Showing papers in "Archives of Sexual Behavior in 1999"
TL;DR: PET identified brain regions whose activation was correlated with visually evoked sexual arousal in males, and activation of some of these areas was positively correlated with plasma testosterone levels.
Abstract: Brain areas activated in human male sexual behavior have not been characterized precisely. For the first time, positron emission tomography (PET) was used to identify the brain areas activated in healthy males experiencing visually evoked sexual arousal. Eight male subjects underwent six measurements of regional brain activity following the administration of [15O]H2O as they viewed three categories of film clips: sexually explicit clips, emotionally neutral control clips, and humorous control clips inducing positive but nonsexual emotions. Statistical Parametric Mapping was used to identify brain regions demonstrating an increased activity associated with the sexual response to the visual stimulus. Visually evoked sexual arousal was characterized by a threefold pattern of activation: the bilateral activation of the inferior temporal cortex, a visual association area; the activation of the right insula and right inferior frontal cortex, which are two paralimbic areas relating highly processed sensory information with motivational states; and the activation of the left anterior cingulate cortex, another paralimbic area known to control autonomic and neuroendocrine functions. Activation of some of these areas was positively correlated with plasma testosterone levels. Although this study should be considered preliminary, it identified brain regions whose activation was correlated with visually evoked sexual arousal in males.
401 citations
TL;DR: The association between desire discrepancies and general relationship satisfaction was fully mediated by level of sexual satisfaction for both men and women, and both indices were associated with women's adjustment.
Abstract: Sexual desire discrepancies and the associations between desire discrepancies and relationship adjustment (i.e., sexual and relationship satisfaction) in heterosexual dating couples (N = 72) were examined Desire discrepancies were assessed via two methods: (1) a couple-based index created using both individuals' reports of sexual desire and (2) an individual-based index using each person's own subjective perception of a desire discrepancy within the couple. Both indices were associated with women's adjustment, whereas only individual perceptions of discrepancies were associated with men's adjustment. The association between desire discrepancies and general relationship satisfaction was fully mediated by level of sexual satisfaction for both men and women. Women whose sexual desire level was lower than their partners' endorsed lower levels of relationship adjustment relative to women whose desire was either greater than or similar to their partners'. Implications for the assessment of sexual desire differences in couples are discussed.
186 citations
TL;DR: Among pedophiles ingeneral, erotic preference moves away from adult women along two dimensions: age and sex, so that a pedophile with both factors is more likely to be sexually interested in boys than a Pedophile with only one.
Abstract: Intellectual functioning, parental age, and sexual orientation in 991 male sexual offenders were investigated. Sources of data included semistructured interviews, clinical charts, phallometric tests, and self-administered questionnaires. The results suggest two main conclusions: (i) Among pedophiles in general, erotic preference moves away from adult women along two dimensions: age and sex. The extent of this movement is greater, along both dimensions, for pedophiles with lower levels of intellectual functioning. (ii) High maternal age (or some factor it represents) increases the likelihood of exclusive sexual interest in boys. Intellectual deficiency (or some factor it represents) decreases the likelihood of exclusive sexual interest in girls. These two factors summate, so that a pedophile with both factors is more likely to be sexually interested in boys than a pedophile with only one.
128 citations
TL;DR: There is a strong case for making a change in the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care to include a period of postoperative psychotherapy for male-to-female gender transformation surgeries.
Abstract: From 1980 to July 1997 sixty-one male-to-female gender transformation surgeries were performed at our university center by one author (AM) Data were collected from patients who had surgery up to 1994 (n = 47) to obtain a minimum follow-up of 3 years; 28 patients were contacted A mail questionnaire was supplemented by personal interviews with 11 patients and telephone interviews with remaining patients to obtain and clarify additional information Physical and functional results of surgery were judged to be good, with few patients requiring additional corrective surgery General satisfaction was expressed over the quality of cosmetic (normal appearing genitalia) and functional (ability to perceive orgasm) results Follow-up showed satisfied who believed they had normal appearing genitalia and the ability to experience orgasm Most patients were able to return to their jobs and live a more satisfactory social and personal life One significant outcome was the importance of proper preparation of patients for surgery and especially the need for additional postoperative psychotherapy None of the patients regretted having had surgery However, some were, to a degree, disappointed because of difficulties experienced postoperatively in adjusting satisfactorily as women both in their relationships with men and in living their lives generally as women Findings of this study make a strong case for making a change in the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care to include a period of postoperative psychotherapy
112 citations
TL;DR: Examining gender differences in the work of 140 sex workers in the San Francisco Tenderloin, it is found that women do not suffer inequities of income, and transgenders are more like the men, although various aspect of their condition make for some uniquedifferences.
