Sexual agency is a fundamental dimension of sexual subjectivity and well-being. Research and theory suggest that it functions in the service of both protection from harm and enabling sexual pleasure. However, sexual agency can be difficult for women to navigate in a social landscape in which femininity ideologies remain powerful social forces, operating in racialized ways. We examined how embodiment, sexual desire, and entitlement to sexual pleasure were associated with sexual agency in the service of protection (i.e., condom use and refusing unwanted sex) and pleasure (i.e., asking for what one wants from a sexual partner) for Black and White heterosexual college women using path analysis and path invariance testing. We found that across race, women’s embodiment was associated with greater comfort with their sexual desire, which in turn was associated with greater entitlement to sexual pleasure and sexual agency in service of both pleasure and protection. While Black and White women evidenced similar levels of both forms of agency, Black participants’ agency in the service of protection was unrelated to their entitlement to sexual pleasure. We discuss these findings in light of racialized discourses of women’s sexuality and the importance of understanding sexual desire as anchored in the body and enabling young women’s sexual agency.

中文翻译：

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获得快乐和保护的途径：探索作为黑人和白人年轻女性性能力的预测因素的体现、欲望和获得快乐的权利

性能动性是性主体性和幸福感的一个基本维度。研究和理论表明，它的作用是保护免受伤害和促进性快感。然而，在女性意识形态仍然是强大的社会力量，以种族化的方式运作的社会环境中，女性可能难以驾驭性能动性。我们研究了化身、性欲和享受性快感的权利如何与为黑人提供保护（即使用安全套和拒绝不想要的性行为）和愉悦（即向性伴侣索取什么）服务的性能动性相关联。和白人异性恋大学女性使用路径分析和路径不变性测试。我们发现在整个种族中，女性的化身与她们的性欲更加舒适相关，这反过来又与为愉悦和保护服务的更大的性快感和性能动性相关联。虽然黑人和白人女性证明了两种形式的能动性水平相似，但黑人参与者在保护服务中的能动性与她们享受性快感的权利无关。我们根据关于女性性行为的种族化话语，以及将性欲理解为植根于身体并赋予年轻女性性能力的重要性来讨论这些发现。