Amoateng, Acheampong Yaw2018-06-202018-06-202017Amoateng, A.Y. 2017. Does religion affect sexual behaviour? Focus on first sexual intercourse among youth in North West University South Africa. Gender and Behaviour, 15(2):8868-8883. [https://journals.co.za/content/journal/10520/EJC-b1c492b08]1596-9231https://journals.co.za/content/journal/10520/EJC-b1c492b08http://hdl.handle.net/10394/27824The aim of the study was to assess the impact of religion on the timing of youth transition to first sexual intercourse using a sample of undergraduate students from the North-West University in South Africa. Cox regression analysis showed that higher levels of religiosity have a delaying effect on the age at which youth have first sexual intercourse. Besides religion, gender, ethnicity, race and substance were all significantly associated with age at sexual debut. Females, Afrikaans-speaking youth, and whites were all likely to delay sexual intercourse compared to males, English-speaking and Black African youths. Finally, high levels of substance use by youth were associated with early initiation of sexual intercourse. We conclude that while religion exerts a negative influence on the timing of transition to first sexual intercourse, there is a multiplicity of other socio-cultural factors that equally affect this youth behaviour.enReligionSexual debutSocialisationSubstance useSurvival analysis and YouthArticle