Caring Adults: A Brief Report Assessing Adults’ Needs in Feeling More Comfortable Having Sexual Health Conversations with Youth in South Texas

Abstract

Objectives: As part of a larger Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-funded project in South Texas, this study sought to understand adults’ needs with regard to engaging in sexual health conversations with youth and young adults.

Methods: A total of 223 participants were surveyed to assess comfort engaging in sexual health conversations. Data were analyzed using thematic coding. Stigma surrounding sexual health conversations underlined all themes.

Results: Differences by gender and sexual orientation in the data were noted. Stigma around sexual health topics reduced participants’ comfort.

Conclusions: To this end, interventions must go beyond psychosocial and educational programs and address societal factors that contribute to the stigma.     

Contraceptive Attitudes and Sexual Self-Esteem Among Young Adults: Communication and Quality of Relationships with Mothers

ABSTRACT. Objectives: This study investigated relations between quality of relationships with mothers and communication with mothers about sex with contraceptive attitudes and sexual self-esteem among emerging adults. Methods: Undergraduate students (N = 176, M_age = 22 years 65% women) completed self-report measures of relationships with mothers, communication about sex, and sexual self-esteem. Results: Results indicated positive relations between quality of relationships with mothers and open, positive sex communication, for men and women, sexually and not sexually active; and between relationship quality with mothers, sex communication with mothers, and sexual self-esteem of women. Conclusions: Warm, supportive relationships with mothers in emerging adulthood include open, comfortable communications about sexuality, which were linked to features of sexual well-being of young adults.     

Relative Efficacy of a Pregnancy,Sexually Transmitted Infection,or Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention–Focused Intervention on Changing Sexual Risk Behavior Among Young Adults

Abstract

Objectives: Despite findings suggesting that young adults are more concerned about experiencing an unplanned pregnancy or contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) than becoming human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected, no empirical work has investigated whether the specific focus of an intervention may be more or less efficacious at changing sexual behavior. Participants: Participants were 198 college students randomized to 1 of 4 conditions: pregnancy intervention, STI intervention, HIV intervention, or a control condition during 2008–2009. Methods: The authors compared the efficacy of 3 theory-based, sexual risk–reduction interventions that were exactly the same except for an exclusive focus on preventing pregnancy, STI, or HIV. Condom use and risky sexual behavior were assessed at baseline and 4-week and 8-week follow-up. Results: Participants exposed to the pregnancy or STI interventions reported greater condom use and less risky sexual behavior than those exposed to the HIV intervention. Conclusions: The focus of sexual risk–reduction interventions may lead to differential behavior change among young adults.     

Priming Sexual and Romantic Representations in Two Media Environments: Sex Encourages and Romance Discourages Sexual Permissiveness … Sometimes

Two experiments (Ns = 314, 447) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of sexual cues in temporarily increasing young adults’ self-reported sexual permissiveness, as well as the effects of romantic cues in temporarily decreasing permissiveness. Participants were exposed to sexual or romantic cues embedded as a theme-defining component of an online game (Study 1) or in advertisements peripheral to the online game (Study 2). Sexual and romantic conditions were compared against a control condition. As hypothesized, participants in the romantic conditions rated themselves lower in sexual permissiveness, compared to participants in the sexual and control conditions, particularly when participants positively evaluated the online game experience. Findings suggest that exposure to entertaining media depictions of two people, as a committed couple, expressing love, as well as lust, for each other might deter young adults from considering engagement in casual sexual encounters indicative of “hookup culture.”     

Seventy-Five Years Old and Still Going Strong: Stability and Change in Sexual Interest and Sexual Enjoyment in Elderly Men and Women Across Europe

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to test a conceptual model of retrospectively assessed change in sexual interest and sexual enjoyment in the past 10 years among coupled older adults in Norway, Denmark, Belgium and Portugal. To which degree do structural influences, personal characteristics, and interpersonal factors predict the dynamics of sexual interest and enjoyment in partnered persons? Methods: Data were collected as a cross-sectional postal survey, with national probability-based samples of the population aged 60-75 years recruited by phone registers in Norway (676 men and 594 women), Denmark (530 men and 515 women), Belgium ( 318 men and 672 women), and Portugal (236 men and 273 women). Results: Across countries, personal characteristics—primarily general health status—were the most important predictors of change in sexual interest and sexual enjoyment in men. Change in sexual interest and enjoyment among women (except for Portuguese women) was best predicted by interpersonal factors. Conclusions: Good health, an active sex life throughout the lifespan, direction of relationship, and feeling emotionally close to partner during sex are important factors in maintaining sexual interest and enjoyment among partnered older adults in Europe.     

