*College of Law and Management Studies,University of KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa.
†The Graduate School,University of West London,London,UK.
J Biosoc Sci. 2019 Jan;51(1):59-76. doi: 10.1017/S0021932017000670. Epub 2018 Jan 21.
Although young people in South Africa are growing up in an era where their socioeconomic circumstances are seemingly better than those of their parents' generation, they face greater risks in their trajectory to adulthood. This is mainly because the environment in which they are making sexual decisions is also rapidly evolving. Currently, South Africa has the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the world among young people aged 15-24. This study examined the effect of sexual behaviours initiated in adolescence on enrolment in post-secondary education. The analysis was conducted using data from the longitudinal Cape Area Panel Study (CAPS, Waves 1-5) conducted in 2002-2009, which focused on young people's sexual behaviours in Cape Town, South Africa. The sample was restricted to 3213 individuals who reported sexual debut during adolescence. Using logistic regression models fitted separately for males and females, the results revealed that several factors acted as either hindrances or protective factors to enrolment in post-secondary education. Early sexual debut (by age 17) was negatively associated with participation in tertiary education. Other variables that had a negative effect included not using contraception at first sex, parenthood, engaging in risky behaviours such as illegal substance use, cigarette smoking and drinking alcohol and neglect of school homework (doing less than an hour a day). Higher levels of parental education (except for paternal education in the female model), urban residence and higher aspirations and analogous behaviours (studying) acted as protective factors and were positively associated with post-secondary education initiation. The paper also points to the relationship between early sexual debut and persistent socioeconomic inequality and provides empirical evidence for re-thinking policy development and implementation around schooling and sex education.
尽管南非的年轻人成长在一个经济社会环境看似优于他们父母一代的时代，但他们在成年的道路上面临着更大的风险。这主要是因为他们做出性决策的环境也在迅速变化。目前，南非是全球 15-24 岁年轻人中艾滋病毒和艾滋病感染率最高的国家。本研究考察了青春期开始的性行为对接受中学后教育的影响。该分析使用了纵向开普敦面板研究（CAPS，第 1-5 波）的数据进行，该研究于 2002-2009 年在南非开普敦进行，重点关注年轻人的性行为。样本仅限于 3213 名在青春期报告过首次性行为的个人。使用分别针对男性和女性的逻辑回归模型，结果表明，有几个因素既是进入中学后教育的障碍，也是保护因素。早期性初潮（17 岁之前）与接受高等教育的参与呈负相关。其他具有负面影响的变量包括首次性行为时不使用避孕措施、为人父母、从事危险行为（如非法药物使用、吸烟和饮酒）以及忽视学校作业（每天少于一小时）。父母教育水平较高（女性模型中除外父亲教育）、城市居住和较高的愿望和类似行为（学习）是保护因素，与中学后教育的启动呈正相关。本文还指出了性初潮早与持续的社会经济不平等之间的关系，并为重新思考围绕学校教育和性教育的政策制定和实施提供了经验证据。
