Objective

To analyze factors such as parental supervision and support, as well as the type of education (single-gender education and co-education) and its correlation with the initiation of sexual activity in adolescents.

Materials and Methods

Quantitative, descriptive, explanatory cross-sectional study with 522 participants between 12 and 18 years of age. A questionnaire with 26 questions was applied to evaluate some parental practices, the type of education and the initiation of sexual activity. The results were analyzed using the SPSS program version 23. Each participant gave informed consent, and the confidentiality of the data was preserved.

Results

Significant differences were found regarding the onset of sexual activity in adolescents according to the type of education and age; no differences were observed with respect to family type. As the age of the adolescent increases, parents show more support and less supervision, therefore, the likelihood of engaging in sexual intercourse increases. In the context of co-education, a greater number of adolescents who had initiated sexual activity was found.

Conclusions

This study highlights the importance of parental involvement in the education of children to delay the onset of sexual activity as a healthy practice during adolescence. Less parental supervision and a greater age result in earlier onset of sexual activity in young people. Co-educated teens engage in this activity earlier, although their mothers tend to supervise them more. Family and school are important contexts for fostering healthy life styles in teenagers.