Race and First Sexual Intercourse: A Case Study of Two Cohorts of Females in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Andrea B. Simão, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Paula Miranda-Ribeiro, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Andre J. Caetano, Centro de Desenvolvimento e Planejamento Regional (CEDEPLAR)
Cibele C. Cesar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

The objectives of this paper are twofold. Firstly, it aims at verifying changes in the age of first sexual intercourse, comparing the role of race/skin color in the observed differences of the two birth cohorts. Secondly, it intends to investigate the differences in the norms and values regarding age at first sexual intercourse when females from different race/skin colors, cohorts, and educational levels are compared. Data come from the survey “Saúde Reprodutiva, Sexualidade e Raça/Cor” (SRSR), conducted by Cedeplar, in 2002, and from seventeen focus groups meetings carried out by the first author in Belo Horizonte, in 2003-2004. The SRSR is one of the most recent Brazilian surveys about sexual and reproductive health and among the few which are representative at the city level. Although not representative at the city level, data generated by focus group discussions bring insights into norms and values regarding age at first sexual intercourse.