Sociology 160

Chap 1. 

Sexuality in Perspectives

68.

Mass Media Influences on Sexuality, Jane D. Brown, The Journal of Sex Research, February 2002 (#39740)

The mainstream mass media provide increasingly frequent portrayals of sexuality. We still know relatively little about how this content is used and how it affects sexual beliefs and behaviors. The few available studies suggest that the media do have an impact because the media keeps sexual behavior on public and personal agendas, media portrayals reinforce a relatively consistent set of sexual and relationship norms, and the media rarely depict sexually responsible models.

69. 

Hormonal Influences on Sexual Partner Preference in Rams, Charles E. Roselli, John A. Resko, and Fred Stormshak, Archives of Sexual Behavior, February 2002 (#39741)

Domestic rams display a naturally occurring variation in sexual partner preference, such that 6-10 percent of range-bred populations prefer male sexual partners in contrast to the majority of rams that prefer female sexual partners. Hormonal differences between these rams include circulating testosterone and aromatase activity. These observations may be useful for studies to identify activational and organizational components and the neuronoal substrates of males sexual partner preferences.

70. 

Influences of Culture on Asian Americans’ Sexuality, Sumie Okazaki, The Journal of Sex Research, February 2002 (#39790)

Asian Americans comprise a population group that is characterized by an enormous demographic, historical, and cultural heterogeneity. Yet, Asian Americans also share many Asian cultural characteristics such as the primacy of the family and collective goals over individual wishes, emphasis on propriety and social codes, the appropriation of sexuality only within the context of marriage, sexual restraint, and modesty.

Chap 2. 

Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality

The Desired Number of Sexual Partners as a Function of Gender, Sexual Risks, and the Meaning of “Ideal”, Allan Fenigstein and Matthew Preston, The Journal of Sex Research, 2007.

The present research investigated gender differences in the ideally desired number of sex partners, examining several different kinds of “ideals.” In two separate samples, participants were (a) first asked to report their ideal number of desired sex partners–identified as a nonspecific ideal; (b) next, they responded after considering some of the health and social risks, and the opportunity limitations, associated with sexual activity–a pragmatic ideal; and (c) finally, participants reported their ideal number of sex partners after imagining the removal of these risks and limitations–a hedonic ideal. For both samples there were significant mean, but no median, gender differences for the nonspecific ideal, replicating what has been found in some previous research. However, when risks were explicitly identified (in the present pragmatic and hedonic ideal conditions), significant mean and median gender differences emerged: Typically, men desired multiple sex partners, whereas women were consistently interested in a single sex partner, regardless of the risks or opportunities involved.

72.

Seven Tenths Incorrect: Heterogeneity and Change in the Waist-to-Hip Ratios of Playboy Centerfold Models and Miss America Pageant Winners, Jeremy Freese and Sheri Meland, The Journal of Sex Research, May 2002 (#39743)

Authors reexamine the waist-to-hip ratios of Playboy centerfold models and Miss American pageant winners and show that reports of measurement consistency are false in several ways: the variation in waist-to-hip ratios is greater than reported, the center of the distribution of waist-to-hip ratios is less than reported, and the average waist-to-hip within both samples has changed over time.

Chap 3. 

Sex Research

131.

Sexually Violent Predator Evaluations: Empirical Evidence, Strategies for Professionals, and Research Directions, Holly A. Miller, Amy E. Amenta, and Mary Alice Conroy. Law and Human Behavior, February 2005.

Several states have passed civil commitment laws that allow the precautionary detention of sex offenders who have completed their criminal sentences. Over 2,500 sex offenders have been committed across states with such statutes and several thousand more sex offenders have been evaluated. Most statutes call for an evaluation of risk by a mental health professional and, although each state statute is worded differently, three main elements common to sexually violent predator evaluations are used to guide evaluators: mental abnormality, volitional capacity, and likelihood of future sexual violence. The current article presents empirical evidence for the main tenants of these forensic evaluations, provides recommendations for evaluators in light of current limitations of evidence, and offers suggestions for future research in this area of forensic assessment.

74. 

Getting Wired: Exploiting the Internet for the Collection of Valid Sexuality Data, Brian S. Mustanski, The Journal of Sex Research, November 2001 (#39745)

This paper explores the use of the Internet as a data collection method for sexuality research. Benefits, such as larger, more representative samples, and risks to validity, such as lying and sabotage, are discussed in the context of a large Internet-based study of how “having sex” is defined by gay, lesbian, and bisexual college students. Suggestions for how to maximize utility as well as combat potential risks and ethical dilemmas are offered.

75.

Adolescent Sexual Behavior, Drug Use, and Violence: Increased Reporting with Computer Survey Technology, C.F. Turner, et al., Science, May 8, 1998 (#39792)

Surveys of risk behaviors have been hobbled by their reliance on respondents to report accurately about engaging in behaviors that are highly sensitive and that may be illegal. Estimates of the prevalence of male-male sex, injection drug use, and sexual contact with intravenous drug users were higher by factors of three or more when audio computer-assisted self-interviewing technology was used than with a more traditional self-administered questionnaire.

Chap 4. 

Sexual Anatomy

76. 

