Lucia F. O'Sullivan

Eroding stereotypes: College women's attempts to influence reluctant male sexual partners

Guided by descriptions of the traditional sexual script, researchers have examined mens, but not womens, attempts to influence a reluctant dating partner to engage in sex. In the current study, we examined both mens and womens experiences of womens attempts to influence a reluctant male dating partner to engage in sexual activity. Ninety male and 111 female participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing sexual/dating histories and attitudes toward sexuality. Participants also completed the Sexual Situation Questionnaire designed to assess the situational and behavioral characteristics of disagreements in which a woman attempted to influence a reluctant man to engage in sex. Fifty‐six percent of the participants reported having experienced such a disagreement interaction in the year prior to the study. In accordance with attribution theory, men were expected to be more likely than were women to make personal attributions for their reluctance, whereas women were expected to be more likely ...

Sex without Desire: Characteristics of Occasions of Sexual Compliance in Young Adults' Committed Relationships

Sexual compliance (i.e., willingly engaging in sexual activity that one does not desire) is a common behavior among young people. Little is known about the characteristics of occasions of sexual compliance in the context of a committed relationship. This study used both a diary method and in-depth interviews to assess occasions of sexual compliance, as well as types of sexual activity, condom use, pleasure, and feelings of pressure and control. Participants included 63 young adults (18–24 years old) in committed, heterosexual relationships. Seventeen percent of all sexual activity was rated as sexually compliant. Occasions of sexual compliance were rated as less enjoyable and more unexpected. In-depth interviews revealed four key themes including endorsement of an implicit contract between partners, partner awareness of low desire, past experience of pressure, and justification for reporting low desire. Future research should evaluate the long-term impact of sexual compliance on a relationship.

Schoolgirls and Soccer Moms: A Content Analysis of Free “Teen” and “MILF” Online Pornography

Viewing free online pornographic videos has increasingly become a common behavior among young people, although little is known about the content of these videos. The current study analyzed the content of two popular female-age-based types of free, online pornography (teen and MILF) and examined nuances in the portrayal of gender and access to power in relation to the age of the female actor. A total of 100 videos were selected from 10 popular Web sites, and their content was coded using independent raters. Vaginal intercourse and fellatio were the most frequently depicted sexual acts. The use of sex toys, paraphilias, cuddling, and condom use were rare, as were depictions of coercion. Control of the pace and direction of sexual activity was typically shared by the male and female actors. Moreover, there were no gender differences in initiation of sexual activity, use of persuasion, portrayals of sexual experience, or in professional status. However, female actors in MILF videos were portrayed as more agentic and were more likely to initiate sexual activity, control the pace of sexual activity, and have a higher professional status. Implications regarding the role of pornography in generating or reinforcing sexual norms or scripts are discussed.

A Cognitive Analysis of College Students’ Explanations for Engaging in Unprotected Sexual Intercourse

Young adults, including college students, engage in high levels of unprotected sexual activity despite relatively high rates of HIV/STI and pregnancy-related knowledge. Little is known about the cognitive strategies that young people use to explain this inconsistency. The current study examined young people’s explanations for engaging in unprotected sexual activity in their committed relationships. A total of 63 young adults (32 women and 31 men) completed daily diaries over a 3-week period, providing a total of 1,284 daily reports tracking their condom use and non-use during intercourse. Diary collection was followed by in-depth interviews designed to explore participants’ decision-making regarding their participation in sexual intercourse unprotected against infection or unwanted pregnancy. Less than a quarter of the sample used condoms or oral contraceptives consistently. Participants primarily viewed condoms as a means of preventing pregnancy; few described disease prevention as a main motivation for their use. Analysis of the cognitions underlying explanations for condom and contraception non-use were classified as (1) general biased risk evaluation, (2) biased evidence evaluation, (3) endorsement of poor alternatives, (4) focus on spurious justifications, (5) dismissing risk, and (6) ignoring risk. Prevention interventions should incorporate methods to challenge young people to acknowledge personal risk and commit themselves to taking steps to reduce this risk.

Predicting first intercourse among urban early adolescent girls: The role of emotions

Little is known about how girls perceive their ongoing or future sexual experiences, especially the emotions that they associate with these experiences. This study examined how early adolescent girls characterise first intercourse experiences in terms of positive and negative emotions over a one-year period. A US sample of 162 girls (12–14 years), primarily Latina and Black, completed two interviews one year apart that assessed sexual cognitions, affect, and behaviour. Girls anticipated primarily negative emotions associated with first intercourse, but recalled primarily positive emotions for first and recent intercourse experiences. In addition, girls’ emotion scores proved more useful than two types of cognitions (intentions and perceived readiness) and pre-intercourse sexual experience in predicting transitions to intercourse over the one-year period.

Primary care providers' reports of time alone and the provision of sexual health services to urban adolescent patients: results of a prospective card study.

Confidential care is an essential element of quality adolescent primary care. Twenty-one primary care providers tracked provision of confidential care (time alone with adolescent) and sexual health services in clinics serving low-income, primarily minority communities. Over 144 visits attended by a parent, 68% involved time alone with the adolescent. Time alone was 18 times higher for physicals than same day or walk-in visits, and 3 times higher if teen presented a sex complaint. Provision of sexual health services was 3 times higher for those who had time alone with the provider, especially among girls. The results indicate some missed opportunities to deliver needed services to at-risk populations, especially among boys.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Predictors of Male and Female Adolescents' Transitions to Intimate Sexual Behavior

PURPOSE Determining predictors of sexual transitions is essential for developing health interventions. METHODS Adolescents (13-16 years) completed baseline and 6-month surveys assessing psychosocial factors and sexual behavior. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Lower self-esteem for boys and higher lifetime alcohol use for girls predicted transitions to more intimate sex. These differential profiles may warrant tailored health initiatives.