Abstract: The variable “gender” rarely appearsin prostitution research. Its inclusion raises the samequestions brought up with respect to other areas ofwork: Is there a gendered perspective with respect tothe work and are gender inequalities reflected init? This study examines gender differences in the workof 140 sex workers in the San Francisco Tenderloin. Aswell as women and men who are workers, we include transgender workers (genetic males who presentthemselves as women), further accentuating differencesby gender. Looking at work-specific characteristics, wefind that women do not suffer inequities of income. They are, however, more prone tooccupational hazards. Transgenders, who suffer the mostsocietal discrimination, are closer to women than men intheir work situation. Examining the sexuality of sex workers, the women are the least likely toenjoy sex with clients. Men report more sexual enjoymentwith clients and transgenders are closer to the men inthis regard. Few differences are, however, found in sexual pleasure in the personal livesof the women, men, and transgenders. A gender differencethat stands out is that the men have more noncommercialsex partners than the women. Again, transgenders are more like the men, although various aspectsof their condition make for some uniquedifferences.
105 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that at low levels of response both methods are equally good, and at low level of response volumetric phallometry is a more accurate measure of arousal, and 10% FE, or a 2.5-mm circumference increase, should be the minimum response criterion for the circumferential measure.
Abstract: Penile circumference and penile volume phallometry are laboratory methods of assessing sexual arousal. Volume phallometry is reportedly more sensitive to responses, but comparative studies have been inconclusive and beset with methodological problems. In this study, 42 self-professed heterosexual volunteers were assessed with both methods simultaneously, employing a standard test for erotic partner preference. Pearson correlations between test outcome profiles were very high (r > .80) for subjects whose circumferential increase was > 2.5 mm [10% of a full erection (FE)]. However, among lower responders the agreement dropped precipitously (mean r = -.15). Moreover, as a group higher responders differentiated adult and pubescent age female stimuli from each other and all other categories with either method, but lower responders made this differentiation only with the volume method. We conclude that (l) at high levels of response both methods are equally good, (2) at low levels of response volumetric phallometry is a more accurate measure of arousal, and (3) 10% FE, or a 2.5-mm circumference increase, should be the minimum response criterion for the circumferential measure.
104 citations
TL;DR: On all five measures of penile length and circumference, homosexual men reported larger penises thandid heterosexual men, and Explanations for these differences are discussed.
Abstract: The relation between sexual orientation and penile dimensions in a large sample of men was studied. Subjects were 5122 men interviewed by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction from 1938 to 1963. They were dichotomously classified as either homosexual (n = 935) or heterosexual (n = 4187). Penile dimensions were assessed using five measures of penile length and circumference from Kinsey's original protocol. On all five measures, homosexual men reported larger penises than did heterosexual men. Explanations for these differences are discussed, including the possibility that these findings provide additional evidence that variations in prenatal hormonal levels (or other biological mechanisms affecting reproductive structures) affect sexual orientation development.
99 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that the desire to achieve the transition to adulthood at an earlier age than their peers constitutes a powerful incentive for young people to become sexually active.
Abstract: Early initiation of sexual activity is aconcern, in part because of increased risk of sexuallytransmitted diseases, including HIV, and unwantedpregnancies among young people. In this study, 241 high schoolers were administered a questionnaire toestablish the relationships between age at first sexualintercourse and personal qualities (sexual style,attractiveness, physical maturity, restraint, autonomy expectations, and attitudes to gender roles),smoking and drug use, and aspects of the social context(social activities, media impact, peer norms). Therewere few effects of sex of respondent and none in which respondents' sex impacted on age ofinitiation. Overall (and among the male sample),perceptions of greater physical maturity, greater use ofuncommon (mostly illicit) drugs, and expectations of earlier autonomy significantly differentiatedbetween early and later initiators. This group offactors tends to confirm the view that early experienceof sexual intercourse is correlated with problembehaviors and a press toward “adult”behaviors. For girls, this pattern was even clearer,with use of uncommon drugs being replaced as asignificant contributor to early sexual experience byrelative lack of restraint. We conclude that the desire to achieve thetransition to adulthood at an earlier age than theirpeers constitutes a powerful incentive for young peopleto become sexually active.