“Snatch,” “Hole,” or “Honey-pot”? Semantic Categories and the Problem of Nonspecificity in Female Genital Slang, Virginia Braun and Celia Kitzinger, The Journal of Sex Research, May 2001 (#39746)

Two questionnaire studies on female genital slang are presented. Study I explored semantic categories in 317 different FGTs collected from 156 females and 125 males. Study II used 49 FGTs to investigate the extent to which slang provides a consistent specific vocabulary for female genitals. The 2,551 respondents commented on 5 terms each. Respondents absolutely agreed on meaning for only 4 percent of terms.

77. 

Sexual Factors and the Risk of Prostate Cancer, Karin A. Rosenblatt, Kristine G. Wicklund, and Janet L. Stanford, American Journal of Epidemiology, 2001 (#39747)

This paper discusses a population-based, case-control study of prostate cancer in White and Black men. Authors found no relation between sexual orientation and prostate cancer, although the number of men who had sex with men was small. Risk estimates increased with lifetime number of female sexual partners, but not with male partners. Prior infection with gonorrhea was positively associated with risk, but no effect was seen among men with other STDs.

78. 

Male Circumcision, Penile Human Papillomavirus Infection, and Cervical Cancer in Female Partners, Xavier Castellsagué et al., The New England Journal of Medicine, April 11, 2002 (#39793)

It is uncertain whether male circumcision reduces the risks of penile human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the man and cervical cancer in his female partner. Results from 1,913 couples studied indicated that male circumcision is associated with a reduced risk of penile HPV infection and in the case of men with a history of multiple sexual partners, a reduced risk of cervical cancer in their current female partners.

Chap 5. 

Sex Hormones, Sexual Differentiation, Puberty and Menstrual Cycle

79. 

Objective Cosmetic and Anatomical Outcomes at Adolescence of Feminising Surgery for Ambiguous Genitalia Done in Childhood, Sarah M. Creighton, Catherine L. Minto, and Stuart J. Steele, The Lancet, July 14, 2001 (#39748)

There are few, if any, data on the long-term outcome of feminizing genital surgery for children with ambiguous genitalia. We present a retrospective study of cosmetic and anatomical outcomes in adolescent patients who had ambiguous genitalia in childhood and underwent feminizing genital surgery. The cosmetic result was judged as poor in 41 percent of the cases, and 98 percent of the cases required further treatment for cosmesis, tampon use, or intercourse.

80. 

Psychological Outcomes and Gender-Related Development in Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, Melissa Hines, Faisal Ahmed, and Ieuan A. Hughes, Archives of Sexual Behavior, April 2003 (#39751)

We evaluated psychological outcomes and gender development in 22 women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS). The outcomes included quality of life, gender-related psychological characteristics, marital status, personality traits, and hand preferences. The results suggest that psychological outcomes of women with CAIS do not differ systematically from those of other women.

81. 

Brain Activation and Sexual Arousal in Healthy, Heterosexual Males, Bruce A. Arnow et al., Brain, 2002 (#39794)

Little is known about relationships between brain activation and sexual response. Functional MRI was used to examine relationships between brain activation and sexual arousal in a group of young, healthy, heterosexual males. Strong activations specifically associated with penile turgidity were observed in the right subinsular region including the claustrum, left caudate and putamen, right middle occipital/middle temporal gyri, bilateral cingulated gyrus, and right sensorimotor and pre-motor regions.

82.

Sexual Function and the Menopausal Woman: The Importance of Age and Partner’s Sexual Functioning, Amanda A. Deeks and Marita P. McCabe, The Journal of Sex Research, August 2001 (#39753)

The aim of this study was to investigate age, menopausal status and the effect of the male partner’s sexual function on the sexual function of the menopausal woman. Sexual satisfaction within the relationship and current frequency of intercourse were better predicted by age group than by menopausal status. Incidence of sexual dysfunction was better predicted by menopausal status than by age.

83. 

Health and Sickness: The Meaning of Menstruation and Premenstrual Syndrome in Women’s Lives, Shirley Lee, Sex Roles, January 2002 (#39795)

The experience of menstruation was examined through an analysis of women’s narratives in order to understand perceptions of menstrual cycle changes. Although most accepted the premenstrual syndrome label and placed their cyclic changes within the realm of sickness, a small group of the 43 women studied conceptualized their cyclic changes in an extremely positive way, thus reframing their experiences.

Chap 6. 

Conception, Pregnancy and Childbirth

84.

Alcohol Use and Pregnancy, Centers for Disease Control, 2002 (#39754)

Maternal prenatal alcohol use is one of the leading preventable causes of birth defects and developmental disabilities. This brief fact sheet outlines the effect of fetal alcohol exposure and describes the efforts funded by the CDC to prevent alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

Chap 7. 

Contraception and Abortion

          85. 

Evaluation of Contraceptive Efficacy and Cycle Control of a Transdermal Contraceptive Patch Vs an Oral, Marie-Claude Audet et al., JAMA, May 9, 2001 (#39756)

Oral contraceptive (OC) pills are effective, but poor compliance increases rates of pregnancy during treatment. This study compared the contraceptive efficacy, cycle control, compliance, and safety of a transdermal contraceptive patch and OC. Patients randomly assigned to the patch or pill number 1,417. The patch is comparable to a combination OC in contraceptive efficacy and cycle control. Compliance was better with the weekly patch than with the OC.

86.

