Seems to me this extrpolation is flawed

[dieseltaylor]

I could not but think cousins would share more of the same culture.

Genes blamed for early first sex

The fact that children raised in homes without a dad have sex earlier is down to their genes, say US researchers.

The study tested for genetic influences as well as factors such as poverty, educational opportunities and religion.

The more genes the children shared, the more similar their ages of first intercourse regardless of whether they had an absent father or not.

A spokesman for the charity, Brook, said children needed early education to help them make informed choices.

Competing theories

The study published in the journal, Child Development, says several theories have been advanced about the environmental factors which influence this association between absent fathers and early sex.

One suggests that because these children observe unstable or stressed parental relationships, they learn that resources are scarce, and people untrustworthy.

This leads them to mature in such a way that they are geared towards mating rather than parenting.

“ While there is clearly no such thing as a 'father absence gene', there are genetic contributions to traits in both mums and dads that increase the likelihood of earlier sexual behaviour in their children ”

Jane Mendle, University of Oregon

Another states that because adolescents reared in single-parent households may have parents engaging in sexual behaviour with partners to whom they are not married, the children may be more likely to view non-marital sex as the norm.

And a third theory states that a single-parent family structure may encourage adolescent sexuality by reduced parental control.

In other words two parents can much more closely monitor their offspring's activities and social networks, reducing the opportunities for sex.

But this study shows these factors are not as important as genes in determining early sexual behaviour.

Results

The researchers at the University of Oregon compared the average age of first intercourse among children whose fathers were always absent, partially absent or always present throughout childhood.

They looked at more than 1,000 cousins aged 14 and older from the American National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.

For the children whose fathers were always absent, 63.2% reported having had sex.

This compared to 52.5% of children whose fathers were sometimes absent.

And only 21% of children whose fathers were always present.

The average age of first intercourse for children whose fathers were always absent was 15.28, compared to partially fathered children at 15.36 and 16.11 for children whose fathers were present for all of their childhood.

It compared children who were related in different ways to each other, and who differed in whether they had lived with their fathers.

The more genes the children shared, the more similar their ages of first intercourse, regardless of whether or not the children had an absent father.

Genetic risk factor

Jane Mendle, professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, who led the study said: "The association between father's absence and children's sexuality is best explained by genetic influences, rather than by environmental theories alone.

"While there is clearly no such thing as a 'father absence gene', there are genetic contributions to traits in both mums and dads that increase the likelihood of earlier sexual behaviour in their children.

"These include impulsivity, substance use and abuse, argumentativeness and sensation seeking."

But Professor Mendle said her study did not have the power to discriminate conclusively between genetic and environmental factors and further research with a larger number of children would be necessary.

Simon Blake, from the sexual health charity, Brook Advisory Centre, took issue with the idea that genes were the overriding factor in early sex.

He said: "We know from research that factors associated with young people having first intercourse at a younger age are: lower educational achievements; friends and the media being the main source of information about sex education; socio-economic status; early sexual experience and the earlier age at which girls start their periods.

"All young people need access to confidential sexual health services as well as high quality education about sex and relationships from a young age.

"This gives them the skills and information to make informed choices, and the self-esteem and aspirations for themselves for the future.

"Targeted outreach work is also an effective way of reaching those more vulnerable groups."

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/8251483.stm

[gunnergoz]

Pretty simple and clear cut to me. Most single parent homes have a mother present and a father absent. Male children in those homes fairly automatically fill the absent father's role with their own testosterone and all that that implies. Female children in homes with absent fathers look around for their own share of vicarious testosterone, seeing as mommie doesn't have any and daddy ain't there.

Next question, doctor?

[costard]

This is weird: the study identifies a direct relationship between an environmental condition and the study results - and attributes this to genetics? Has it positively identified the absent parent as more sexually active, and that behaviour attributable to genetic makeup (perhaps providing the identifier for incidence of "broken homes")?

No father in the household leads to more predation by outsiders and less control over family members' behaviour.

[Sergei]

It's impossible to judge a study based on a news piece. You'd have to read the study itself to do any justice to the methods used.

Overall it's quite logical to assume that sexuality and the age of sexual 'ripening' and the subsequent hormone levels depend very much on genes. And girls with a strong biological sexual drive are more likely to get knocked up at an early age, likely leading to single motherhood. No religious upbringing, no intact nuclear family and no amounts of "no sex before marriage" teachings can defeat the power of hormones.

[mike_the_wino]

Hot MILF in 3 posts....nice!