Adolescent women's daily academic behaviors, sexual behaviors, and sexually related emotions

Abstract

PURPOSE: Emerging literature suggests that the emotional and behavioral experience in young women's romantic/sexual relationships may link to their academic success. However, existing studies' reliance on retrospective and/or global measures prevents detailed understanding of how and when specific academic experiences link to specific relationship experiences and whether these associations could vary over different school days. METHODS: Adolescent women (N = 387; 14-17 years at enrollment) were recruited from primary care adolescent clinics for a longitudinal cohort study of sexual relationships and sexual behavior. Participants provided daily diary information on academic behaviors, sexual emotions, and sexual behaviors. Chi-square and generalized estimating equation ordinal logistic or linear regression, respectively, assessed prevalence of sexual behaviors or differences in sexual emotions when academic behaviors did and did not occur. RESULTS: Young women's weekday reports of skipping school or failing a test were significantly linked to more frequent vaginal sex, less frequent condom use, and different levels of sexual emotions, on that same day. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide evidence that the emotional and behavioral experiences in young women's romantic/sexual relationships may impact young women's reaction to academic events.