Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Childhood Sexual Abuse Moderates Genetic Influences on Age at First Consensual Sexual Intercourse in Women

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Behavior Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We examine interactive effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on heritable variation in age at first consensual sexual intercourse in a young cohort of 3,350 female and 2,724 male Australian twins. Consistent with hypotheses, genetic influences explained little if any variation in age at first consensual sexual intercourse for female twins reporting CSA (CSA+), with shared environment explaining 73%. For female twins reporting no history of CSA (CSA−), 39% of variation in age at first consensual sexual intercourse was explained by genetic effects, with shared environment accounting for 30%. For male twins, significant interactive effects of CSA on genetic and environmental variation in age at first consensual sexual intercourse were not observed. Overall genetic influences explained 51% of variation in age at first consensual sexual intercourse for male twins, with shared environment accounting for 8%. For both female and male twins, results from models that included conduct disorder as a covariate were near identical to results from models without conduct disorder.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. ASE refers to asymptotic standard error estimated when one or both variables are categorical.

  2. Results from analyses either excluding twins reporting CSA following first consensual sexual intercourse or with CSA recoded to zero do not differ appreciably from results reported in final models.

References

  • Albert B, Brown S, Flanigan C (eds) (2003) 14 & younger: the sexual behavior of young adolescents (summary). National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolen RM (1998) Predicting risk to be sexually abused: a comparison of logistic regression to event history analysis. Child Maltreat 3(2):157–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyer D, Fine D (1992) Sexual abuse as a factor in adolescent pregnancy and child maltreatment. Fam Plann Perspect 24(1):4–11

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner U, Ceci SJ (1994) Nature-nurture in developmental perspective: a bioecological theory. Psychol Rev 101:568–586

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bucholz KK, Cadoret R, Cloninger CR, Dinwiddie SH, Hesselbrock VM, Nurnberger JI Jr, Reich T, Schmidt I, Schuckit MA (1994) A new, semi-structured psychiatric interview for use in genetic linkage studies: a report on the reliability of the SSAGA. J Stud Alcohol 55:149–158

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caspi A, McClay J, Moffitt TE, Mill J, Martin J, Craig I, Taylor A, Poulton R (2002) Role of genotype in the cycle of violence in maltreated children. Science 297:851–854

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caspi A, Sugden K, Moffitt TE, Taylor A, Craig I, Harrington H, McClay J, Mill J, Martin J, Braithwaite A, Poulton R (2003) Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene. Science 301:386–389

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coryell W, Cloninger CR, Reich T (1978) Clinical assessment: use of nonphysician interviewers. J Nerv Ment Dis 166:599–606

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dick DM, Rose RJ, Viken RJ, Kaprio Y, Koskenvuo M (2001) Exploring gene–environment interactions: socio-regional moderation of alcohol use. J Abnorm Psychol 110:625–632

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dunne MP, Martin NG, Statham D, Slutske WS, Dinwiddie SH, Bucholz KK, Madden PAF, Heath AC (1997) Genetic & environmental contributions to variance in age at first sexual intercourse. Psychol Sci 8:211–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Endicott J, Spitzer RL (1978) A diagnostic interview: the schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatr 35:837–844

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Falconer D (1965) The inheritance of liability to certain diseases estimated from the incidence among relatives. Ann Hum Genet 29:51–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiscella K, Kitzman HJ, Cole RE, Sidora KJ, Olds D (1998) Does child abuse predict early sexual activity and adolescent pregnancy? Pediatrics 101(4):620–624

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Lynskey MT (1997) Childhood sexual abuse, adolescent sexual behaviors and sexual revictimization. Child Abuse Neglect 21(8):789–803

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fergusson DM, Lynskey MT, Horwood LJ (1996) Childhood sexual abuse and psychiatric disorders in young adulthood: Part I: The prevalence of sexual abuse and the factors associated with sexual abuse. J Am Acad Child Psy 35:1355–1364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Finkelhor D, Hotaling G, Lewis TA, Smith C (1990) Sexual abuse in a national survey of adult men and women: prevalence characteristics and risk factors. Child Abuse Neglect 14:19–28

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glei DA (1999) Measuring contraceptive use patterns among teen & adult women. Fam Plann Perspect 31(2):73–80

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo G, Tong Y (2006) Age at first sexual intercourse, genes, and social and demographic context: evidence from twins and the dopamine D4 receptor gene. Demography 43(4):747–769

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heath AC, Jardine R, Martin NG (1989) Interactive effects of genotype and social environment on alcohol consumption in female twins. J Stud Alcohol 50(1):38–48

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heath AC, Eaves LJ, Martin NG (1998) Interaction of marital status and genetic risk for symptoms of depression. Twin Res 1:119–122

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heath AC, Howells W, Kirk KM, Madden PAF, Bucholz KK, Nelson EC, Slutske WS, Statham DJ, Marin NG (2001) Predictors of non-response to a questionnaire survey of a volunteer twin panel: findings from the Australian 1989 twin cohort. Twin Res 4:73–80

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hesselbrock M, Easton C, Bucholz KK, Schuckit MA, Hesselbrock V (1999) A validity study of the SSAGA – a comparison with the SCAN. Addiction 94:1361–1370

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kirby D (2002) Antecedents of adolescent initiation of sex, contraceptive use, and pregnancy. Am J Health Behav 26(6):473–485

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koopman JR, Slutske WS, Van Baal GC, Boomsma DI (1999) The influence of religion on alcohol use initiation: evidence for genotype X environment interaction. Behav Genet 29(6):445–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacMillan HL, Fleming JE, Trocmé N, Boyle MH, Wong M, Racine YA, Beardless WR, Offord DR (1997) Prevalence of child physical and sexual abuse in the community: results from the Ontario Health Supplement. JAMA 278:131–135

