Graciela Espinosa-Hernández

Sex-related communication with mothers and close friends during the transition to university.

Abstract The current study examines communication about sex-related topics with close friends and mothers during the first semester of college. Students (N equal; 182; 50% female; mean age equal; 18.5) completed surveys about the frequency and quality of their sex-related communication with same-sex close friends and mothers and about their sexual experience and attitudes. Sex-related communication was more frequently reported by women than by men and as occurring with close friends more frequently than with mothers. Sexually active students discussed most topics more frequently than did abstinent students. Communication with close friends was a stronger correlate of sexual attitudes than was communication with mothers. Finally, the quality of communication with close friends was more strongly associated with sexual experience and attitudes than was communication with mothers. Findings suggest the importance of understanding the role of friends in assigning meaning to sexual behaviors and beliefs.

Attitudes Toward Menopause in Relation to Symptom Experience in Puebla, Mexico

ABSTRACT Objective: To examine how attitudes toward menopause were associated with symptom frequencies after controlling for menopause status and level of education. Methods: Women aged 28–70 (n = 755) were interviewed from May, 1999 through August, 2000 in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Over 90% of the sample were aged 40–60. Participants were asked to select from a set of dichotomies to describe “how a woman feels during menopause.” Symptom frequencies were assessed by a checklist of everyday complaints experienced during the two weeks before interview. Symptom presence or absence was examined in relation to attitudes while controlling for menopause status and level of education using binary logistic regression analyses. Results: The majority of respondents said that a menopausal woman feels “insecure” and “unattractive” yet “complete,” “necessary,” and “successful.” Pre-menopausal women and respondents who had undergone a hysterectomy were more likely to express negative attitudes. Post-menopausal women and women with fewer years of education were significantly more likely to report symptoms such as hot flashes, joint aches, and nervous tension. A range of negative attitudes were associated with nervous tension, feeling blue, and head aches; however, only a few negative attitudes were significantly predictive of estrogen-related symptoms (e.g., hot flashes). Conclusions: There is a high value placed on both external appearance and familial responsibility among menopausal women in Puebla, Mexico, and negative characterizations of menopause reflect these values. Negative attitudes were associated with more frequently reported symptoms compared with positive attitudes. The challenge remains to separate factors related to the hormonal changes of menopause from those not associated with hormonal changes to better understand symptom experience.

Premenarcheal Mexican girls' expectations concerning perimenstrual changes and menstrual attitudes.

The objective of this study was to determine both the perimenstrual changes that Mexican premenarcheal girls expect to experience and their attitudes toward menstruation. A total of 750 premenarcheal girls in fifth and sixth grade were studied. Participants completed a Perimenstrual Change Checklist, which listed 20 negative possible perimenstrual changes and ten positive ones, and a Spanish version of the Adolescent Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire. The results showed a set of mostly negative perimenstrual expectations, the most common being discomfort, cramps or abdominal pain and mood swings. Concerning menstrual attitudes, the girls scored highest on secrecy, followed by negative feelings and by positive feelings. The girls who perceived menstruation as a negative event and with secrecy, expected more negative perimenstrual changes, while those who perceived menstruation as a positive event expected more positive perimenstrual changes. We believe premenarcheal girls, with no personal experience, must be more influenced by cultural stereotypes which are of a negative nature.

Behavioral autonomy age expectations among Mexican-origin mother–daughter dyads: An examination of within-group variability

This study examined differences in behavioral autonomy age expectations between Mexican-origin mothers and their adolescent daughters (N = 319 dyads); variability in behavioral autonomy age expectations as a function of nativity and maternal educational attainment also was examined. Findings indicated significant differences between mothers and daughters, such that mothers reported later expectations for the timing of behavioral autonomy than did daughters. Follow-up analyses indicated that findings appeared to be driven by maternal nativity, with dyads comprised of Mexico-born mothers reporting the latest age expectations for behavioral autonomy when compared with dyads comprised of U.S. born mothers. Findings underscore the need to examine normative development among Latino adolescents and their families with a specific focus on how sociocultural characteristics can contribute to within-family differences.

