Sexual Behavior

Sexual maturation has other psychological consequences as well. In particular,

patterns of sexual behavior change tremendously with the arrival of sexual

maturity. As adolescents’ bodies become more adult, their interest in

sexual behavior increases sharply; as they explore their sexual identities,

they develop a sexual script, or a stereotyped pattern for how individuals

should behave sexually.

The sexual script for boys is frequently different from the sexual script for

girls. As a result, boys and girls generally think differently about sex. This discrepancy

can cause problems and confusion for adolescents as they struggle

with their sexual identities. For boys, the focus of sexuality may be sexual

conquest, to the point that young men who are nonexploitative or inexperienced

may be labeled with negative terms such as “sissy.” Boys are more

likely than girls to see intercourse as a way of establishing their maturity and

of achieving social status. As a consequence, boys are more likely to have sex

with someone who is a relative stranger, to have more sexual partners, and to

disassociate sex from love and emotional intimacy.

Adolescent girls are much more likely than adolescent boys to link sexual

intercourse with love. The quality of the relationship between the girl and

her partner is a very important factor. Most girls would agree that sexual intercourse

is acceptable if the two people are in love and that is not acceptable

if they are not in a romantic relationship. Consequently, girls are less

likely than boys to list pleasure, pleasing their partner, and relieving sexual

tension as reasons for having sex.

During the past several decades, attitudes toward sexual activity have

changed dramatically. Views regarding premarital sex, extramarital sex, and

specific sexual acts are probably more open and permissive today than they

have been at any other time in recent history. Young people are exposed to

sexual stimuli on television and in magazines and motion pictures to a

greater extent than ever before. Effective methods of birth control have lessened

the fear of pregnancy. All these changes have given the adolescent

more freedom. At the same time, the rise of acquired immunodeficiency

syndrome (AIDS) in the late 1970’s, the sharp increases in AIDS cases

among heterosexual teenagers in the 1990’s, and the increased concern

over antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases

have only produced more conflict, since guidelines for “appropriate behavior”

are less clear-cut than they were in the past. In some families, the divergence

between adolescent and parental standards of sexual morality is

great.

Research specifically directed toward the exploration of adolescent sexuality

was not seriously undertaken until the 1950’s and 1960’s. Even then,

the few studies that were conducted handled the topic delicately and focused

on attitudes rather than behavior. When behavior was emphasized,

age at first intercourse was generally selected as the major variable. Later

studies have been more detailed and expansive; however, a paucity of research

in this area still exists.

In Facing Facts (1995), DebraW. Haffner categorizes adolescent sexuality

into three stages; early, middle, and late. In early adolescence (ages nine to

thirteen for girls, eleven to fifteen for boys) experimenting with sexual behavior

is common, although sexual intercourse is usually limited. A 1994 national

telephone survey of ninth- to twelfth-grade students found that nearly

all had engaged in kissing; more than 70 percent had engaged in touching

above the waist and more than 50 percent below the waist; 15 percent had

engaged in mutual masturbation. This time period is characterized by the

beginning of the process of separating from the family and becoming more

influenced by peers. During middle adolescence (thirteen to sixteen for

girls, fourteen to seventeen for boys) sexual experimentation is common,

and many adolescents have first intercourse during this stage of life. Of

ninth- through twelfth-grade students, 50 percent report having had sexual

intercourse, with percentages from 38 percent of ninth-graders to 65 percent

of twelfth-graders. A slightly higher percentage of young men than

young women reported having had sexual intercourse. In late adolescence

(women sixteen and older; men seventeen and older), the process of physical

maturation is complete. There is autonomy from family as well as from

the peer group as adult roles are defined. Sexuality often becomes associated

with commitment and planning for the future.

Awareness of sexual orientation often emerges in adolescence. Margaret

Rosario and her colleagues conducted a study of fourteen- to twenty-oneyear-

old lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths which found that the average age

at which girls were certain of being gay was approximately 16 and the average

age for boys was 14.6, with the majority reporting a history of sexual activity

with both sexes.

Boys appear to initiate intercourse earlier than girls, but girls catch up by

the late teens. The timing of puberty is important for boys, while for girls, social

controls exert a greater influence than the onset of puberty. Girls who

are academically engaged, with higher self-esteem, and with interests outside

the dating culture are more likely to delay the onset of sexual activity.

For both boys and girls, dual-parent families, higher socioeconomic status,

parental supervision, and close relationships with parents are all associated

with delayed onset of sexual activity.

Contraceptive use among adolescents continues to increase. Two-thirds

of adolescents report using some method of contraceptive, usually condoms,

the first time they have sexual intercourse. The older they are at first

intercourse, the more likely they are to use a contraceptive as well. Programs

that improve teen access to contraceptives have not produced increased

rates of sexual activity but do increase condom use.

Social concerns such as teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases,

and sex education have focused attention on the need to understand clearly

the dynamics of adolescent sexuality. This awareness should continue to encourage

broader perspectives for the study of teenage sexual behavior and

produce detailed knowledge of sexuality as it occurs in the adolescent experience.