Positive and Negative Perceived Consequences of First Intercourse in Mexican Adolescents

1. Positive and Negative Perceived Consequences of First Intercourse in Mexican Adolescents Sara A. Vasilenko1, Graciela Espinosa-Hernandez2, Linda C. Halgunseth3 1The Pennsylvania State University, 2University of North Carolina, Wilmington, 3University of Connecticut Background Results Discussion • Findings suggest that, similar to American adolescents, Mexican adolescents perceive both positive and negative consequences of their first sexual experience. • Some gender differences in consequences of sex suggest the influence of a sexual double standard which may be in part due to Mexican cultural values relating to machismo and marianismo. • Male adolescents may see sex as more likely to improve their reputation. • Female adolescents are more likely to see sex as relationship-centered and happening sooner than they preferred. • However, male and female adolescents were equally likely to endorse many consequences, including those related to physical satisfaction, regret and morals. • Both male and female adolescents report many positive consequences. • Findings may inform preventive interventions on sexual health behaviors targeted for Mexican adolescent youth. • There is a growing literature examining the psychological experience of sexual behavior (Tolman & McClelland, 2011). • However, much of this literature focuses on adolescents in the United States. • In the U.S., adolescents report largely positive feelings about first sexual intercourse (Smiler, Ward, Merriweather & Carruthers, 2007). • Female adolescents report more negative feelings than male adolescents (Sprecher, Barbee & Schwartz, 1997). • Such differences may be more pronounced in Mexico because of cultural values like machismo and marianismo. • Men have freedom to engage in sex for pleasure. • Women held to higher moral standard in which sex is reserved for procreative purposes in marriage (Wood & Price, 1997). • We examined prevalence and gender differences in experiencing positive and negative intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences of first sexual experiences. References Method • Smiler, A. P., Ward, L. M., Caruthers, A., & Merriweather, A. (2005). Pleasure, empowerment and love: Factors associated with a positive first coitus. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 2, 41-55. • Sprecher, S., Barbee, A., & Schwartz, P. (1995). “Was it good for you, too?”: Gender differences in first sexual intercourse experiences. Journal of Sex Research, 32,3-15. • Tolman, D. L., & McClelland, S. I. (2011). Normative Sexuality Development in Adolescence: A Decade in Review, 2000-2009. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21, 242-255. • Vasilenko, S. A., Lefkowitz, E. S., & Maggs, J. L. (2012). Short-term positive and negative consequences of sex based on daily reports among college students. Journal of Sex Research, 49, 558-69. doi:10.1080/00224499.2011.589101 • Wood, M. L., & Price, P. (1997). Machismo and marianismo: Implications for HIV/AIDS risk reduction and education. American Journal Of Health Studies, 13/ 44-52. • Data from a sample of adolescents (N=1,123) recruited from 2 middle and 1 high school in Puebla, Mexico. • Subsample of adolescents who reported having sex (N=268; Male=56%, M age=16.0, SD=1.5). • Completed a paper and pencil survey in school. • Students who indicated that they had engaged in sex self-reported on whether they experienced 19 different positive and negative intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences of their first sexual experience (Vasilenko, Lefkowitz & Maggs, 2011). • The majority of adolescents reported both positive and negative intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences (see Tables 1 and 2). • Significant gender differences were found for 7 of 19 items, with most findings supporting a sexual double standard. • Female adolescents were less likely than male adolescents to feel that sex had enhanced their reputation, and were more likely to feel that things had moved too fast, experience pain, worry that their parents would find out, and feel close to their partner. • However, male and female adolescents were equally likely to report the majority of consequences, including physical satisfaction, regret, going against morals or ethics, and worry about pregnancy and STDs. Acknowledgments This research and the investigators were funded by NIDA grants P50-DA010075 and 2T32DA017629-06A1 and the UNCW Cahill Award. We would like to extend our gratitude to the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State for their support of this research as well as Julia Daugherty, Frankie Machado, Rosie Swinehart and Roderick Yow II for help with data collection. Address correspondence to Sara Vasilenko at svasilenko@psu.edu