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Xu Y, Ma Y, Rahman Q. Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Parental Maltreatment as Mediators of Sexual Orientation Disparities in Childhood Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:1777-1791. [PMID: 38418716 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02825-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying sexual orientation differences in psychopathology originating in childhood remain understudied since sexual orientation does not directly manifest in childhood. This study tested whether childhood gender nonconformity and parental maltreatment before age 6 years 9 months partly explained sexual orientation disparities in the developmental trajectories of emotional and behavioral difficulties from age 6 years 9 months to 11 years 8 months. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was used (2182 boys and 2422 girls, Mage = 15.5, 90% White). After controlling for early life factors, non-heterosexual boys and girls displayed significantly greater emotional and behavioral difficulties than their heterosexual counterparts at all three ages. There was a sex difference in the mediating effects. For girls, sexual orientation disparities in childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties were partially explained by childhood gender nonconformity. For boys, sexual orientation disparities in childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties were partially explained by a path through greater childhood gender nonconformity, leading to increased risk of being the targets of parental maltreatment. Childhood gender nonconformity, parental maltreatment, and other early life factors only partially explain sexual orientation disparities in childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties. The mediating effects of childhood gender nonconformity and parental maltreatment on the association between sexual orientation and childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties differ between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xu
- Department of Sociology & Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China.
| | - Yidan Ma
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education Science, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, China
- Key Laboratory of Personality and Cognition, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, China
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Hornor G. Child Sexual Abuse Victimization and Parenting. J Pediatr Health Care 2024; 38:438-449. [PMID: 38697699 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2023.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
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3
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Moilanen KL, Ni Y, Turiano NA. U.S. College Students' Sexual Risk Behaviors Before and During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2024; 61:750-766. [PMID: 37676778 PMCID: PMC10918033 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2246160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The present study describes changes in young adults' sexual behaviors during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Latent class growth analyses (LCGAs) conducted with four waves of data collected between July 2019 to May 2020 in N = 775 college students (Mage = 18.61, SD = 0.33; 50.3% female, 90.2% White) revealed the presence of high- and low-risk classes in separate models for oral, vaginal, and anal sexual risk taking. As anticipated, vaginal and oral risk taking declined in spring 2020. Membership in high-risk trajectories was attributable to high COVID-19-related financial problems, early sexual debut, low self-control, and being in a romantic relationship. Other COVID-19 factors and demographic control variables were not linked to trajectory membership. Thus, while many young adults' sexual risk taking changed during the early pandemic, their perceptions of and experiences with COVID-19 were not predictive of sexual risk trajectory membership.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yue Ni
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University
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Alley JC, McDonnell AS, Diamond LM. Early adversity and sexual diversity: the importance of self-reported and neurobiological sexual reward sensitivity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8717. [PMID: 38622142 PMCID: PMC11018754 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58389-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Work shows that sexually-diverse individuals face high rates of early life adversity and in turn increased engagement in behavioral outcomes traditionally associated with adversity, such as sexual risk taking. Recent theoretical work suggests that these associations may be attributable to heightened sexual reward sensitivity among adversity-exposed women. We aimed to test these claims using a combination of self-report and EEG measures to test the relationship between early adversity, sexual reward sensitivity (both self-reported and EEG measured) and sexual risk taking in a sexually diverse sample of cis-gender women (N = 208) (Mage = 27.17, SD = 6.36). Results showed that childhood SES predicted self-reported sexual reward sensitivity which in turn predicted numbers of male and female sexual partners. In contrast we found that perceived childhood unpredictability predicted neurobiological sexual reward sensitivity as measured by EEG which in turn predicted male sexual partner number. The results presented here provide support for the notion that heightened sexual reward sensitivity may be a pathway through which early life adversity augments future sexual behavior, and underscores the importance of including greater attention to the dynamics of pleasure and reward in sexual health promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna C Alley
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Amy S McDonnell