Psychological Responses of Women After First-Trimester Abortion, Brenda Major et al., Archives of General Psychiatry, August 2000 (#39757)

Controversy exists over psychological risks associated with abortion. The objectives of this study were to examine women’s emotions, evaluations, and mental health after an abortion, as well as changes over time in these responses and their predictors. Authors found that most women do not experience psychological problems or regret their abortion 2 years postabortion, but some do. Those who do tend to be women with a prior history of depression.

Abortion in the United States: Incidence and Access to Services, 2005, Rachel K Jones et al., Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2008.

CONTEXT: Accurate information about abortion incidence and services is necessary to monitor levels of unwanted pregnancy and women's ability to access abortion services.

METHODS: All known abortion providers in the United States were contacted for information about abortion services in 2004 and 2005. This information, along with data from the U.S. Census Bureau, was used to examine national and state trends in numbers of abortions and abortion rates, proportions of counties and metropolitan areas without an abortion provider, and accessibility of abortion services.

RESULTS: An estimated 1.2 million abortions were performed in the United States in 2005, 8% fewer than in 2000. The abortion rate in 2005 was 19.4 per 1,000 women aged 15-44; this rate represents a 9% decline from 2000. There were 1,787 abortion providers in 2005, only 2% fewer than in 2000. Some 87% of U.S. counties, containing 35% of women aged 15-44, did not have an abortion provider in 2005. Early medication abortion, offered by an estimated 57% of known providers, accounted for 13% of abortions (and for 22% of abortions before nine weeks' gestation). The average amount paid for an abortion at 10 weeks was $413-after adjustment for inflation, $11 less than in 2001.

CONCLUSION: The numbers of abortions and the abortion rate continued their long-term decline through 2005. Reasons for this trend are unknown but may include improved access to and use of contraceptives or decreased access to abortion services.

Chap 8. 

Sexual Arousal

Sexual Desire, Communication, Satisfaction, and Preferences of Men and Women in Same-Sex Versus Mixed-Sex Relationships, Diane Holmberg and Karen L. Blair, The Journal of Sex Research, 2009.

In an online study, measures of subjective sexual experiences in one's current relationship were compared across four groups: Men and women in mixed-sex (i.e., heterosexual) and same-sex (i.e., homosexual) relationships. Results indicated far more similarities than differences across the four groups, with groups reporting almost identical sexual repertoires, and levels of sexual communication with partner. Men reported experiencing somewhat more sexual desire than women, while women reported slightly higher levels of general sexual satisfaction than men. Those in same-sex relationships reported slightly higher levels of sexual desire than those in mixed-sex relationships. Compared to the other three groups, heterosexual men reported deriving somewhat less satisfaction from the more tender, sensual, or erotic sexual activities. Implications of these findings for sex therapists are discussed.

87. 

“Complete” Spinal Cord Injury Does Not Block Perceptual Responses to Genital Self-stimulation in Women, Barry R. Komisaruk, Carolyn A. Gerdes, and Beverly Whipple, Archives of Neurology, December 1997 (#39758)

Authors hypothesize that vaginal and/or cervical self-stimulation will not produce perceptual responses in women with “complete” spinal cord injury to upper nerves (T10-12) but will produce perceptual responses if SCI is below T10. Authors conclude that there exists a functional genital afferent pathway that bypasses the spinal cord and project directly to the brain.

88. 

The Vomeronasal Organ, Eric B. Keverne, Science, October 22, 1999 (#39759)

The vomeronasal (VNO) is a chemoreceptor organ enclosed in a cartilaginous capsule and separated from the main olfactory epithelium. The nature of stimulus access suggests that the VNO responds to nonvolatile cues, leading to activation of the hypothalamus by way of the accessory olfactory bulb and amygdala. The areas of hypothalamus innervated regulate reproductive, defensive, and ingestive behavior as well as neuroendocrine secretion.

89. 

Brain Activation During Human Male Ejaculation, Gert Holstege et al., The Journal of Neuroscience, October 8, 2003 (#39798)

Brain mechanisms that control human sexual behavior and ejaculation, are poorly understood. The authors used positron emission tomography to measure increases in regional cerebral blood flow during ejaculation compared with sexual stimulation in heterosexual male volunteers. The present study provides insight into which regions in the human brain play a primary role in ejaculation, and the results might have important implications for our understanding of how human ejaculation is brought about.            

Women’s Erotic Rape Fantasies: An Evaluation of Theory and Research, Joseph W. Critelli and Jenny M. Bivona, The Journal of Sex Research, 2008.

This article is the first systematic review of the research literature on women's rape fantasies. Current research indicates that between 31% and 57% of women have fantasies in which they are forced into sex against their will, and for 9% to 17% of women these are a frequent or favorite fantasy experience. Erotic rape fantasies are paradoxical: they do not appear to make sense. Why would a person have an erotic and pleasurable fantasy about an event that, in real life, would be abhorrent and traumatic? In this article, the major theories of women's rape fantasies are evaluated both rationally and empirically. These theories explain rape fantasies in terms of masochism, sexual blame avoidance, openness to sexuality, sexual desirability, male rape culture, biological predisposition to surrender, sympathetic physiological activation, and adversary transformation. This article evaluates theory and research, makes provisional judgments as to which theories appear to be most viable, and begins the task of theoretical integration to arrive at a more complete and internally consistent explanation for why many women engage in erotic rape fantasies. Methodological critiques and programs for future research are presented throughout.