Young Adults' Implicit and Explicit Attitudes towards the Sexuality of Older Adults

L’intérêt sexuel et la capacité sexuelle peut s’étendre loin dans la vie plus tard, entraînant de nombreux effets positifs sur la santé. Cependant, il y a peu de soutien pour l’expression sexuelle dans la vie plus tard, notamment chez les jeunes adultes. Cette étude a évalué et comparé les attitudes implicites et explicites de jeunes adultes face à la sexualité des adultes âgés. Un échantillon de 120 participants (18–24 ans, dont 58 pourcent femmes) ont rempli un auto-évaluation et une série de tests d’associations implicites, capturant les attitudes envers la sexualité parmi les personnes âgées. Malgré des rapports des attitudes explicites positifs, les jeunes ont révelé un biais implicite contre la vie sexuelle des personnes âgées. En particulier, les jeunes adultes ont montré des partis pris implicites favorisant les activités générales, par rapport aux activités sexuelles, et les jeunes adultes sur les adultes plus âgés. En outre, les biais favorisant les activités générales ont été amplifiées à l’égard de personnes âgées par rapport aux jeunes adultes. Nos résultats mettent en doute la validité de la recherche en s’appuyant sur les déclarations des attitudes sur la sexualité des adultes plus âgés. Sexual interest and capacity can extend far into later life and result in many positive health outcomes. Yet there is little support for sexual expression in later life, particularly among young adults. This study assessed and compared young adults’ explicit and implicit attitudes towards older adult sexuality. A sample of 120 participants (18–24 years; 58% female) completed a self-report (explicit) measure and a series of Implicit Association Tests capturing attitudes towards sexuality among older adults. Despite reporting positive explicit attitudes, young people revealed an implicit bias against the sexual lives of older adults. In particular, young adults demonstrated implicit biases favouring general, as compared to sexual, activities and young adults as compared to older adults. Moreover, the bias favouring general activities was amplified with regard to older adults as compared to younger adults. Our findings challenge the validity of research relying on self-reports of attitudes about older adult sexuality.

Does HIV VCT Reduce Risk Behaviors? An Observational Study in Guatemala City

OBJECTIVE We examined the impact of HIV voluntary counseling and testing on self-reported behavioral risks three months after HIV testing. DESIGN Cohort study comparing self-reported risk behaviors prior to and three months after HIV testing. SETTING Clinica Familiar Luis Angel Garcia, an HIV specialty clinic located in a Guatemalan National Hospital. SUBJECTS, PARTICIPANTS 144 people undergoing HIV testing were enrolled. 44 were HIV positive. 41 HIV positive and 49 HIV negative subjects returned for follow-up interviews. INTERVENTION All subjects were tested and received voluntary counseling regarding HIV infection, transmission, prevention, and interpretation of HIV test results. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The primary study outcome measure was change in self-reported risk behaviors three months after voluntary counseling and testing. RESULTS Men were more likely than women to report a history of sexually transmitted diseases, more than 2 sexual partners, using alcohol with sex, and receiving money for sex; they were less likely to have a regular partner. 26% of men reported non-heterosexual orientation; no woman did. Alcohol was the primary drug of abuse in both men and women. At three month follow-up HIV positive subjects showed decreases in the average number of sexual partners, use of alcohol with sex, and episodes of unprotected sex. CONCLUSIONS Voluntary counseling and testing resulted in changes in some self-reported risk behaviors, but only among HIV positive subjects. On nearly all measures men report riskier behavior than women. Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in this population and is often used with sex.

Cognitive processing in the aftermath of relationship dissolution: Associations with concurrent and prospective distress and posttraumatic growth.

Non-marital romantic relationship dissolution is amongst the most stressful life events experienced by young adults. Yet, some individuals experience posttraumatic growth following relationship dissolution. Little is known about the specific and differential contribution of trait-like and event-specific cognitive processing styles to each of these outcomes. A longitudinal design was employed in which trait-like (brooding and reflection) and dissolution-specific (intrusive and deliberate) cognitive processing was examined as predictors of growth (Posttraumatic Growth Inventory) and distress (Breakup Distress Scale) following a recent relationship dissolution. Initially, 148 participants completed measures of trait-like and dissolution-specific cognitive processing, growth, and distress (T1). A subsample completed a seven-month follow-up (T2). Higher frequency of relationship-dissolution intrusive thoughts predicted concurrent distress after accounting for brooding and relationship characteristics. Further, higher brooding and lower reflection predicted higher distress prospectively. Concurrent growth was predicted by both higher brooding and more deliberate relationship-dissolution thoughts. Prospectively, T1 dissolution intrusive thoughts predicted higher T2 deliberate thoughts, and the interaction between these two constructs predicted higher T2 growth. Therefore, deliberately thinking of the dissolution was related to positive psychological outcomes. In contrast, intrusive dissolution cognitions and a tendency for brooding had a mixed (paradoxical) association with psychological adjustment.