Sexual onset has received limited attention in research on children of alcoholics (COAs). In the few published reports, significant associations between parental alcohol misuse and early sex have been observed [13–15], albeit in samples where non-Hispanic White families again predominate. To our knowledge, there are no studies linking parental alcoholism and sexual activity in African American adolescents. Thus, it is unknown whether African American COAs are also at increased risk of early-onset sex, relative to African American children of nonalcoholic parents.