Chap 9. 

Sexuality and the Life Cycle: Childhood and Adolescence

134. 

No Strings Attached: The Nature of Casual Sex in College Students, Catherine M. Grello, Deborah P. Welsh, and Melinda S. Harper, The Journal of Sex Research, August 2006

The purpose of this article was to identify the circumstances associated with casual sex encounters, as well as to identify the link between casual sex, depressive symptoms, and infidelity among college students. We found that casual sex was a fairly common occurrence related to early sexual transition, engaging in first sex with a casual sex partner, drug use, and alcohol consumption. Casual sex occurred more often between “friends” than with strangers. Depressive symptoms were associated with engaging in casual sex differently for males and females. Males who engaged in casual sex reported the fewest symptoms of depression, and females who had a history of casual sex reported the most depressive symptoms. Frequencies of affectionate and genital behaviors were associated with expectations of the relationship, the relationship to the partner, infidelity, and the individual’s relationship style. We discuss results in light of evolutionary and sociocultural theories of sexuality.

94. 

The Ambiguity of “Having Sex”: The Subjective Experience of Virginity Loss in the United States, Laura M. Carpenter, The Journal of Sex Research, May 2001 (#39763)

Ambiguity surrounds virginity loss as defined and interpreted by young people in the contemporary U.S. Although uniformly agreeing that virginity loss could occur though first coitus, most respondents claimed that other kinds of genital sex could also sometimes result in virginity loss. Different definitions and interpretations of virginity loss gave distinctive shape to individuals’ choices about the transitions from virgin to non-virgin identity.

135. 

I Wanna Hold your Hand: The Progression of Social, Romantic and Sexual Events in Adolescent Relationships, Lucia F. O’Sullivan et al., Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2007

CONTEXT: Despite the vast amount of existing research on adolescent behavior, little is known about the trajectory of social, romantic and sexual events within an adolescent's relationship.

METHODS: A subsample of participants in Wave 2 of the National Longitudinal Study http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitudinal_study of Adolescent Health (8,438 respondents aged http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageing 12-21) provided data on the sequence of 15 social, romantic and sexual events that occurred in a recent romantic relationship. Proportions reporting each event and average relative rankings were assessed for all respondents, for different racial and ethnic groups, and for respondents who belonged to the same racial or ethnic group as their partner. Logistic Regression was used to compare proportions; ordinary test square regression was used to analyze the mean sequential ranking of each event.

 RESULTS: Social and romantic events, such as spending time with one's partner in a group and holding hands, were far more common than sexual events, such as touching one's partner without clothing, and typically preceded sexual events in the trajectory of relationship events. Romantic events were the most common across three of the four major U.S. racial and ethnic groups. Asian and Hispanic respondents tended to have low proportions reporting sexual events compared with white respondents. Black adolescents were the only group for whom talking about prevention of pregnancy and STDs preceded sexual events. Reports from male and female adolescents were similar.

 CONCLUSION: Recognition of the diversity of relationship experiences may prompt the development of more effective interventions for adolescents who engage in risky sexual behavior.

Asian American Adolescents’ First Sexual Intercourse: Gender and Acculturation Differences, Hyeouk Chris Hahm, Maureen Lahiff, and Rose M. Barreto, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2006

CONTEXT: Interventions aimed at adolescents need to be culturally specific. The dearth of data on Asian American adolescents has made it difficult to meet their needs.

METHODS: Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used, with a sample of 323 Asian American female adolescents and 366 Asian American male adolescents. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between acculturation at Wave 1 (1995) and sexual experience at Wave 2 (1996), controlling for demographic, psychosocial and family variables.

RESULTS: Overall, 24% of young women and 20% of young men had had sexual intercourse. Among young women, the most acculturated were more likely to have had sexual intercourse than the least acculturated (odds ratio, 4.9); acculturation was not associated with sexual intercourse for young men. Medium and high levels of parental attachment were associated with decreased odds of sexual experience for young women (0.4 and 0.2), but not for young men. Binge drinking was associated with an increased risk of sexual experience for young women (6.4), and tobacco use was associated with increased risk for young men (3.0).

CONCLUSIONS: Like all adolescents, Asian Americans are at high risk for the consequences of sexual activity. For this fast-growing population, there is a crucial need for preventive programs that are culturally sensitive, inclusive of family and gender-specific.

Chap 10. 

Sexuality and the Life Cycle: Adulthood

96. 

Salient and Emerging Developmental Tasks in the Transition to Adulthood, Glenn I. Roisman et al., Child Development, January/February 2004 (#39764)

This study examined the predictive links from 3 salient (friendship, academic, conduct) and 2 emerging (work, romantic) development tasks during the transition years around age 20 to adult adaptation 10 years later. Results confirm the utility of salient developmental tasks for predicting adult success, suggest that emerging domains have limited long-term predictive significance, and suggest that developmental tasks follow a course through life of waxing and waning salience and organization.

97. 

Does Quality of Marital Sex Decline with Duration?, Chien Liu, Archives of Sexual Behavior, February 2003 (#39765)

Does the quality of marital sex increase or decrease with marital duration? Two effects may influence the change of quality of marital sex: the effect of diminishing marginal utility, and the effect of the investment in the marriage-specific human capital. Analyses of the NHSLS data show that marital duration has a small and negative effect on the quality of marital sex. Gender differences are also discussed.

