Early Adolescents' Cognitive Susceptibility to Initiating Sexual
Intercourse CONTEXT: Better methods for investigating sexual
risk before the initiation of sexual intercourse are needed to
support programming for younger adolescents, especially for
abstinent adolescents who are susceptible to initiating
intercourse. METHODS: A sample of 854 adolescents in seventh or
eighth grade who had never had sexual intercourse completed
sexuality surveys in 2002 and 2004. A five-item index that
assessed beliefs and expectations about the onset of intercourse
was created to indicate adolescents' cognitive susceptibility to
initiating intercourse. Logistic regression analysis was used to
assess associations between levels of susceptibility and
initiation of intercourse by follow-up. The construct and
predictive validity of the index were examined using a variety
of tests. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent of respondents were
classified as being nonsusceptible to initiating intercourse,
34% as having low susceptibility and 28%