Attitudes toward sexual behaviors: relationship with gender and sexual orientation

Abstract

Most studies that have compared sexual attitudes between men and women have focused on heterosexual individuals or have not controlled for sexual orientation. In addition, many have used measures of general sexual attitudes, which have more difficulty in predicting sexual behaviors and sexual health than measures of attitudes toward specific sexual behaviors. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze whether gender and sexual orientation are related to attitudes toward specific sexual behaviors in Spain. The study sample consisted of 1725 participants (55.8% women) aged between 18 and 35 years and of different sexual orientations. All participants completed an instrument to measure attitudes toward specific contextualized sexual behaviors. After controlling for age and current relationship status, the results reveal that while women have more positive attitudes toward solitary sexual behaviors and erotic material than men, men have more positive attitudes toward unconventional and online sexual behaviors than women. Bisexual people have more positive attitudes toward frequent dyadic sexual behaviors with casual partners than homosexual people. Finally, bisexual and homosexual people have more positive attitudes towards solitary sexual behaviors and erotic material, unconventional sexual behaviors, and online sexual behaviors than heterosexuals. It is concluded that gender and sexual orientation are related to attitudes toward different types of sexual behaviors.

Where you learn about sex matters: Sexual information sources during adolescence and current sexual values and sexual behaviors in Latinx emerging adults.

“…However, among many Latinx families, sexuality has been recognized as a focal point of familial tension, particularly among immigrant families, whose expectations may conflict with White American norms regarding adolescent romantic and sexual activity (Raffaelli & Iturbide, 2015). Acculturation, often measured by nativity, length in the United States, and language spoken (Schwartz et al, 2010), has been positively associated with positive sexual attitudes (Guilamo-Ramos et al, 2008), whereas higher enculturation was significantly associated with more conservative and negative sexual attitudes (Blanc & Rojas, 2020). However, an examination of acculturation in isolation of specific gendered cultural norms offers limited insight into how sexual values are developed (Guilamo-Ramos et al, 2009).…”