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lisa M Diamond
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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French JE, Makhanova A, Meltzer AL. Adaptive Calibration of Dyadic Sexual Desire Is Sex Differentiated and Disrupted by Hormonal Contraceptives. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:235-246. [PMID: 37932460 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02722-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive calibration models suggest that features of people's childhood ecologies can shape their reproductive outcomes in adulthood. Given the importance of dyadic sexual desire (i.e., desire for sex with a partner) for relationships and reproduction, we examined the extent to which people's childhood ecologies-especially the unpredictability of those ecologies-adaptively calibrate such desire. Nevertheless, because female (versus male) sexual desire is presumed to be more sensitive to situational factors, and because hormonal contraceptives alter myriad aspects of female physiology that influence female sexual desire, we predicted that adaptive calibration of dyadic sexual desire would emerge more strongly for naturally cycling females (versus females who use hormonal contraceptives and versus males). In Study 1, a total of 630 participants (159 males, 203 naturally cycling females, and 268 females using hormonal contraceptives) completed questionnaires assessing the harshness and unpredictability of their childhood ecologies as well as their sexual desire. Consistent with predictions, childhood unpredictability (but not harshness) was positively associated with dyadic (but not solitary) sexual desire among naturally cycling females (but not among females using hormonal contraceptives nor among males). Study 2, which consisted of 736 females (307 naturally cycling females, 429 females using hormonal contraceptives), replicated this pattern of results for females. These findings add to a growing literature suggesting that the instability of people's early childhood ecologies can adaptively calibrate their adult reproductive motivations and behaviors, including their dyadic sexual desire. Not only is the current finding among the first to show that some adaptive calibration processes may be sex differentiated, it further highlights that hormonal contraceptives, which alter the evolved reproductive physiology of females, may disrupt adaptive calibration processes (though such disruption may not be inherently negative).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana E French
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, 116 Psychology Building, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA.
| | - Anastasia Makhanova
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Andrea L Meltzer
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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Diamond LM. What Develops in the Biodevelopment of Sexual Orientation? ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:2985-2991. [PMID: 36695963 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02542-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Diamond
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 380 South 1530 East, Room 502, UT, 84112, USA.
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Xu Y, Rahman Q, Hiyoshi A, Montgomery S. Same-Sex Marriage and Common Mental Health Diagnoses: A Sibling Comparison and Adoption Approach. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:585-595. [PMID: 36399099 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2120597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
We aimed to test whether the association between same-sex marriage and common mental health diagnoses was explained by shared genetic and environmental familial influences using sibling comparison and adoption analyses. For the sibling comparison analysis, participants (1,177,712 men and 1,266,917 women) were individuals born in Sweden between 1932 and 1994 and had ever been recorded as married (in opposite-sex or same-sex marriages). For the adoption analysis, participants were 147,164 and 1,298 female-female full sibling and adoptive sibling pairs, respectively. Based on medical records, prescribed medication, and death certificates, depression, substance abuse, and suicide (completed and attempted) from age 18 years were identified. For both sexes, being in a same-sex marriage was associated with greater risk of depression, substance abuse, and suicide, compared with being in an opposite-sex marriage. Controlling for shared familial confounding reduced this difference by less than 20% in magnitude, but overall mental health disparities for individuals in same-sex marriages remained statistically significant. Among women, only the genetic correlation between same-sex marriage and depression was statistically significant (r = .33). Same-sex marriage, as a proxy for sexual orientation, was associated with increased risk of certain mental health diagnoses and shared familial confounding explained a small component of this association, depending on the diagnosis. The findings indicate that sexual orientation disparities in mental health outcomes may involve unmeasured factors, and a relatively small proportion should be considered that may be due to shared familial confounding relevant to both sexual orientation and psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xu
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University
- Department of Sociology & Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London
| | - Ayako Hiyoshi
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London
| | - Scott Montgomery
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London
- Clinical Epidemiology Division, Karolinska Institutet
