A University of Virginia study found teens who have sex at an early age may be less inclined to exhibit delinquent behavior later, than peers who waited.

Lead author Kathryn Paige Harden, a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology, analyzed data on 534 same-sex U.S. twin pairs. By examining surveys of twins, the investigators were able to eliminate the genetic and socio-economic variables that might influence adolescent behaviors, Harden said.

"We got a very surprising finding, particularly that early sex seems to forecast less antisocial behavior a few years later, rather than more, Harden said in a statement.
"There is a cultural assumption in the United States that if teens have sex early it is somehow bad for their psychological health, but we actually found that teens who had sex earlier seem to have better relationships later. Now we want to find out why."

Harden said people assume there is an association between early sex and later delinquency, but that may not be warranted.

The study, scheduled to be published in the online edition of the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, suggests early sex may play a role in helping teens develop better social relationships in early adulthood.