Extensive works considers the negative physical and mental health correlates of sexual behavior during adolescence, but less work considers the potential positive role that sexual behavior plays. By the college years, when engagement in sexual behavior is relatively normative, sexual behavior may be associated with positive wellbeing, much as it is in adulthood. In a recently published paper, Megan Maas and I examined how sexual esteem relates to sexual behavior in the University Life Study. We found that sexual esteem was higher for students who had oral sex more frequently, had more oral and penetrative sex partners in the past 3 months, and had spent more semesters during college in romantic relationships, than for their counterparts. There were some interactions with gender. For instance, the association between sexual esteem and number of penetrative sexual partners was stronger for male than for female students.
In addition, male students who never used contraception tended to have higher sexual esteem, whereas female students who never used contraception tended to have lower sexual esteem, compared to students who used contraception.
These results are cross-sectional, so we cannot know whether having better sexual esteem is associated with engaging in more sexual behaviors, or whether engaging in more sexual behaviors leads to better sexual esteem. However, the results do demonstrate that unmarried sexual behavior after high school is linked with positive wellbeing. On the other hand, results also suggests that men with better sexual esteem might engage in riskier behavior, whereas women with better sexual esteem might be more likely to protect themselves, mirroring earlier findings Meghan Gillen, Cindy Shearer, and I had with body image.
I’m excited that more and more researchers are now approaching the study of adolescent and young adult sexuality from a normative, developmental perspective rather than consistently using a risk frame. Adolescents and young adults do engage in risky sexual behaviors, of course, but we need to understand risky behaviors in light of the positive contributions that sexual behavior provides to wellbeing.
“College students’ sexual behaviors are associated with better sexual esteem” first appeared on Eva Lefkowitz’s blog on November 12.
I’m excited that more and more researchers are now approaching the study of adolescent and young adult sexuality from a normative, developmental perspective rather than consistently using a risk frame. Adolescents and young adults do engage in risky sexual behaviors, of course, but we need to understand risky behaviors in light of the positive contributions that sexual behavior provides to wellbeing.
“College students’ sexual behaviors are associated with better sexual esteem” first appeared on Eva Lefkowitz’s blog on November 12.
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