The Relationship Between Sexual Concordance and Orgasm Consistency in Women

Sexual concordance (the relationship between genital and self-reported sexual responses) may be associated with orgasm consistency (OC; the proportion of sexual acts leading to orgasm) during penile–vaginal intercourse (PVI) in women. We investigated the relationship between women’s sexual concordance (assessed using different stimulus modalities and self-reported sexual arousal methods) and OC during various sexual activities (assessed using different types of questions). For Study 1 (n = 51), when sexual concordance was assessed using audiovisual sexual stimuli, we did not find a statistically significant relationship between OC and poststimulus self-reports of sexual arousal or genital sensations, raw values of OC, or ranges of OC. For Study 2 (n = 44), where sexual concordance was assessed using audionarrative sexual stimuli, we did find a statistically significant relationship between PVI OC and sexual concordance using change in self-reported sexual arousal, and ranges of orgasm consistency. Two findings were inconsistent with previous research. First, OC varied significantly by activity type in both studies; masturbation yielded the highest OC. Second, PVI OC was significantly related to oral sex and masturbation OC (Study 2). We discuss the need for further research and various factors that may affect women’s orgasm consistency and sexual concordance.     

Sexual Violence and the MDGs

ABSTRACT

Sexual violence is multi-faceted. Three (overlapping) categories can be distinguished: violence that is sexual in nature, gender-based violence, and sexuality-based violence. The latter refers to violence against persons because of their sexuality and/or their (presumed) sexual behavior. Being female, young, poor, and living in a sexually conservative culture and/or in conflict areas appear to be important risk factors for sexual violence. Sexual violence is widespread (one in five girls worldwide are sexually abused in childhood and up to three-quarters of women in some countries have been victimized by a partner), but prevalence figures around the globe are hard to compare. Both the individual and society suffer from sexual violence. The eradication of sexual violence is directly relevant to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) related to infant and maternal health and mortality, and combating HIV/AIDS. And certainly no less important, it is very closely linked to the MDGs related to gender equality and the empowerment of women, poverty, and primary education for all. Campaigning against sexual violence against women has been presented as one of the ‘quick wins’ in progress towards achieving the MDGs by the UN Millennium Project. Many good practices have been employed in political-legal, awareness raising, prevention, and health care domains, but important setbacks are noteworthy as well. Priority number one for the World Association for Sexual Health now seems to be to adequately and strategically contribute to the continuous efforts to integrate sexual health into the Millennium Development framework.     

When,If, and How: Young Women Contend With Orgasmic Absence

While cultural ideas about “healthy” and “fulfilling” sexuality often include orgasm, many young women do not experience orgasm during partnered sex. The current study examined how women described this absence of orgasm in their sexual experiences with male partners. We examined interviews (N = 17) with women ages 18 to 28 and focused on their ideas about orgasm and their explanations concerning when and why they do not orgasm. We explored three themes that illustrate the strategies young women use to contend with orgasmic absence: (1) What’s the big deal?; (2) It’s just biology; and (3) Not now, but someday. We found that young women’s explanations allowed them to reduce feelings of abnormality and enabled them to distance themselves from sexual expectations regarding the perceived value of orgasm. In analyzing the complicated gender and sexual dynamics surrounding orgasm, we turned to Fahs’ (2014) work on sexual freedom and the importance of articulating freedom from sexual obligations as a key intervention in critical sexuality research. In our discussion, we examine the implications of our findings for critical researchers looking to better understand the role of sexual norms in how young women imagine and discuss the role of pleasure in their own sexual lives.     

Identity,Training, and Expertise Among Sexual Health Professionals

ABSTRACT

The current study explores identity, training, and reported areas of expertise among sexual health professionals. Members of sexual health organizations (n = 500) completed an Internet survey. Personal interest in sexuality best predicted a priori planning to enter the field. Few individuals reported advanced training in sexual health, but those who did reported more mentorship, training satisfaction, and current work hours focused on sexual health. Participants reported more work in sex therapy than in sex education or research. Female and male sexual dysfunction received more professional attention at the expense of specialized topics. To nurture sexual health as a field, more training opportunities, more sex research, more sex education, and more attention to marginalized topics are needed.     

College Women's Sexual Decision Making: Cognitive Mediation of Alcohol Expectancy Effects

Abstract

Objective: Alcohol has been linked to a variety of risky sexual practices, including inconsistent condom use. Due to the high rates of alcohol consumption among underage college women, greater understanding of the role of alcohol in young women's sexual decision making is warranted. Participants and Methods: Female underage (18- to 20-year-old) social drinkers (N = 94) participated in an experiment in which they projected themselves into a written hypothetical sexual situation with a new partner. One half of the situations portrayed alcohol consumption; one half did not involve alcohol consumption. Their appraisals of the situation's sexual potential, impelling and inhibiting cognitions, and sexual behavior intentions were assessed. Results: Results revealed that alcohol's expectancy effects on young women's unprotected sexual intentions were mediated by their cognitive appraisals of the situation. Conclusions: These findings indicate that alcohol expectancies and their influence on women's sexual decisions should be incorporated into sexual risk reduction efforts.     

