Journal of Sex Research最新文献

To assess the effect of an online comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) package for vocational high school students in China's developed and less-developed regions, a parallel, unblinded, cluster, randomized controlled trial was conducted. The study included 3,415 tenth-grade students from 29 mixed-gender vocational high schools who had not previously received CSE. The intervention group participated in weekly classes over two months, totaling 360 minutes of online CSE. For the primary outcomes, the intervention group exhibited improvements in sexuality knowledge and attitude post-intervention and one year later. However, after one year, the positive effects were less than post-intervention. In addition, the intervention group's growth rate of sexuality knowledge and attitude was not limited by the initial baseline level. In the secondary outcomes, compared with the control group, the online CSE resulted in a higher frequency of penetrative sexual events, harassment coping self-efficacy in both post-intervention and one year later, and school bully perception only in post-intervention. No significant between-group differences were observed in the trajectory of STD symptom changes, contraceptive usage, unintended pregnancy rates, or self-efficacy. Finally, curriculum progress positively impacted the slope of sexuality knowledge and attitude. Results suggest that more sustained CSE is necessary for vocational high school students in China. Online CSE presents a feasible solution to enhance sexuality knowledge and attitude and bridge the gap in developmental and sexuality education levels. However, behaviors and well-being outcomes did not yield consistent positive results.

While sex education has been linked to adolescent health, few studies have examined how comprehensiveness of school-based sex education may promote young adult sexual wellbeing. The current study used latent class analysis to examine patterns in the comprehensiveness of topics included in sex education among a national sample of young adults (N = 676). Many participants had not received sex education (40%) or had received sex education that was focused on abstinence (20%) or sexual risks (25%). Only 15% had received comprehensive sex education (likely to cover a range of topics, including condoms/contraception, sexual communication, gender, sexual orientation, pleasure, consent, etc.). Analyses examined how class membership related to sexual health. Compared to all other groups, young adults that had received the most comprehensive sex education were more likely to use condoms and communicate with their partners about STIs. They were also more likely to have had an STI test (compared to those who received other types of sex education) and reported greater sexual satisfaction (compared to those who received no sex education). Those that received the most comprehensive sex education reported their sex education to be more inclusive, preparative, and empowering but less comfortable. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Latinx sexual minority men (SMM) living in the U.S. endure intersectional oppression which has been linked to their engagement in sexual risk behaviors, increasing their risk for adverse outcomes such as HIV/STI/STD contraction and ongoing poverty. While research extensively documents the sexual behaviors of Latinx SMM, there is a lack of research examining the influence of their online experiences specifically. Addressing this gap, the present study investigated the influence of appearance- related social media consciousness (ASMC) and geosocial networking (GSN) app use intensity on sexual risk behaviors among a sample of 438 Latinx SMM. The study also explored the potential moderating effects of traditional machismo and acculturation in the aforementioned associations. Results revealed that both ASMC and GSN app use intensity were positively associated with sexual risk behaviors. Furthermore, acculturation moderated the positive significant association between ASMC and sexual risk behaviors, such that the association was only significant among Latinx SMM who reported high levels of acculturation. Traditional machismo did not moderate any of the other associations. Overall, these findings highlight the complex ways in which Latinx SMM's online experiences are influenced by cultural values and processes, and how these experiences are related to their sexual behaviors.

Sexual consent is a foundational aspect of sexual encounters as it distinguishes sexual assault from consensual sex. Despite alcohol-involved sexual assault being a serious public health issue, many college students report engaging in "consensual drunk sex." Thus, understanding how college students determine consent to alcohol-involved sex is essential. We explored college students' perceptions of consensual alcohol-involved sexual encounters, focusing on how they determine and communicate consent to sex after having consumed alcohol. We conducted 30 qualitative interviews with college students about their alcohol-involved sexual experiences, assessing how they communicated consent and determined alcohol-involved sex was consensual. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. We found five sequential, process-oriented themes: (1) presence in alcohol-intensive environments suggests "pre-consent," (2) alcohol-oriented socializing is an "initial consent" cue, (3) leaving alcohol-intensive environments suggest consent, (4) communicating consent immediately prior to sexual behavior is necessary, and (5) reflecting on and evaluating the encounter when sober helps determine consent, and an additional sixth theme reflecting participants' perceptions of risk associated with alcohol-involved sex. Our findings suggest college students rely on a range of cues to determine consent to alcohol-involved sex stemming from when they first meet in alcohol-intensive environments to when they are sober and engage in reflection. These cues underscore the complexities in consent communication in general, specifically highlighting further nuance when considering consent to alcohol-involved sexual behavior. Health promotion and sexual assault prevention educators should continue to incorporate consent into their initiatives, remaining attentive to the complexities and nuances inherent in consent.

This study aimed to identify some of the reasons held by participants for either disclosing or concealing a sexual fantasy. Participants were asked to describe either how their partner responded to a disclosure or (for those reporting on an undisclosed sexual fantasy) how they anticipated that their partner was likely to respond. A mixed-methods approach was employed. Two hundred and eighty-seven participants were surveyed about their reasons for disclosing/concealing fantasies and either their actual or anticipated disclosure experiences. The majority of participants (69.3%) indicated having disclosed a sexual fantasy at some point in their relationship. Five categories of reasons for disclosing/not disclosing a sexual fantasy were generated through descriptive content analysis. These categories were sexual gratification, relationship-motivated, partner traits or characteristics, communication patterns, and specific fantasy content. Participant descriptions of their partner's response to the disclosure of their sexual fantasy were frequently coded as positive. For those describing how they believed their partner would be likely to respond to the disclosure of reported sexual fantasy, these anticipated responses were often coded as negative. The findings of the current study deepen our understanding of sexual fantasy disclosure and highlight some of the reasons held for either disclosing or concealing sexual fantasies. More widely, these findings may have implications for sex education, furthering our understanding of sexual dysfunction and sex/relationship therapy.

