CHAPTER 12: SEXUALITY DURING CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENCE

1. CHAPTER 12: SEXUALITY DURING CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENCE

2. Masturbation during adolescence • Masturbation typically begins in childhood but becomes more frequent in adolescence • Masturbation frequency is lower among females than males at all ages • Good way to learn about one’s body and release sexual energy

3. Noncoital sexual expression • Noncoital sexual expression: erotic physical contact that does not involve intercourse (coitus) • Rates of oral-genital contact have risen dramatically among teenagers • Many teens see this as less risky than intercourse, however many STIs may be transmitted in this way, including HIV, herpes, and gonorrhea • Does “virginity” only refer to intercourse? • What is the value of the term “virginity?”

4. Ongoing sexual relationships • Percentage of teens involved in romantic relationships has risen dramatically since the 1950s • Teenage girls are less likely to “save themselves” for “the one” • Teenage boys are more likely to have sexual experiences now within a relationship rather than with a casual acquaintence or stranger, as was once more common

5. Sexual intercourse in adolescence • Rates of intercourse among adolescents increased from the 1950s through the 1970s • In 1953, only 20% of females reported having intercourse by age 19; now about 66% of females • Numbers leveled off and may have reversed themselves somewhat after the 1970s, but age of first intercourse still seems to be trending downward • Condom use among adolescents has increased since 1991 • Poverty is a strong predictor of sexual activity among adolescents

6. Factors predisposing teens to early coitus • Poverty • Family conflict • Living in a single-parent family • Parents’ lack of education • Lack of parental supervision • Substance abuse • Poor academic performance • Association with delinquent peers • Having been sexually molested

7. Factors predisposing teens to later coitus • Strong religious beliefs • Regular religious service attendance • Late onset of puberty • Parental disapproval of teenage intercourse • Good grades • Higher socioeconomic status • High quality parent-child relationships

8. Homosexuality • 6–11% of girls and 11-14% of boys report having same-sex contact during their adolescent years • Most of these contacts take place with peers and not with older people • May be experimental or an affirmation of one’s true sexual orientation • Many gay adolescents are bullied or assaulted • Some may be rejected by their families • Greater acceptance these days; many high schools have gay-straight alliances

9. Effects of AIDS on teen sexual behavior • Studies indicate that most teens do not feel they are at significant risk of contracting HIV • Behaviors that increase the risk of HIV transmission include: • Having intercourse without a condom • Use of alcohol, cocaine, or other drugs • Multiple sexual partners • Injecting drugs and sharing needles with other drug users

10. adolescent pregnancy

11. Pregnancy in U.S. teenagers • Rate of teen pregnancy is tracked by the Centers for Disease Control • Went down from 1991–2005, then up in 2006 • U.S. has highest rate of teen pregnancy among Western industrialized nations (2 to 4 times more than some countries!) • However, age-specific levels of sexual activity are similar

12. Teens and pregnancy • Of the ~750,000 teen pregnancies that occur each year among unmarried women: • 51% result in live births • 35% result in induced abortion • 14% result in miscarriages or stillbirth • Teens more likely to have pregnancy complications & have higher infant and prenatal mortality rates • Pregnant teens have a higher rate of STIs • Can have a strongly negative impact on finances, education, and future earning potential

13. Reducing rates of teenage pregnancy • Teenage pregnancy could be reduced by: • Improving access to inexpensive contraceptives • Establishing a compulsory sex ed curriculum in schools at all grade levels • Recognizing that male attitudes are also important for preventing teen pregnancy; more research should focus on the sexual behavior of teen boys • Making condoms readily available in middle and high schools • Availability of condoms has been shown to increase condom use without increasing sexual activity • Training parents to talk openly about sex with their kids

14. Answering children’s questions about sex • Most children start asking about how babies are made by around age 4 • It is good to answer questions in a straightforward manner, but with an appropriate level of detail for the age group • Books can be helpful! • It is good to establish a relationship in which you can talk about sex openly before the teen years • When children don’t get information from their parents about sex, they may get it from inaccurate sources

15. School-based sex education • Quality and extent of sex ed varies widely in the U.S. • 2 basic approaches: • Comprehensive sex education: includes information on sexual maturation, contraception, abortion, strategies for effective decision-making and saying no to sex, STIs, relationship issues, and sexual orientation • Abstinence-only sex education • Offered by about 35% of school districts • Most people advocate comprehensive sex education, but a vocal minority supports abstinence-only • No evidence that it delays the onset of sexual intercourse