93 citations
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91 citations
TL;DR: Although males reported more frequent activity than females on all items of assessment, the difference between groups, with the exception of masturbation, was not significant.
Abstract: The sexual activities college students reportedengaging in prior to their first coital experience wereinvestigated. A volunteer sample of 311 students (120male and 191 female) completed a self-report anonymous questionnaire. Both males and femalesreported considerable precoital sexual experience.Although males reported more frequent activity thanfemales on all items of assessment, the difference between groups, with the exception ofmasturbation, was not significant. The majority of bothmales and females reported at least one experience, anda sizable minority reported considerably moreexperience, with cunnilingus and fellatio, risk behaviorsfor the transmission of STDs, prior to their firstcoitus. Attention is drawn to the dearth of informationon sexual activity prior to coital initiation. Given the potential risks of some of theseactivities, recommendations to further explore andaddress the precoital sexual behavior of adolescents aresuggested.
83 citations
TL;DR: Compared to before pregnancy, there was a decrease infrequency and satisfaction with sexual intercourse, although sexual practices changed little, and conversations with health professionals in routine postnatal health contacts were mainly about contraception.
Abstract: A pilot study was carried out investigating women's sexual health in the postnatal period. Postal questionnaires were sent to a cohort of 158 primiparous women approximately 7 months after delivery. Women who had resumed sexual intercourse were asked a detailed set of questions about problems experienced, sexual practices, frequency of intercourse, satisfaction with sex life, and consultation for postnatal sexual problems. All women were asked about the information they received on postnatal health prior to the birth and any information or help and advice they received from health professionals on the subject after the birth. Ninety-eight women (62%) responded. Women experienced significant levels of morbidity in the postnatal period; 3 months after delivery 58% experienced dyspareunia, 39% experienced vaginal dryness, and 44% suffered loss of sexual desire. These figures had reduced to 26, 22, and 35%, respectively, by the time of answering the questionnaire (approximately 8 to 9 months after delivery). Compared to before pregnancy, there was a decrease in frequency and satisfaction with sexual intercourse, although sexual practices changed little. Of the 67 women who reported a postnatal sexual problem, only 19% discussed this with a health professional. Conversations with health professionals in routine postnatal health contacts were mainly about contraception, and only rarely discussed problems with intercourse.
TL;DR: A number of unresolved issues in sexologyresearch and practice are reviewed and it has been recommended that randomized controlled evaluations of treatments of sex offenders be abandoned.
Abstract: A number of unresolved issues in sexology research and practice are reviewed Penile volume assessment of sexual arousal has consistently proved more sensitive than penile circumference assessment and requires much shorter exposure to the erotic stimuli eliciting the arousal, reducing the subjects' ability to modify their responses Failure to acknowledge this has allowed acceptance of evidence based on penile circumference assessment that behavioral treatments such as directed masturbation can increase the ability of sex offenders to be heterosexually aroused and aversive therapy can reduce their deviant urges whereas penile volume assessment indicates these procedures are ineffective A randomized controlled trial of relapse prevention versus no treatment for sex offenders found more treated than untreated subjects reoffended after a mean follow-up period of 4 years Researchers and therapists accepted that a post hoc statistical manipulation of the results provided evidence of a treatment effect Subsequently it has been recommended that randomized controlled evaluations of treatments of sex offenders be abandoned Meta-analysis of outcome studies has been used uncritically The majority of men and women who report homosexual feelings and/or behavior report predominant heterosexual feelings and behavior and do not identify as homosexual These consistent findings remain ignored Studies of the etiology and development of homosexuality and heterosexuality treat them as distributed categorically rather than dimensionally and investigate only self-identified homosexuals and heterosexuals With this methodology the predominantly heterosexual majority are excluded or misclassified The belief that the European concept of the homosexual is a late 19th-century invention is based on an inadequate reading of literature Limitations of the DSM classification of sexual and gender identity disorders are pointed out The validity of self-report of sexual behavior has been questioned on the basis that men report a markedly higher average number of sexual partners than women Possible sex differences in reporting the number of partners who are of the same sex, casual, or perpetrators or victims of sexual coercion and child abuse have not been taken into account Failure of sexology to progress due to lack of resolution of conflicting issues may contribute to the low impact factor of its journals
TL;DR: Children referred for problems in their gender identity development have a developmental lag in gender constancy acquisition, and possible reasons for the lag are discussed.
Abstract: Gender constancy judgments in children referred for problems in their gender identity development (N = 206) and controls (N = 95) were compared. On Slaby and Frey's (1975) gender constancy interview, the gender-referred children performed more poorly than the controls at three stage levels: gender identity, gender stability, and gender consistency. On the Boy-Girl Identity Task, a second measure of gender constancy (Emmerich et al., 1977), the gender-referred children also performed more poorly. Gender-referred children who had not attained gender consistency engaged in significantly less same-sex-typed play on a free-play task than the gender-referred children who had, but there were no gender consistency effects for the controls. Two other measures of sex-typed behavior were unrelated to gender consistency. In the gender-referred group alone, children who "failed" the gender identity or gender stability stages were more likely to draw an opposite-sex person first on the Draw-a-Person test and to evince more affective gender confusion on the Gender Identity Interview (Zucker et al., 1993) than children who had "passed." It is concluded that children referred for problems in their gender identity development have a developmental lag in gender constancy acquisition. Possible reasons for the lag are discussed.
TL;DR: Young homosexual and heterosexual youths reported a gap between their positive attitudes toward HIV prevention and their skills to implement safer sex acts, particularly under social pressure, and heterosexual youth demonstrated the highest level of condom skills.
Abstract: Variations in sexual risk acts and the social-cognitive mediators of sexual acts were examined among young homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual males and females (N = 478; 13± 21 years of age) from four community-based agencies in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles (29% African American, 36% Latino, 36% White/other). The prevalence and frequency of sexual risk acts varied by gender but were similar across youth of different sexual orientations, ethnicities, and ages. Condom use and the social-cognitive mediators of risk varied by sexual orientation and gender. Homosexual youths reported a gap between their positive attitudes toward HIV prevention and their skills to implement safer sex acts, particularly under social pressure. Bisexual youths appeared at greatest risk; their reports of sexual risk were the highest, yet their perceived risk for HIV was relatively low and skills and knowledge were moderate (relative to their peers). Heterosexual youths appear at high risk for HIV based on reports of low rates of condom use and HIV-related beliefs and attitudes. However, heterosexual youths demonstratedthe highest levelofcondom skills.The number ofsexual partners was not associated with any HIV-related social cognitive mediator, suggesting that alternative theoretical models must be proposed for partner selection. Longitudinal research with similar subgroups of youths is needed.
TL;DR: A follow-up study was carried out in phenobarbital and phenytoin-exposed subjects and control subjects matched for age, sex, and the mothers' ages as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Animal studies have shown that prenatal exposure to the anticonvulsant drugs phenobarbital and phenytoin alters steroid hormone levels which consequently leads to disturbed sexual differentiation. In this study, possible sequelae of prenatal exposure to these anticonvulsants on gender development in humans were investigated. A follow-up study was carried out in phenobarbital- and phenytoin-exposed subjects and control subjects matched for age, sex, and the mothers' ages. Subjects were born in the Academic Medical Center between 1957 and 1972. Out of 243 exposed and 222 control subjects who were asked to volunteer, 147 exposed subjects (72 male, 75 female) and equal numbers of their matched control subjects participated in the follow-up study. They were interviewed and were asked to fill out questionnaires on gender role behavior, gender development, and sexual orientation. As a group, exposed and control subjects did not differ with respect to gender role behavior, although higher numbers of prenatally anticonvulsant-exposed subjects reported current or past cross-gender behavior and/or gender dysphoria. Three prenatally anticonvulsant-exposed subjects were transsexuals and had undergone sex reassignment surgery, a remarkably high rate given the rarity of transsexualism. In addition, two exposed males had exclusively homosexual experiences, whereas none of the control males reported exclusive homosexual behavior. The groups did not differ in attainment of pubertal psychosexual milestones.
TL;DR: Adjusted logistic regression analyses found low Safer Sex Communication to be predictive of UAI, and perceived efficacy or experience in minimizing the risk of sexual HIV infection through communication with partners should be an outcome of interventions to prevent HIV transmission among young MSM.
Abstract: Our objective was to investigate sexualcommunication and risk-taking behaviors among young menwho have sex with men (MSM). MSM aged 17 to 25 yearswere recruited from four areas throughout California. The construct Safer Sex Communication, assessedthrough principal-components analysis, was defined asperceived efficacy or experience in minimizing the riskof sexual HIV infection through communication with partners. In the 6 months prior to thesurvey, 35.6% of the MSM had participated in unprotectedanal intercourse (UAI). Adjusted logistic regressionanalyses found low Safer Sex Communication to be predictive of UAI. In addition, negativeattitudes toward safe sex, high perceived risk of HIVinfection, 10 or more male sex partners during theprevious 6 months, and use of cocaine in the past 6months were also independently related to UAI. SaferSex Communication skills should be an outcome ofinterventions designed to prevent HIV transmission amongyoung MSM.
TL;DR: The discussion addresses the need for further comparative studies investigating the role of the serotonin system in the pathogenesis of sexual paraphilias and OCD as well as the effect of serotonin reuptake inhibitors incomparison to other pharmacologic modalities used in the treatment of paraphilia.
Abstract: The compulsive behaviors seen in sexualparaphilias may be related to those ofobsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Based primarilyupon case reports as well as studies indicating theeffectiveness of serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of sexualparaphilias, it has been speculated that sexualparaphilias lie within the obsessive-compulsivespectrum. There have been no reports of the use ofparoxetine in the treatment of sexual paraphilias. This isa report of two patients, the first a voyeur and thesecond an exhibitionist, both of whom responded totreatment with paroxetine. The discussion addresses the need for further comparative studiesinvestigating the role of the serotonin system in thepathogenesis of sexual paraphilias and OCD as well asthe effect of serotonin reuptake inhibitors incomparison to other pharmacologic modalities used in thetreatment of paraphilias.
TL;DR: A MANOVAanalysis found no overall gender effect, but marital status and protected class membership did have asignificant effect with people who are married andprotected class members reporting more sexual coercion.
Abstract: A 14-item Sexual Coercion Inventory (SCI) wasadministered to an urban university sample in WesternIndia. Twenty-six percent of the sample reported a totalof 160 incidents of sexual coercion ranging in severity from unwanted kissing to sexualintercourse. The most common outcome was intercourse andwas followed by kissing and fondling. No genderdifferences were discovered regarding victim status ortypes of coercion tactics experienced. A MANOVAanalysis found no overall gender effect, but maritalstatus and protected class membership did have asignificant effect with people who are married andprotected class members reporting more sexual coercion.Reasons for the lack of an overall gender effect andlimitations of this research are discussed.
TL;DR: A secondary-task probe (tone) was presented intermittent while men viewed erotic film segments across a session involving 18 trials with the same film segment (habituation), then 2 trials with different film segments (novelty) and 2 Trials withinstatement of the original segment (dishabituation).
Abstract: A secondary-task probe (tone) was presentedintermittently while men viewed erotic film segmentsacross a session involving 18 trials with the same filmsegment (habituation), then 2 trials with different film segments (novelty) and 2 trials withreinstatement of the original segment (dishabituation).Reaction time to the tone (an index of the extentprocessing resources were being committed to the erotic stimulus) shifted during the session inparallel with changes that occurred in penile tumescenceand subjective sexual arousal. The decrease in sexualarousal over the first 18 trials in the session was accompanied by a progressively faster reactionto the tone, novel stimulation led to recovery of sexualarousal and a slower reaction to the tone, and on trials21 and 22 sexual arousal and reaction time levels were above the values that prevailedimmediately prior to novel stimulation. Results arediscussed with reference to the relationship betweenhabituation and attention.
TL;DR: Results suggest that the semantic task may improve discriminantvalidity, particularly among sex offenders who have had previous experience with phallometrically assessment, and among fourrapists who hadPrevious experience withphallometrictesting, there was a very strong correlation betweendeviance scores and tracking accuracy.
Abstract: Sexual preferences of 38 rapists were assessed phallometrically with and without a semantic tracking task in a counterbalanced design. Four categories of audiotaped vignettes describing neutral interactions, consenting sex, rape, and nonsexual violence were employed as stimuli. In the semantic tracking task, participants were instructed to press one button when violent events were described in the vignette and another when sexual activities were described. Phallometric assessment with the semantic task better discriminated between rapists and non-sex-offender participants (from an earlier study) than the same assessment without the task. Among four rapists who had previous experience with phallometric testing, there was a very strong correlation between deviance scores and tracking accuracy. Results suggest that the semantic task may improve discriminant validity, particularly among sex offenders who have had previous experience with phallometric assessment.
TL;DR: Logistic regression results supported a difference in perception of women's sexual initiation based on gender of respondent, and in both samples men see women's initiation as less conforming to traditional social norms for women and more aggressive than women do.
Abstract: Previous work that compared male and female reports of women's heterosexual initiation and aggression is replicated. It was hypothesized that men's reports of women's sexual initiation and aggression would be significantly greater than women's self-report of sexual initiation and aggression in the most recent sample. Of the 24 questionnaire items, 12 of the 17 specifically designed to assess sexual initiation or aggression demonstrated significant reporting differences. For every questionnaire item, except "mutually consenting contact," men reported women initiating sexual contact more often than women self-reported. In addition, comparisons were made to determine the level of agreement between the results of this study and a previous study in which the same comparisons were made with a different sample. It was hypothesized that the identical questionnaire items would demonstrate significant gender-based reporting differences in both samples. This hypothesis was mostly supported with 11 items showing a significant difference in both samples. In both samples, males reported receiving female initiation and aggression more frequently than females reported giving. Logistic regression results supported a difference in perception of women's sexual initiation based on gender of respondent. In both samples men see women's initiation as less conforming to traditional social norms for women and more aggressive than women do. Gender role expectations and social desirability may influence male and female perceptions of female heterosexual initiation and aggression in a way that contributes to significant differences in reporting.
TL;DR: Although early initiators of intercourse were more likely to report lower socioeconomic status, less STD knowledge, and greater numbers of pregnancies, they were no morelikely to report more sexual partners than women who engaged in first intercourse after the age of consent, and had a greater number of long-term relationships.
Abstract: This study examines retrospective reports offactors anticipated to impact first intercourse in arandom sample of 897 Jamaican women, and contributes toour understanding of the relationship between sexual risk, knowledge, and economic and demographiccorrelates of first intercourse A relationship betweeninitiation of intercourse prior to the age of consent(16 Years) and factors occurring at or around the time of first intercourse was found Earlyinitiators were more likely to have had less earlyfamily stability and to have experienced menarche at ayounger age than late initiators Although early initiators of intercourse were more likely toreport lower socioeconomic status, less STD knowledge,and greater numbers of pregnancies, they were no morelikely to report more sexual partners than women who engaged in first intercourse after the ageof consent, and had a greater number of long-termrelationships Regardless of age of first intercourse,women need to be made aware of the risks of sexual contact so that they can make informeddecisions about the consequences of sexual activityOverall, results are consistent with work conducted inother parts of the Caribbean and America regarding the age at which young women engage in firstintercourse Findings suggest the need for further workexploring expectations at first intercourse such asmarriage, economic support, or relationship stability Implications of these findings are discussedwithin the context of economic and structural factorsthat both increase and decrease risks
TL;DR: This work identifies several potential applications of the coorientation method and provides guidelines for its application to research on dyadic relationships and identifies the correlational approach.
Abstract: The coorientation method is used rarely to studycommunication in sexual dyads or other relationships dueto uncertainty regarding the optimal way to calculatekey variables (i.e., understanding, agreement, and perceived agreement). We examined thismatter empirically, assessing sexual coorientation among76 cohabiting couples; 152 adults completed measures oftheir own and their partners' sexual preferences as well as sexual satisfaction. Three sets ofsexual preference coorientation variables werecalculated using correlational, difference score, andcombined approaches. These variables were thencorrelated with the sexual adjustment measures todetermine which coorientation approach had greaterexplanatory power across several hypothesizedrelationships. Results clearly favored the correlationalmethod. We identify several potential applications of thecoorientation method and provide guidelines for itsapplication to research on dyadicrelationships.
TL;DR: In a representative survey of the sexualbehavior of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic, questions were included concerning experience with sexually aggressivebehavior: 11.6% of women reported this kind of experience more than once, and the most common form of theseforced contacts was vaginal coitus.
Abstract: In a representative survey of the sexualbehavior of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic (862men and 825 women older than 15), questions wereincluded concerning experience with sexually aggressivebehavior: 11.6% of women reported this kind of experience(3.4% of them more than once). The average age at thetime of rape was 21.2 years. Most of these experiencesoccurred within marriage or a stable partnership. In only a tenth of them the perpetrator was astranger. Only 3.4% of the offenses were reported topolice. Of Czech men, 4.8% replied positively to thequestion whether they had ever forced a woman to have sexual contact. The most common form of theseenforced contacts was vaginal coitus.
TL;DR: Inlight of this review process, the paper presents acritique of the indices used, labels the importance of using standardized and easily understood questions and measures, and highlights the most effective means of recording the potential for conception and/or sexually transmitted infection.
Abstract: Two sets of findings that emerged from a review of surveys assessing young people's use of contraception in the U.K. are outlined. First, the paper presents estimates of contraceptive use for this population subgroup and, second, it notes several limitations of surveys under review. The surveys use a wide range of indices in measuring these different aspects of contraceptive (including condom) use, which has made accurate cross-study comparisons difficult; hence most findings can only be presented as broad estimates (usually depicted within a percentage range), rather than as precise values. Nonuse of contraception among young people at last intercourse is 20 to 30% and nonuse of the condom lies between 40 and 50%. In light of this review process, the paper presents a critique of the indices used, labels the importance of using standardized and easily understood questions and measures, and highlights the most effective means of recording the potential for conception and/or sexually transmitted infection. Recommendations for those about to conduct further research in this area are added.
TL;DR: Not providing a complete answer to the question on thenumber of lifetime partners was associated with response rate in the range of 90% on the questions of STD clinic attendance and drug abuse and heavysmoking was more prevalent among male nonrespondents.
Abstract: For a random sample of 4548 respondents to theBritish National Survey of Sexual Attitudes andLifestyles, item nonresponses were assessed by utilizingalternating least squares and optimal scaling. Of men who did not answer the question on numberof lifetime partners, 61% were estimated to have had 10or more partners, whereas 48% of female nonrespondentswere estimated to have had no partners. Among the latter, the percentage of those with 10 ormore partners was also elevated to the level almosttwice that of respondents. However, the overall impactof the estimates on the distribution of lifetime partners was hardly noticeable due to therelatively small proportion of incomplete answers tothis question. Those who did not respond to the questionof number of lifetime partners were likely to be over 45 years, of lower social class, and poorereducation in comparison with those who answered thequestion fully. A larger proportion of the former wereof Asian extraction and non-Christian in comparison to the latter, particularly among women. Notproviding a complete answer to the question on thenumber of lifetime partners was associated with thenonresponse rate in the range of 90% on the questions of STD clinic attendance and drug abuse. Heavysmoking was more prevalent among male nonrespondents incomparison to those who provided a full answer to thequestion on the number of lifetime partners.
TL;DR: Accuracy of heterosexual and homosexual probands' assessments of their twins' sexual orientations, as well as cotwins' agreement about other siblings'orientations, were examined.
Abstract: Previous studies investigating the familial nature of sexual orientation have often relied on the reports of siblings. They have generally obtained extremely high accuracy rates for proband rating of the sexual orientation of siblings. However participants in these studies have probably been unusually open about their sexual orientation, and thus it is uncertain if more representative participants would have as accurate knowledge about their families. An unselected sample of twins from the Australian Twin Registry rated their own, their cotwins', and their siblings' sexual orientations. We examined accuracy of heterosexual and homosexual probands' assessments of their twins' sexual orientations, as well as cotwins' agreement about other siblings' orientations. Concordance between twins' ratings of their cotwins' orientations with the cotwins' self-rated orientations was considerably lower than that found in previous studies, as was the level of agreement between members of a twin pair in the assessment of other siblings' sexual orientations. Marital history as a proxy variable for determining the sexual orientation of older subjects did not support its we with women, though its use for older men received some weak support.
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