The Role of Religiousness and Gender in Sexuality Among Mexican Adolescents

This study examined the role of religiousness and gender in age at first intercourse, and sexual expectations and values in Mexico, a macrocontext where the majority is Mexican and Catholic (83%). Participants were Catholic and nonreligious adolescents (54% girls) attending middle (71%) or high school. Findings indicated that Catholic adolescents engaged in sexual intercourse at later ages than nonreligious adolescents. Both religious attendance and importance of religion and values in sexual decision making were associated with more conservative sexual values. Boys who were raised Catholic were more likely to endorse female virginity values and were less likely to expect to wait to have sex until married than nonreligious boys. These associations were not significant among girls. Catholic boys may be more likely to internalize sexual double standard beliefs regarding premarital sex than nonreligious boys. This study expands our understanding of the role of religiousness in Mexican adolescents’ sexuality.

Positive and negative perceived consequences of first intercourse among middle and high school students in Puebla, Mexico

Abstract Relatively little is known about young people’s interpretations of sexual behaviour in Latin America. In this study, we examine the most commonly perceived consequences of first sexual intercourse among Mexican middle and high school students, how perceived consequences differ by gender, and factors that may predict experiencing more positive or negative consequences. Sexually active Mexican students aged 12–19 years (n = 268) reported whether they had experienced each of 19 consequences following first intercourse. Both positive consequences, such as physical satisfaction and closeness to partner, and negative consequences, such as worry about STDs and pregnancy, were common. Sex with a non-relationship partner was associated with fewer positive and more negative consequences, with the effect for positive consequences being stronger for young women. Pressure to have sex was associated with fewer positive consequences of first intercourse, and pressure to remain a virgin was associated with more positive and negative consequences. These findings suggest that young people often report mixed feelings about their first sexual intercourse and that relationship context and sexual socialisation influence their perceptions of the event.

Romantic relationships in Mexico: Understanding the role of parenting and respeto in adolescence

This study examined whether adolescents’ perceptions of maternal warmth and monitoring were associated with dating experience (experience vs. no experience) and romantic relationship duration in Mexico. We also explored whether respeto, age, and gender moderated these associations. Mexican adolescents (54% girls), aged 12–19, self-reported on their perceptions of maternal warmth and monitoring and romantic relationships. Findings suggest that more perceived maternal warmth was associated with longer relationships. The association between monitoring and relationship length was moderated by age and respeto. Specifically, more monitoring was associated with shorter relationships among older adolescents and those who reported lower levels of respeto. Adolescents who endorse respeto and those who are younger may not perceive maternal monitoring as an attempt to hinder their romantic relationships. Findings highlight the importance of cultural context and parental relationships in Mexican adolescents’ romantic experiences.

Attitudes toward menopause, sexual function and depressive symptoms in Mexican women

Abstract The objective of this study was to explore the beliefs and attitudes toward menopause, depressive symptoms and sexual function in both premenopausal and postmenopausal Mexican women. The Beliefs about and Attitudes toward Menopause Questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale were answered by 253 women between the ages of 46 and 59 years. Negative attitudes toward menopause were associated with a more depressive symptomatology, but there was no association between positive attitudes and depressive symptomatology. Among sexually active women (92% premenopausal and 70% postmenopausal), positive attitudes were associated with better sexual function, while negative attitudes were associated with worse sexual function. Our findings suggest that besides biological factors, psychosocial factors may also play an important role in middle-aged women’s sexual functioning and in their psychological adjustment.

Brief report: The role of three dimensions of sexual well-being in adolescents' life satisfaction.

Guided by theoretical (Brooks-Gunn & Paikoff, 1997) and empirical work (Horne & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2005), this cross-sectional study examined whether sexual well-being (sexual self-acceptance, importance of mutual consent, importance of safe sex) was associated with life satisfaction among Mexican adolescents, and whether these associations were moderated by gender, age, and familism. Mexican adolescents (54% girls, 72% middle schoolers, 30% sexually active) completed surveys. Findings indicated that a greater belief in the importance of safe sex was associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. Greater sexual self-acceptance was associated with life satisfaction, and familism moderated this association. This association was stronger among adolescents who reported low familism. This study contributes to the understanding of sexual adolescent well-being and psychological adjustment in Mexico, an understudied cultural context.