Association between sexual behavior and suicidal ideation among South Korean middle school students

Aim To identify the association between sexual behavior and suicidal ideation among South Korean middle school students. Methods This study used raw data from the 2013 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey. Among the data from 72,435 students, the data from 36,530 individuals in middle school were analyzed. The prevalence of sexual behavior and suicidal ideation, according to the participants' general characteristics, and suicidal ideation, according to sexual behaviors, were assessed by using a complex sample Chi-squared test. A complex sample logistic regression was used to examine the association between sexual behavior and suicidal ideation. Results Overall, 3.8% of the students reported having had sexual intercourse and 17.6% of the students reported suicidal ideation during the past 12 months. Having had sexual intercourse was statistically significantly associated with suicidal ideation. The students who had had sexual intercourse usually used contraception and those who had contracted sexually transmitted diseases were more likely to report suicidal ideation in both the unadjusted and adjusted models. Conclusion This study illustrates the need to develop a prevention program that addresses the common factors between sexual behavior and suicidal ideation in order to effectively reduce both sexual behavior and suicidal ideation in middle school students.