'.

Well, actually, I'd say, 'Fuck off,' Trillian, but I'll use goodbye to keep it simple .

I really hope my DD doesn't have sex when she is 15 (she is currently 14)

< buries head in sand and cries >

Well, I first had sex when I was 14 (really regret it now and blame totally fucked up childhood as is easier than blaming myself) and I didn't become pregnant until I was 41...

i agree it is a horrible thought, AF (I have dds also)

BUt as I said, losing your virginity at a young age does not always equate to a damaged adolescence or rueful experience...

Not every teen loses it pissed at a party on a pile of coats

belle, you are not helping < scared >