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manlove J, Terry E, Gitelson L, Papillo AR, Russell S (2000) Explaining demographic trends in teenage fertility, 1980–1995. Fam Plann Perspect 32(4):166–175

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manlove J, Romano-Papillo A, Ikramullah E (2004) Not yet: programs to delay first sex among teens. National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning WD, Longmore MA, Giordano PC (2000) The relationship context of contraceptive use at first intercourse. Fam Plann Perspect 32:104–110

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin NG, Martin PG (1975) The inheritance of scholastic abilities in a sample of twins, I: ascertainment of the sample & diagnosis of zygosity. Ann Hum Genet 39:213–218

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin NG, Eaves LJ, Eysenck HJ (1977) Genetical, environmental an personality factors influencing the age of first sexual intercourse in twins. J Biosoc Sci 9:91–97

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller WB, Pasta DJ, MacMurray J, Chiu C, Wu H, Comings DE (1999) Dopamine receptor genes are associated with age at first sexual intercourse. J Biosoc Sci 31(1):43–54

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nagy S, DiClemente R, Adcock AG (1995) Adverse factors associated with forced sex among southern, adolescent girls. Pediatrics 96:944–946

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neale MC (1999) The Mx statistical package (Computer software)

  • Neale MC, Cardon LR (1992) Methodology for genetic studies of twins & families. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson EC, Heath AC, Madden PA, Cooper ML, Dinwiddie SH, Bucholz KK, Glowinski A, McLaughlin T, Dunne MP, Statham DJ, Martin NG (2002) Association between self-reported childhood sexual abuse and adverse psychosocial outcomes: results from a twin study. Arch Gen Psychiatr 59(2):139–145

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson EC, Heath AC, Lynskey MT, Bucholz KK, Madden PA, Statham DJ, Martin NG (2006) Childhood sexual abuse and risks for licit and illicit drug-related outcomes: a twin study. Psychol Med 36(10):1473–1483

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nichols R, Bilbro W (1966) The diagnosis of twin zygosity. Acta Genet Stat Med 6:265–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Ooki S, Yamada K, Asada A, Hayakawa K (1990) Zygosity diagnosis of twins by questionnaire. Acta Genet Med Gemel (Roma) 39:109–115

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell S (2002) Variance components models for gene–environment interaction in twin analyses. Twin Res 5:554–571

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robins LN, Helzer JE, Croughan J, Ratcliff KS (1981) The NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule: its history, characteristics, and validity. Arch Gen Psychiatr 38:381–389

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robins LN, Cottler LB, Babor T (1986) The WHO/ADAMHA CIDI-SAM interview. World Health Organiziation, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers JL, Rowe DC, Buster M (1999) Nature, nurture, & first sexual intercourse in the USA: fitting behavioral genetic models to NLSY kinship data. J Biosoc Sci 31:29–41

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rose RJ, Dick DM, Viken RJ, Kaprio J (2001) Gene–environment interaction in patterns of adolescent drinking: regional residency moderates longitudinal influences on alcohol use. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 25:637–643

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rowe DC, Jacobson KC, van den Oord E (1999) Genetic and environmental influences on vocabulary IQ: parental education level as moderator. Child Dev 70:1151–1162

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter M, Moffitt TE, Caspi A (2006) Gene–environment interplay and psychopathology: multiple varieties but real effects. J Child Psychol Psychiatr 47(3–4):226–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute (2003) SAS Release 9.1 [Computer software]. SAS Institute, Cary

  • Scarr S (1992) Developmental theories for the 1990s: development and individual differences. Child Dev 63:1–19

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer RL, Williams JBW, Gibbon M, First MB (1992) The structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R (SCID): I. History, rationale, and description. Arch Gen Psychiatr 49:624–629

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stock JL, Bell MA, Boyer DK, Connell FA (1997) Adolescent pregnancy and sexual risk-taking among sexually abused girls. Fam Plann Perspect 29:200–203, 227

    Google Scholar 

  • Turkheimer E, Haley A, Waldron M, D’Onofrio B, Gottesman II (2003) Socioeconomic status modifies heritability of IQ in young children. Psychol Sci 14:623–628

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whitbeck LB, Yoder KA, Hoyt DR, Conger D (1999) Early adolescent sexual activity: a developmental study. J Marriage Fam 61:934–946

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wyatt GE, Loeb TB, Romero GJ, Solis B, Carmona JV (1999) The prevalence and circumstances of child sexual abuse: changes across a decade. Child Abuse Neglect 23(1):45–60

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by T32AA0750 from NIAAA and by Grants AA07535, AA07720, AA10242, AA1998, and AA015210.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid, Campus Box 8134, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Mary Waldron, Andrew C. Heath, Elliot Nelson, Kathleen K. Bucholz & Pamela A. F. Madden

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Eric N. Turkheimer & Robert E. Emery

  3. Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia

    Nicholas G. Martin

Authors
  1. Mary Waldron
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew C. Heath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Eric N. Turkheimer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Robert E. Emery
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Elliot Nelson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Kathleen K. Bucholz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Pamela A. F. Madden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Nicholas G. Martin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mary Waldron.

Additional information

Edited by Danielle Posthuma.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Waldron, M., Heath, A.C., Turkheimer, E.N. et al. Childhood Sexual Abuse Moderates Genetic Influences on Age at First Consensual Sexual Intercourse in Women. Behav Genet 38, 1–10 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-007-9176-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-007-9176-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation