부산대학교 도서관

Numerous diseases are correlated with sexual activity. Besides the sexually transmitted diseases (STD), hepatitis B, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and cervical cancer are among those related to sexual activity. In order to determine whether the age of first intercourse is related to STD and the other diseases, 2,111 Ethiopian women were studied. Personal details were obtained by questionnaire. Cytological data was obtained from a PAP smear, and blood tests were done for syphilis, gonorrhea, and other diseases. The study found a significant increase in STD and PID in women who were sexually active before their first menstrual period, and especially in those who were sexually active before the age of 12. The increase in the incidence of cervical cancer in this group was not statistically significant. The correlations between early sexual activity of women and the risk of STD may be due to socioeconomic status, since the wealthier and better educated tended to have sex later. They may also be due to a relationship between the age of first coitus and later sexual behaviors. Women who engage in early sexual behavior may do so with men who belong to a higher risk group. In addition, a possible role of the physiological changes occurring in the vagina during puberty cannot be discounted. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)