140. 

Deconstructing Monogamy: Boundaries, Identities, and Fluidities across Relationships, Katherine Frank and John DeLamater, To be published in Understanding Nonmonogamies, M. Barker & D. Langdridge (Eds), in press.

This chapter explores the ways that the boundaries of fidelity are defined, justified, lived, and negotiated for couples with varying practices of sexual exclusivity. Drawing on survey data and interview materials collected from married couples who identified themselves as participating in a variety of arrangements: monogamous relationships, secretly or nonconsensually nonmonogamous (or cheating)relationships, open marriages, polyamory, and swinging  We explore here both the similarities in the process of boundary setting between individuals in consensually nonmonogamous and monogamous relationships and the variation in agreements that were reported by married individuals. We argue that viewing transgressions or permissions simply in terms of whether a spouse engages in sex outside the relationship, or defining relationships simply by counting the number of intimate partners, misses the various ways that lines are drawn to demarcate acceptable social and sexual interaction with those partners (real and imagined), as well as the meanings of sex, love, and intimacy that impact these decisions. When individuals engaging in varied practices of sexual exclusivity are compared with each other, or even when couples or individuals are categorized into relationship types for means of analysis, then, we must be careful to recognize both the similarities in strategies used to protect intimate bonds by individuals with different practices and identities and the instabilities of the categories deployed.

Chap 11. 

Attraction, Love, and Communication

99. 

A Review of Sex Differences in Sexual Jealousy, Including Self-report Data, Psychophysiological Responses, Interpersonal Violence, and Morbid Jealousy, Christine R. Harris, Personality and Social Psychology Review, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2003 (#39766)

The specific innate modular theory of jealousy hypothesizes that natural selection shaped sexual jealousy as a mechanism to prevent cuckoldry, and emotional jealousy as a mechanism to prevent resource loss. Therefore, men should be primarily jealous over a mate’s sexual infidelity and women over a mate’s emotional infidelity. This article reviews the evidence in support of this theory.

100. 

Dating Infidelity: Behaviors, Reasons, and Consequences, Bruce Roscoe, Lauri E. Cavanaugh, and Donna R. Kennedy, Adolescence, Spring 1988 (#39767)

Older adolescents were surveyed concerning three issues: behaviors that constitute infidelity in a dating relationship, reasons for a dating partner to be unfaithful, and reactions to a dating partner’s infidelity. Responses from 247 participants indicated more similarities than differences between dating infidelity and extramarital affairs with regard to behaviors, causes, and consequences. Results are discussed in terms of similarities between dating and marital infidelity.                             

Sex in America Online: An Exploration of Sex, Marital Status, and Sexual Identity in Internet Sex Seeking and Its Impacts, Julie M. Albright, The Journal of Sex Research, 2008

This was an exploratory study of sex and relationship seeking on the Internet, based on a survey of 15,246 respondents in the United States Seventy-five percent of men and 41% of women had intentionally viewed or downloaded porn. Men and gays/lesbians were more likely to access porn or engage in other sex-seeking behaviors online compared with straights or women. A symmetrical relationship was revealed between men and women as a result of viewing pornography, with women reporting more negative consequences, including lowered body image, partner critical of their body, increased pressure to perform acts seen in pornographic films, and less actual sex, while men reported being more critical of their partners' body and less interested in actual sex. Married and divorced were more likely than singles to go online seeking a serious relationship. Only 2% of users met the threshold of compulsive use established by previous studies.

90. 

Sexual Satisfaction and Sexual Self-disclosure Within Dating Relationships, E. Sandra Byers and Stephanie Demmons, The Journal of Sex Research, May 1999 (#39760)

This study examined dating individuals’ self-disclosure about their sexual likes and dislikes to their partner. Sexual and nonsexual self-disclosure were related to sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and sexual communication satisfaction. Authors conclude that self-disclosure affects sexual satisfaction by increasing sexual rewards in the relationship and by increasing overall relationship satisfaction.

Sexual Insistence and Disliked Sexual Activities In Young Adulthood: Differences by Gender and Relationship Characteristics, Christine Elizabeth Kaestle, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2009

CONTEXT: Because sexual negotiations within young adult couples have consequences for sexual and reproductive health, it is important to determine associations between relationship contexts and sexual insistence.

METHODS: Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted on data from 4,469 young adults participating in Wave 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (2001–2002). Analyses examined predictors of respondents' having experienced sexual insistence and having repeatedly engaged in sexual behaviors they disliked in a current relationship of at least three months' duration.

RESULTS: Seven percent of men and 8% of women had had unwanted sex at their partner's insistence. A significantly greater proportion of women than of men (12% vs. 3%) had engaged repeatedly in sexual activities they disliked, primarily fellatio and anal sex. Relationship characteristics were associated with sexual insistence, but gender was not. For example, female respondents who reported unreciprocated love for their partner had higher odds of reporting sexual insistence perpetration than those who reported that they and their partner loved each other (odds ratio, 3.9). Females were more likely than males to report repeated participation in disliked sexual activities (3.7); relationship characteristics were relatively unimportant for this outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Young adults of both genders may need education on the importance of accepting a partner's sexual desires and being sensitive to both a partner's unwillingness to engage in an activity and the true extent of a partner's dislike of certain activities. They may also need guidance on how to voice their own preferences and dislikes.

