Objective: We identify common patterns of joint relationship, sex, and contraceptive trajectories in young adulthood and assess how selection into these trajectories differs across socioeconomic and demographic groups and varies with earlier sexual and reproductive experiences and attitudes. Methods: We draw on a weekly panel of 581 young adult women in the United States that includes granular data on sexual and contraceptive behaviors. We use sequence analysis to describe joint relationship, sex, and contraceptive trajectories over the course of a year and multinomial logistic regression to examine how these trajectories are associated with socioeconomic disadvantage and minority racial status. Results: We identify six trajectories characterized by differences in relationship stability, sexual regularity, and contraceptive efficacy. Many women report no romantic relationships over the year. Among those who do, instability in relationships, sex, and contraception is common. Less advantaged women are more likely to be on trajectories marked by frequent relationship transitions, coresidence, and less effective contraception. These socioeconomic differences are largely explained by earlier experiences and attitudes. Black women are the most likely to be on a trajectory characterized by simultaneous relationship, sex, and contraceptive instability, and this holds net of earlier experiences and attitudes. Contribution: We provide a novel way of understanding how women’s relationship, sexual, and contraceptive trajectories co-evolve and vary by sociodemographic characteristics. Results highlight that instability is common in the young adult years but that differences in how trajectories unfold suggest greater risk of unintended pregnancies for socially disadvantaged and black women.

中文翻译：

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青年妇女的联合关系，性别和避孕轨迹：来自美国的证据

目的：我们确定成年后成年人的关节关系，性别和避孕轨迹的常见模式，并评估在社会经济和人口群体中选择这些轨迹的方式是如何变化的，并随着早期的性，生殖经历和态度而变化。方法：我们每周在美国581名成年女性中进行调查，其中包括性行为和避孕行为的详尽数据。我们使用序列分析来描述一年中的关节关系，性别和避孕轨迹，并通过多项逻辑回归分析这些轨迹如何与社会经济劣势和少数族裔地位相关联。结果：我们确定了六个轨迹，这些轨迹的特征在于关系稳定性，性规律性和避孕功效的差异。一年来，许多女性表示没有恋爱关系。在这样做的人中，人际关系，性别和避孕方面的不稳定是很普遍的。处于劣势地位的妇女更有可能走上以频繁的人际关系转变，共识和避孕效果较差为特征的轨迹。这些社会经济差异很大程度上是由较早的经验和态度所解释的。黑人女性最有可能处于以同时发生性关系，性别和避孕不稳定为特征的轨迹上，这具有较早的经验和态度。贡献：我们提供了一种新颖的方式来理解女性的关系，性和避孕轨迹如何随社会人口统计学特征的变化而变化。