January 10, 2011
What Do We Know About Young Adult Relationships?
Three-quarters of all young adults ages 18-25 are in some type of romantic relationship. A new Child Trends brief, Characteristics of Young Adult Sexual Relationships: Diverse, Sometimes Violent, Often Loving, analyzes data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to identify important factors about the nature and quality of these relationships that may have long-term consequences.
Among the findings:
- Young adults' relationships vary in terms of age differences, race/ethnicity, and the length of time they knew their partner before having sex.
- The vast majority of young adults who are married, cohabiting, or in exclusive dating relationships report that they and their partner have a lot of love for each other and are faithful to each other.
- One-quarter of young adults report that they had experienced physical violence in their relationships and 8 percent report that their partner has insisted they have sex when they did not want to do so.
- A large proportion of young adults used some form of contraception the last time they had sex with a partner, but a substantial proportion of young adult couples remain at risk for STDs due to lower levels of condom use.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases among Young Adults: Prevalence, Perceived Risk, and Risk-Taking Behaviors
Young Adult Attitudes About Relationships and Marriage: Times May Have Changed, But Expectations Remain High
Sexual and Reproductive Health Behaviors among Teen and Young Adult Men
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