92. 

Demarginalizing the Sexual Self, Katelyn Y.A. McKenna, Amie S. Green, and Pamela K. Smith, The Journal of Sex Research, November 2001 (#39799)

For anyone, the expression of one’s particular sexuality can be difficult even within the framework of an intimate relationship. On the Internet, however, many barriers to such expression are absent and individuals may feel freer to express their sexual needs there. We propose a process model by which these embarrassing aspects of an individual’s sexuality become demarginalized through identity-relevant sexual activity.

Chap 12. 

Gender and Sexuality

102. 

A Sex Difference in the Human Brain and Its Relation to Transsexuality, Jiang-Ning Zhou et al., Nature, November 2, 1995 (#39768)

Transsexuals have the strong feeling, often from childhood onwards, of having been born the wrong sex. The possible psychogenic or biological etiology of transsexuality has been the subject of debate for many years. Authors show that the volume of the central subdivision of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTc), a brain area that is essential for sexual behavior, is larger in men than in women. A female-sized BSTc was found in male-to-female transsexuals.

103a. 

Understanding the Sexuality of Mexican-born Women and Their Risk for HIV/AIDS, V. Nelly Salgado de Snyder et al., from Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2000 (#39769)

The purpose of this study was to identify specific sexual practices, coping strategies in sex-related situations, and fears and concerns regarding sexual intercourse. The article analyzes how these elements place Mexican rural-origin women at risk for HIV/AIDS. Participants were three hundred Mexican women of rural origin belonging to one of three groups: married and living with their husbands in the U.S., married to migrant workers but living in Mexico, and living in Mexico with their spouses.

103b. 

Truth and Consequences: Using the Bogus Pipeline to Examine Sex Differences in Self-reported Sexuality, Michele G. Alexander and Terri D. Fisher, The Journal of Sex Research, February 2003 (#39803)

Men report more permissive sexual attitudes and behavior than do women. Sex differences in self-reported sexual behavior were negligible when participants believed lying could be detected, moderate in an anonymous condition, and greatest in an exposure threat condition in which the experimenter could potentially view participants’ responses. Some sex differences in self-reported sexual behavior reflect responses influenced by normative expectations for men and women.

Chap 13. 

Sexual Orientation: Gay, Straight, or Bi?

104.

Formal and Interpersonal Discrimination: A Field Study of Bias Toward Homosexual Applicants, Michelle R. Hebl et al., Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, June 2002 (#39770)

Discrimination from the perspective of people in stigmatized roles in employment settings is studied. Confederates, who were portrayed as being homosexual or not, applied for jobs at local stores. Measures of formal bias, interpersonal behavior, and perceptions of bias were assessed. Although confederates portrayed as homosexual were not discriminated against in formal ways, they were responded to significantly more negatively in interpersonal ways.

138. 

Family and Sexual Orientation: The Family-Demographic Correlates of Homosexuality in Men and Women, Andrew M. Francis, The Journal of Sex Research, 2008

Using a nationally representative sample of young adults, I identify the family-demographic correlates of sexual orientation in men and women. Hence, I test the maternal immune hypothesis, which posits that the only biodemographic correlate of male homosexuality is the number of older brothers, and there are no biodemographic correlates of female homosexuality. For men, I find that having one older brother does not raise the likelihood of homosexuality. Although having multiple older brothers has a positive coefficient, it is not significant. Moreover, having any older sisters lowers the likelihood of homosexual or bisexual identity. For women, I find that having an older brother or having any sisters decreases the likelihood of homosexuality. Family structure, ethnicity, and education are also significantly correlated with male and female sexual orientation. Therefore, the maternal immune hypothesis cannot explain the entire pattern of family-demographic correlates. The findings are consistent with either biological or social theories of sexual orientation.

106. 

Development of Sexual Partner Preference in the Zebra Finch: A Socially Monogamous Pair-bonding Animal, Elizabeth Adkins-Regan, Archives of Sexual Behavior, February 2002 (#39804)

Zebra finches are a group of socially monogamous birds that pair for life. Partner preference is strongly sexually differentiated: males prefer to pair with females and females prefer to pair with males. This research focuses on the hormonal and social origins of these preferences and provides insight into the development of sexual-partner preferences that may be applicable to other group-living pair-bonding animals with biparental care.

Chap 14. 

Variations in Sexual Behavior

107.

The Lives and Voices of Highly Sexual Women, Eric S. Blumberg, The Journal of Sex Research, May 2003 (#39773)

American women who experience very strong and frequent sexual desire have often been either ignored or stigmatized. This exploratory study of 44 highly sexual women ages 20-82 found that highly sexual women reported that their lives have been strongly affected by their sexuality. Women reported experiencing struggles and challenges in almost every area of their lives because of their sexuality, including feelings about themselves and their relationships with partners, female friends, and acquaintances.

108. 

Investigating the Underlying Structure in Sadomasochistically Oriented Behavior, Pekka Santtila et al., Archives of Sexual Behavior, April 2002 (#39805)

This study explored the extent to which 29 individual sexual behaviors, associated with four themes of sadomasochistically oriented behaviors (hypermasculinity, administration and receipt of pain, physical restriction, and humiliation), represent different scales of intensity within each theme. Analyses supported the existence of cumulative scales in the themes, suggesting that the order in which people engage in different sadomasochistic behaviors is not random.

