Study: Age of first sexual experience may be linked to how you age
Chinese researchers found that early sexual activity may be linked to a higher risk of health problems later in life, while a British survey shows the average age of losing virginity in the UK is 17.
Researchers at Shandong University in China surveyed nearly 400,000 people in Britain to examine whether the age at which someone first has sex is connected to how they age later in life. The findings were published in the journal Healthcare and Rehabilitation and reported by the Daily Mail.
Previous research had already shown a link between early sexual activity and a higher risk of sexually transmitted infections, but the long-term effects on later-life health had not previously been studied in this way.
The new study found that people who became sexually active at a young age face a greater risk in old age of physical frailty, depression, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Researchers' explanation
Lead author Kaixian Wang said the timing of a person's first sexual experience may be associated with the aging process and can affect a range of psychological, behavioral and disease-related factors. He stressed, however, that the findings do not mean a single life event determines a person's future health. Rather, they illustrate how early life experiences can be connected to mental health, the risk of chronic disease, and the decline of functional abilities over time.
Survey findings from Britain
The study's publication came shortly after a YouGov survey of 2,588 people in Britain found that the average age of first sexual experience in the UK is 17. Three percent of respondents said it happened at age 13 or younger, while five percent said it occurred after age 25. The same survey found that the average person in Britain has had four sexual partners over their lifetime.
