Table 1.
Natsal-3 questions used to construct measure of ‘sexual competence’ at first intercourse. Highlighted are the answers that must be given for a respondent to be classified as ‘sexually competent’ at first intercourse
| Concept | Natsal-3 Questions | Coding |
|---|---|---|
| Willingness of partners | Q: Would you say you were both equally willing to have intercourse that first time, or was one of you more willing than the other? | Equally willing = 1 if answer = 1 |
| A: | ||
| 1. Both equally willing | Equally willing = 0 if answer = 2 or 3 | |
| 2. Respondent more willing | ||
| 3. Partner more willing | ||
| Acceptable timing | Q: Looking back now to the first time you had sexual intercourse, do you think…. | Right time = 1 if answer = 3 |
| A: | ||
| 1. You should have waited longer before having sex with anyone | Right time = 0 if answer = 1 or 2 | |
| 2. That you shouldn’t have waited so long | ||
| 3. It was at about the right time | ||
| Autonomous reason | Q: Which one of these applied to you at the time…. (choose the main one that applied at the time) | Autonomous reason = 1 if answer =1 or 2 or 4 or 8 or 9 |
| A: | Autonomous reason = 0 if answer = 3 or 5 or 6 or 7 | |
| 1. I was curious about what it would be like | ||
| 2. I was carried away by my feelings | ||
| 3. Most people in my age group seemed to be doing it | ||
| 4. It seemed like a natural ‘follow on’ in the relationship | ||
| 5. I was a bit drunk at the time | ||
| 6. I had smoked some cannabis | ||
| 7. I had taken some other drugs | ||
| 8. I wanted to lose my virginity | ||
| 9. I was in love | ||
| 10. Can’t choose/more than one main factor | ||
| Use of reliable method of contraception | Q: Thinking of that first time you had sexual intercourse, did you or your partner use any form of contraception or take any precautions that first time, or not? | Reliable contraceptive protection = 1 if answer = 1 or 2 |
| A: | Reliable contraceptive protection = 0 if answer = 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 | |
| 1. Condom | ||
| 2. The pill | ||
| 3. Emergency contraception | ||
| 4. Other contraception | ||
| 5. (Partner) withdrew | ||
| 6. Made sure it was a safe period | ||
| 7. No precautions by me, don’t know about partner | ||
| 8. No precautions by either of us |