Chap 15. 

Sexual Coercion

109.

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Adult Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders in Women: An Epidemiological and Cotwin Control Analysis, Kenneth S. Kendler et al., Archives of General Psychiatry, October 2000 (#39774)

In a population-based sample of 1,411 female adult twins, 30.4 percent reported childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Women who report CSA have a substantially increased risk for developing a wide range of psychopathology, especially bulimia and alcohol, and other drug dependence. Most of this association is due to more severe forms of CSA and cannot be explained by familial factors.

110.

Sexual Harassment of Adolescents Perpetrated by Teachers and by Peers: An Exploration of the Dynamics of Power, Culture and Gender in Secondary Schools, Greetje Timmerman, Sex Roles, March 2003 (#39775)

This study compared the differences between sexual harassment of students that is perpetrated by teachers and by peers. The study involved 2,808 adolescents in the Netherlands and found differences between peer- and teacher-perpetrated sexual harassment. Unwanted sexual behavior by peers is a cultural phenomenon that occurs in public areas. Sexual harassment by teachers is a particularly detrimental experience for adolescents, and health-related problems are therefore reported in higher numbers.

111.

Memories of Childhood Abuse: Dissociation, Amnesia, and Corroboration, James A. Chu et al., American Journal of Psychiatry, May 1999 (#39806)

This study investigated the relationship between self-reported childhood abuse and dissociative symptoms and amnesia. Admitted to a unit specializing in the treatment of trauma-related disorders were 90 female patients who completed instruments that measured dissociative symptoms and elicited details concerning childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing abuse. Childhood abuse is related to the development of high levels of dissociative symptoms including amnesia for abuse memories.

Chap 16. 

Sex for Sale

112. 

Depicting Women as Sex Objects in Television Advertising: Effects on Body Dissatisfaction, Howard Lavine, Donna Sweeney, and Stephen H. Wagner, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, August 1999 (#39776)

This study examined whether exposure to TV ads that portray women as sex objects causes increased body dissatisfaction among women and men. Women exposed to sexist ads judged their current body size as large, whereas men exposed to the sexist ads displayed a large discrepancy between their actual and ideal body sizes than those exposed to the nonsexist ads.

113.

“Just Trying to Relax”: Masculinity, Masculinizing Practices, and Strip Club Regulars, Katherine Frank, The Journal of Sex Research, February 2003 (#39777)

This article explores customers’ understandings of their visits to heterosexual strip clubs and the ways in which those visits become meaningful to them in relations to cultural discourses around masculinity, sexuality, leisure, and consumption, as well as in relation to their everyday lives and relationships. Regular male customers’ stated motives for visiting strip clubs are focused on and examined as touristic and masculinizing practices.

114. 

The Role of Education Briefings in Mitigating Effects of Experimental Exposure to Violent Sexually Explicit Material: A Meta-analysis, Mike Allen et al., The Journal of Sex Research, 1996 (#39807)

Conducting experiments on the impact of sexually explicit material (SEM) requires the investigator to expose a person to material that may “harm” the research participant. Educational briefings appear to mitigate the effects of experimental exposure to SEM, although long-term consequences and the comparative effectiveness of different briefing techniques have yet to be assessed.

Chap 17. 

Sexual Disorders and Sex Therapy

115. 

Male Sexual Circuitry, Irwin Goldstein, Scientific American, August 2000 (#39778)

This article reviews the historical, cultural, and scientific aspects of erection and the physiological mechanisms behind it. It also includes a discussion of the neurological structures involved in erection. Erectile dysfunction is also discussed, including its etiology and the new pharmacological advances in its treatment.

116. 

A New View of Women’s Sexual Problems: Why New? Why Now?, Leonore Tiefer, The Journal of Sex Research, May 2001 (#39779)

In sexuomedicine, the amount of time devoted to getting the penis hard and the vagina wet vastly outweighs the attention devoted to assessment or education about sexual motives, scripts, pleasure, power, emotionality, sensuality, communication, or connectedness. The author describes distortions resulting from the medicalization of sexuality and develops a new classification of women’s sexual problems with consideration of cultural, political, and relationship casual factors.

117.

Cognitive-Behavioral Bibliotherapy for Sexual Dysfunctions in Heterosexual Couples: A Randomized Waiting-List Controlled Clinical Trial in the Netherlands, Jacques J.D.M. Van Lankveld, Walter Everaerd, and Yvonne Grotjohann, The Journal of Sex Research, February 2001 (#39808)

Cognitive-behavioral bibliotherapy was investigated in heterosexual couples with sexual dysfunctions. After a 10-week treatment participants reported fewer complaints of low frequency of sexual interaction and general improvement of their sexual problem, and lower male post-treatment ratings of problem-associated distress. At follow-up, gains with respect to frequency of sex and problem-associated distress had eroded.

Chap 18. 

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

       142.