Explicit Verbal Sexual Consent Communication: Effects of Gender,Relationship Status,and Type of Sexual Behavior

Objectives: College students believe that they are supposed to be explicit and verbal in their sexual consent communication. We examined various contexts to determine when sexual consent is likely to be communicated explicitly and verbally. Method: We surveyed U.S. college students’ (n?=?707) sexual consent communication. Results: We identified contexts when explicit verbal consent cues are less likely—when the person is a woman, when the sexual relationship is casual, and when the sexual behavior is not vaginal-penile intercourse. Conclusions: If sexual consent is contextual, that means communicating consent should not ever be taken for granted.     

Human Sexual Development is Subject to Critical-Period Learning: Paradigm-Shifting Implications for Sexual Therapy and for Child-Rearing

ABSTRACT. Objectives: Our study was designed to study the origins of the variation in sexual interest in normal adult human beings. Methods: Retrospective data were entered anonymously by 2,201 female participants and 1,242 male participants using computer-assisted self-interview. Results: In both sexes, participants who began sexual behaviors before age 13 had the highest interest in sex as adults as measured by frequencies of masturbation and partner sex. Our findings were consistent with learning to function sexually being subject to critical-period learning. Conclusions: Critical-period learning provided a theoretical basis for understanding variation in interest in sex among adult individuals of both sexes. These results have implications for understanding the origins of hypoactive sexual desire, and they also have implications for child-rearing practices.     

Sexual Minorities’ Gender Norm Conformity and Sexual Satisfaction: The Mediating Effects of Sexual Communication,Internalized Stigma,and Sexual Narcissism

Objective: Sexual satisfaction has implications for well-being and may be related to gender norms. This study was conducted to understand the relationship between U.S. sexual minority (SM) individuals’ gender norm conformity and levels of sexual satisfaction, as well as examining the following potential mediators: sexual communication, internalized stigma, and sexual narcissism. Methods and Results: A path analysis (N?=?142) revealed that, for SM individuals, higher conformity to feminine norms was related to lower sexual satisfaction through higher internalized stigma. In addition, higher conformity to feminine norms for SM individuals was positively associated with sexual narcissism. Conclusion: Implications related to sexual satisfaction for SM individuals are discussed.     

Relations Between Substance Use and Personal Dispositions Towards Out-of-Control Sexual Behaviors Among Young Adults

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the extent of associations between the two personal dispositions “sexual sensation seeking” and “sexual compulsivity,” and use of alcohol and stimulants in a sample of 539 young adults. Men scored higher on measures of sexual compulsivity and sexual sensation seeking than women. Stimulant drug use was associated with a high level of sexually compulsive behaviors. Strong positive associations were also found between sexual sensation seeking and alcohol use, and stimulant drug use was also nearly significantly associated with sexual sensation seeking. Relationships between addictive behaviors, and their implications for health promotion programs targeted at college students need to be investigated using longitudinal and qualitative research methods.     

Evolving Narratives About Childhood Sexual Abuse: Challenging the Dominance of the Victim and Survivor Paradigm

This research project explored the ongoing process of constructing a narrative, following childhood sexual abuse. Twenty‐two men and women aged 25–70 were interviewed about their childhood sexual experiences with adults using narrative inquiry methodology. These experiences occurred in different social and historical contexts, when the theoretical understandings and treatment of the issue of child sexual abuse were significantly different from the present. Many factors made disclosure even more difficult then than it is now including: respect for authority; rigid gender roles; the taboo surrounding sexual issues; lack of supportive adults; and lack of language to describe what was happening. Participants told four differing narratives about their experiences: narratives of silence; narratives of ongoing suffering; narratives of transformation; and narratives of transcendence. These narratives were examined in relation to the changing social and historical context and the current dominance of the victim and survivor paradigm in the child sexual abuse literature.     

Gender Similarities and Differences in Sexual Arousal,Desire, and Orgasmic Pleasure in the Laboratory

Relatively little is known about gender differences in the orgasm experience. The objectives of this study were to compare men's and women's patterns of sexual arousal and desire before and after orgasm, and the predictors of their orgasmic pleasure. Using their typical technique, where masturbation enjoyment was similar to that experienced at home, 38 men and 38 women masturbated to orgasm in the laboratory. Physiological sexual arousal (genital temperature) and subjective sexual arousal and desire measurements were taken at baseline, after masturbation almost to orgasm, and immediately and 15 minutes after orgasm. In both genders, all measures increased significantly during masturbation, with a greater buildup leading to a more pleasurable orgasm. After orgasm, however, sexual arousal and desire decreased more quickly and consistently in men than in women, thereby replicating Masters and Johnson's (1966 Masters , W. H. , &; Johnson , V. E. ( 1966 ). Human sexual response . Boston , MA : Little, Brown . [Google Scholar]) observations. More men than women exhibited resolution of subjective sexual arousal and sexual satiation; their genital temperature also decreased more than women's but did not return to baseline. Women's orgasmic pleasure was related to a postorgasmic decrease in genital temperature but, unexpectedly, the maintenance of subjective sexual arousal and desire. Future studies should explore whether this pattern explains gender differences in the pursuit of additional orgasms.