Despite increased interest in consensual non-monogamy (CNM), significant stigma remains against CNM. Consequently, there is a need for scales to assess attitudes toward CNM. In response to this need we developed the Multidimensional Attitudes toward CNM Scale (MACS). Items were developed in consultation with content experts and data were collected from two samples at two different Canadian Universities. Fit indices of exploratory (Sample A) and confirmatory (Sample B) factor analysis suggested a 16-item scale with three underlying factors: CNM is Dysfunctional, CNM is Immoral, and CNM is Healthy and Satisfying. Validity analyses, conducted using the combined sample (n = 806; 79% women; 67% heterosexual), demonstrated that participants with higher MACS total scores (i.e. more negative attitudes) were less likely to have ever been involved in a CNM relationship and were more likely to report monogamy as their ideal relationship style. Higher MACS scores were also associated with more negative attitudes toward bisexuality and toward women, and higher scores on measures of homophobia and jealousy. In contrast, individuals with higher scores on the CNM is Healthy subscale tended to score higher on measures of empathy. The MACS demonstrates strong psychometric properties and can assist in better understanding attitudes toward CNM relationships in research and clinical settings.

We conducted three studies to examine the factor structure and measurement invariance of the Paraphilia Scale, a measure of paraphilic interests used in multiple studies. In the first study, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) testing different a priori models with a community sample of 1,040 adults previously reported by Seto et al. (2021), and found support for a hierarchical four-factor model: An agonistic continuum involving coercion or physical pain (biastophilia, sexual sadism, masochism), chronophilias (pedophilia, hebephilia), courtship disorders (voyeurism, exhibitionism, and frotteurism), and fetishism (object fetishism, transvestic fetishism, urophilia-coprophilia). This factor structure was replicated in a second study comprising a combined sample of 400 mTurk participants and 870 university students. The third study analyzed the community sample and found evidence of configural invariance but not scalar or metric invariance across gender (man or woman) and sexual orientation for gender (heterosexual or other sexual orientation). This indicates that the factor structure of the Paraphilia Scale is robust for gender and sexual orientation for gender, but factor loadings differ across these groups, as do the loadings of individual items on the four factors. Implications for research on gender and sexual orientation differences in paraphilic interests are discussed.

Kink, often referred to as BDSM, is an important aspect of a sizable minority's sexual desires, practices, and personal relationships, yet there are few ways to assess kink engagement in a holistic manner. This study aimed to develop the Kink Orientation Scale (KOS), a novel short tool for measuring different aspects of kink sexuality. In phase one, 27 items were created and included in the initial scale based on a literature review and focus groups with kinky and non-kinky individuals. In phase two, the KOS was administered to 200 university students. Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA) were used to determine the factor structure and dimensionality of the KOS, and we retained 18 items in the scale and identified five factors. In phase three, the 18 item KOS was administered to a kink sample of 1025 participants as a form of validation. Confirmatory Factor Analyses also identified five factors with a strong overlap to the EFA. The five factors were: kink identity; kink community; kink paraphernalia; kink practices; and sexual communication. The kink sample also provided higher scores on the KOS compared with the non-kink sample. This study shows the potential utility of the KOS in measuring kink engagement holistically.

Pup play is a kink or BDSM activity and subculture that provides opportunities for social and sexual play and exploration. While growing scholarly attention has focused on the diverse dynamics of pup play cultures, and reasons for participation within them, no research has considered how pup play may be attractive for neurodivergent people. This study sample consisted of 413 pup play practitioners from an international internet survey to examine the occurrence of autistic traits and explore characteristics and social connections of people with autistic traits who engage in pup play. Autistic traits were assessed using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient-Short Form (AQ-S), with 1 in 2 participants reporting a score that is indicative of an autism diagnosis, substantially higher than the prevalence of autism in the general population (1 in 44). Using linear and multinomial regression analyses, we found that people with high autistic traits preferred non-flexible roles in pup play, had lower identity resilience, and more restricted sociosexuality. People with high autistic traits were also less likely to belong to pup play social communities or to closer-knit family/pack units despite wishing to and were also less likely to have a strong identification with pup play communities than people with low AQ-S scores. While these findings need to be treated as preliminary based on methodological and sample limitations, this research demonstrates the importance of considering intersections between autistic traits and sexual subcultures and provides evidence that sexuality research would be enhanced by a more inclusive approach to considering neurodivergence more broadly.

Paraphilia is defined as a condition in which sexual excitement relies on fantasizing about and/or participating in unusual sexual behavior. Although recent studies have assessed the concordance between paraphilic interests and paraphilic behaviors, few studies have studied which individual traits and demographics predict engaging in paraphilic behaviors, or the level of concordance between arousal and behavior. The current study replicated and expanded Joyal and Carpentier's 2022 study. We assessed concordance between paraphilic arousal and behavior. Further, we assessed the impact of Dark Tetrad traits, impulsivity, social desirability and demographic variables on engaging in paraphilic behaviors using self-report questionnaires in a sample from the general population and FetLife. Finally, we were interested in whether these individual differences moderated the concordance between arousal and behavior. Results indicated high concordance between paraphilic arousal and behavior for all paraphilias except pedophilia and hebephilia. Younger, male participants were more likely to engage in various paraphilias than women and older participants. Machiavellianism was linked with lower paraphilic behavior, particularly impulsive or risky ones. Psychopathy predicted engaging in more deviant or illegal paraphilias, whereas sadism only showed an association for engaging in frotteurism and narcissism was not a predictor for engaging in any paraphilia. For several paraphilias, individual traits moderated the effect of arousal on behavior. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.