Associations Between Forced and “Persuaded” First Intercourse and Later Health Outcomes in Women

The effects of nonconsensual first experiences of sexual intercourse in women are understudied. This was investigated in 3,875 adult women of whom 6.7% reported “persuaded” first-sex and 0.8% reported forced first-sex. Compared with willing first-sex, both forced and “persuaded” first-sex occurred earlier, involved a greater age difference between partners, and were associated with more lifetime sexual partners and some measures of worse psychological well-being. In addition, “persuaded” first-sex was associated with worse general physical health. “Persuaded” first-sex and its relation to health need to be better understood, along with how culture influences women’s experiences of first-sex