New research shows parents who smoke, drink and otherwise put their health at risk are more likely to have teenagers who experiment with sex. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a school-based study of adolescents, shows that children of parents who smoke are 50% more likely to have sex by age 15. Teenagers whose parents engage in risky health behaviors are also more likely to smoke, drink, use drugs, and engage in delinquent behavior. But teenage girls who have close relationships with their mothers wait longer to have sex for the first time.
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