A Gender-Based Generational Comparison of Sexual Behaviors Adolescents Engage in Prior to First Coitus

Abstract

Background

Comparing two convenience samples of college students in the northeastern region of the USA, this study sought to examine, by gender, whether there has been a change over the past two decades in the type and frequency of sexual behaviors heterosexual emerging adults report engaging in prior to their first coitus.

Methods

Sexual behaviors engaged in prior to coital initiation were extracted from our 2018 survey of college students (n = 293) and compared to published results from a similar survey conducted in 1995/1996 (n = 311). Mean comparisons and chi-square tests were used to evaluate gender differences among the 2018 cohort, and equality of proportion tests were used to compare the 2018 and 1995/1996 cohorts.

Results

Overall, a higher percentage of respondents in the 2018 cohort reported engaging in precoital activity as compared to the 1995/1996 cohort. Specifically, relative to the 1995/1996 cohort, masturbation significantly increased among both males and females; caressing partner’s genitals or giving oral sex significantly increased in frequency among females, and receiving oral sex significantly increased in frequency among males. A salient finding of this study is that the rate of increase in precoital sexual activity was greater among females than it was among males.

Conclusions

Health and education professionals seeking to facilitate the healthy sexual development of adolescents may want to consider broadening the scope of risk management strategies when working with heterosexual emerging adults, focusing not only on the coitally experienced population but also on adolescents who have not yet experienced coitus and may be engaging in other behaviors that pose a risk for STI transmission (e.g., oral sex).

Appendix: Select Survey Question Topics

Age at First Coitus

The survey question on age at first coitus used in the current study is listed as follows.

• Your age at the first time that you had sexual intercourse

  • Open-ended response

Coital Behavior

Schwartz provided his earlier questionnaire for review, in both studies coital behavior was defined as penile-vaginal penetration.

The survey question on coital behavior used in the current study is listed as follows.

• Have you ever had penile-vaginal sexual intercourse (defined as placing your penis within a female’s vagina or having a male place his penis within your vagina)?

  • Responses were yes or no

Gender

The survey question on gender used in the current study is listed as follows:

• What is your sex/gender?

• Responses:

• Female

• Male

• Transgender Female

• Transgender Male

• Other (please specify)

Precoital Sexual Behavior

The survey question regarding behaviors engaged prior to first coitus used in the current study is listed as follows.

• Before [please note that “Before” was bolded on the survey] you had sexual intercourse for the first time, how often had you participated in the following behaviors?

• Masturbating yourself

• Kissing a partner

• Caressing your partner’s breasts

• Partner caressing your breasts

• Caressing your partner’s genitals

• Partner caressing your genitals

• Stimulating your partner’s genitals with your mouth

• Partner stimulating your genitals with their mouth

• The options for each item were:

• Never, Once, Rarely, Occasionally, Frequently, Very frequently

Sexual Orientation

The survey question on sexual orientation used in the current study is listed as follows.

• What is your sexual orientation?

• Responses:

• Heterosexual

• Homosexual

• Bisexual

• Asexual

• Other (please specify)