Late Adolescent Girls’ Sexual Experiences and Sexual Satisfaction

Abstract

This study presented and tested a model of sexual satisfaction for late adolescent girls. In this model, sexual self-concept and approach sexual motives were tested as predictors of adolescent girls’ sexual satisfaction with their most recent experience of sexual intercourse. A total of 116 girls in 12th grade (ages 16-19) completed measures of sexual self-concept and sexual experiences. A smaller number of girls (n = 70) with intercourse experience completed measures of their motives for engaging in sex and their sexual satisfaction with their most recent intercourse experience. Results showed that both sexual self-concept and approach sexual motives were associated with greater sexual experience across a broad range of sexual behaviors. Furthermore, sexual self-concept and approach sex motives predicted higher sexual satisfaction at most recent intercourse. The importance of investigating positive factors in girls’ developing sexuality is discussed.

Sexual Satisfaction and Sexual Health Among University Students in the United States

“…Fewer than 5% of the respondents reported any physiological dissatisfaction, and fewer than 8% reported any psychological dissatisfaction. Given the ubiquity of cultural messages disdaining sexual activity among young people, especially young women, the presence of sexual satisfaction both in this study and in 2 earlier studies of adolescents 31,36 is surprising and encouraging. Despite significant bivariate gender differences across a number of covariates (e.g., orgasm frequency, sexual guilt, self-esteem), both young women and young men in this study who had chosen to engage in partnered heterosexual activity reported considerable enjoyment with their sexual lives.…”

“…6,7 Adolescent girls' lack of pleasure is considered normative, whereas adult women are assumed to possess desire, and a failure in this regard may lead to a diagnosis of sexual dysfunction. 31,34 Despite this focus on negative sexual health, several studies of young people and sexual satisfaction do exist. 35 Auslander et al used a 7-item scale to examine sexual satisfaction among 313 sexually active 14-to 24-year-old participants from an adolescent medicine clinic.…”

“…29,30 Learning to experience sexual fulfillment is a vital aspect of how young people achieve the developmental task of becoming sexually healthy adults. 31,32 Unfortunately, research on young people's sexuality still focuses almost entirely on the potential negative outcomes of sexual behavior, 33 especially among young women. 6,7 Adolescent girls' lack of pleasure is considered normative, whereas adult women are assumed to possess desire, and a failure in this regard may lead to a diagnosis of sexual dysfunction.…”

“…31 For example, myriad studies of adults demonstrate a connection between relationship stability, intimacy, and sexual satisfaction. 15---21 In addition, a study of young adults in Norway revealed that those who were sexually active and unattached were less satisfied with a Gender difference significant at P < .05.…”

The Impact of Religious Commitment on Women’s Sexual Self-Esteem

“…Researchers have shown that positive sexual self-esteem is also associated with increased sexual satisfaction (Impett and Tolman 2006), frequent sexual communication (Oattes and Offman 2007), and safe sexual practices (Breakwell and Millward 1997;Lou et al 2010). To date, much of the research on sexual selfesteem has primarily been centered on the experiences of adolescents and sexual self-esteem's impact on adolescents' sexual risk-taking behaviors.…”