Trends in Reportable Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the United States, 2006, National Surveillance Data for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain a major public health challenge in the United States. While substantial progress has been made in preventing, diagnosing, and treating certain STDs in recent years, CDC estimates that approximately 19 million new infections occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24.¹ In addition to the physical and psychological consequences of STDs, these diseases also exact a tremendous economic toll. Direct medical costs associated with STDs in the United States are estimated at up to $14.7 billion annually in 2006 dollars.²

This document summarizes 2006 national data on trends in three notifiable STDs -- chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis -- that are published in CDC's report, Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2006 (available at www.cdc.gov/std/stats). These data, which are useful for examining overall trends and trends among populations at risk, represent only a small proportion of the true national burden of STDs. Many cases of notifiable STDs go undiagnosed, and some highly prevalent viral infections, such as human papillomavirus and genital herpes, are not reported at all.

118. 

Effect of Condoms on Reducing the Transmission of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 From Men to Women, Anna Wald et al., JAMA, June 27, 2001 (#39780)

Herpes simplex virus type (HSV-2) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. This study evaluates the risk factors for HSV-2 acquisition and efficacy of condoms in preventing HSV-2 transmission. Condom use was found to offer significant protection against HSV-2 infection in susceptible women.

120. 

Self-collection of Vaginal Swabs for the Detection of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Trichomoniasis: Opportunity to Encourage Sexually Transmitted Disease Testing Among Adolescents, Harold C. Wiesenfeld et al., Sexually Transmitted Diseases, June 2001 (#39809)

Many STDs are prevalent among adolescents, yet compliance to undergo STD testing by this population is suboptimal. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of self-collection of vaginal swabs for the detection of Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. Self-collected vaginal swabs for STD testing can be easily implemented in a high-school setting with high acceptability among students, enabling the detection of many STDs that would otherwise remain undetected and untreated.

Chap 19. 

Ethics, Religion, and Sexuality

121. 

Prospects for In Utero Human Gene Therapy, Esmail D. Zanjani and W. French Anderson, Science, September 24, 1999 (#39782)

Gene therapy for the treatment of disease in children and adults is being actively pursued at many medical centers. However, a number of genetic disorders result in irreversible damage to the fetus before birth. This review analyzes the state of the art and delineates the studies that still need to be performed before it would be appropriate to consider human IUGT.

122. 

Rocking Sexualities: Iranian Migrants’ Views on Sexuality, Nader Ahmadi, Archives of Sexual Behavior, August 2003 (#39783)

The purpose of this article is to put forward a theoretical discussion about Islamic views of sexuality and, by means of an example, show how Iranian immigrants in Sweden view sexuality and sexual culture. Building on theories that compare individualistic and holistic ways of thinking, the article seeks to elucidate the impact of basic culture qualities on the formation of sexualities.

123. 

Religion and the Politics of Sexuality, Stephen Ellingson et al., Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, February 2001 (#39810)

Using data from open-ended interviews with religious leaders in three Chicago neighborhoods in combination with demographic and survey data for area residents, this article demonstrates how local sexual norms and practices shape congregational responses to sexuality issues. These data reveal that local norms about sexual behavior and identity, and congregational identities and histories, are usually more salient than polarity, official teaching, or denominational affiliation.

Chap 20. 

Sex and the Law

124. 

The Accessibility of Abortion Services in the United States, 2001, Stanley K. Henshaw and Lawrence B. Finer, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, January/February 2003 (#39784)

A woman’s ability to obtain an abortion is affected both by the availability of a provider and by access-related factors such as cost, convenience, gestational limits, and the provision of early medical abortion services. Abortion at very early and late gestations and early medical abortion are more available than before, but charges have increased and antiabortion picketing remains at high levels. Thus, many women still face substantial barriers to obtaining an abortion.

125. 

Sex Offenses: Consensual, Katharine B. Silbaugh, Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice, 2002, New York: Macmillan Reference USA (#39785)

Sex crimes that are sometimes labeled consensual are numerous. They include adultery, bigamy, fornication, incest between adults, obscenity, prostitution, and sodomy. In each case, criminalization is controversial, at least in part because of the consent issue. If two adults agree to participate in a private sex act, what harm can justify state intervention to criminalize that conduct?

Epilogue: 

Sexuality Education               

126. 

Effective Approaches to Reducing Adolescent Unprotected Sex, Pregnancy, and Childbearing, Douglas Kirby, The Journal of Sex Research, February 2002 (#39786)

In the U.S., there exist a multitude of different approaches to reducing adolescent sexual risk-taking, unintended pregnancy, childbearing, and sexually transmitted disease, including HIV. This article summarizes a review of 73 studies and their respective programs, and describes four groups of programs that have reasonably strong evidence that they delay sex, increase condom or contraceptive use, or reduce teen pregnancy or childbearing.

127. 

Economic Evaluation of Safer Choices, Li Yan Wang et al., Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, October 2000 (#39787)

The objective of this article was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and cost benefit of Safer Choices, a school-based human immunodeficiency virus, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancy prevention intervention for high school students. The program was found to be cost effective and cost saving in most scenarios considered: for every dollar invested in the program, $2.65 in total medical and social costs were saved.

128. 

The Amount and Timing of Parent-adolescent Sexual Communication as Predicators of Late Adolescent Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors, Carolyn L. Clawson and Marla Reese-Weber, The Journal of Sex Research, August 2003 (#39811)

This study examined the moderating role of timing of first discussion of sexual intercourse with mothers and fathers on the relationship between the amount of sexual communication and sexual risk-taking behaviors in late adolescence. The results suggest that timing of first discussion of sexual intercourse contributes additional variance in several sexually risky behaviors beyond that contributed by the amount of communication with both fathers and mothers.