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Thomas JL, Colich NL, McLaughlin KA, Sumner JA. Dimensions of Early Adversity and Sexual Behavior in a US Population-Based Adolescent Sample. J Adolesc Health 2023; 72:560-567. [PMID: 36529620 PMCID: PMC11107430 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Early life adversity (ELA) is associated with sexual risk, but ELA dimensions-and potential mechanisms-have been less examined. We evaluated associations between threat and deprivation-two key ELA dimensions-and sexual behaviors in adolescents. Secondary analyses investigated age at menarche as a mechanism linking ELA with sexual outcomes in girls. We predicted associations between threat and sexual behaviors, with younger age at menarche as a pathway. METHODS Data were from the National Comorbidity Survey, Adolescent Supplement. Adolescents and caregivers reported on youths' ELA experiences, which were categorized as threat- or deprivation-related. Adolescents reported if they engaged in sex (N = 9,937) and on specific sexual risk indicators, including age at first sex, number of past-year sexual partners, and condom use consistency ("always" vs. "not always" used). Girls reported age at menarche. RESULTS Threat (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62-1.92]) and deprivation (OR = 1.51 [95% CI, 1.24-1.83]) were each linked with engagement in sex, ps<.05. Threat-related experiences were associated with multiple sexual risk markers, even when accounting for deprivation: earlier age at first sex (b = -0.20 [95% CI, -0.27 to 0.13]), greater number of partners (b = 0.17 [95% CI, 0.10-0.25]), and inconsistent condom use (OR = 0.72 [95% CI, 0.64-0.80]), ps <.001. Deprivation was not associated with sexual risk when adjusting for threat. We observed no significant indirect effects through age at menarche. DISCUSSION Although threat and deprivation were related to engagement in sexual activity, threat-related experiences were uniquely associated with sexual risk. Screening for threat-related ELA may identify adolescents at-risk for poor sexual health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan L Thomas
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California.
| | - Natalie L Colich
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Jennifer A Sumner
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California
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Alley J. Considering Evolutionary Developmental Theory in the Developmental Model of the Sexual Minority Closet. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023:10.1007/s10508-022-02512-3. [PMID: 36624328 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02512-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Alley
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, UCLA, 10920 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 300 Room 313, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Campbell A, Perales F, Hughes TL, Everett BG, Baxter J. Sexual Fluidity and Psychological Distress: What Happens When Young Women's Sexual Identities Change? JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 63:577-593. [PMID: 35343846 DOI: 10.1177/00221465221086335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The sexual identities of young women today are less binary and more fluid than ever before. Several theoretical perspectives imply that this fluidity could be accompanied by distress. To examine this, we analyzed four waves of data from Australian women born 1989 to 1995 (n = 11,527). We found no evidence of a universal association between sexual identity change and psychological distress. Instead, psychological distress was elevated when women changed their identity away from the heterosexual norm and lowered when they changed their identity toward it. Social stress partly attenuated these associations. In addition, women unsure of their identity at multiple assessment points reported significantly greater psychological distress in the final assessment than women who were never unsure. Our findings suggest that greater support should be offered to women who are questioning their sexual identity or developing a minority identity.
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Reynolds TA. Response to Commentaries: Variation in Women's Intrasexual Sociality by Life History Strategy, Patrilocal Legacy, and Polygyny. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3299-3310. [PMID: 35854162 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02378-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tania A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Logan Hall, MSC03-2220, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001, USA.
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
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Toates F. A motivation model of sex addiction - Relevance to the controversy over the concept. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104872. [PMID: 36113783 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
An integrative model of sexual addiction is presented, involving a combination of models based upon (i) incentive motivation theory and (ii) the dual organisation of the control of behavior. The model is related to ongoing arguments about the validity of the notion of addiction when applied to sexual behavior. It is suggested that the evidence strongly favors the viability of an addiction model of sex. Strong similarities to the classical addiction to hard drugs are observed and features can be better understood with the help of the model. These include tolerance, escalation and withdrawal symptoms. It is argued that other candidates for accounting for the phenomena, such as obsessive-compulsive behavior, faulty impulse control, high drive and hypersexuality do not fit the evidence. The role of dopamine is central to the model. The model's relevance to stress, abuse, development, psychopathy, fantasy, sex differences, evolutionary psychology and the interaction with drug-taking is shown.
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Kabátek J, Perales F, Ablaza C. Evidence of a Fraternal Birth Order Effect on Male and Female Same-Sex Marriage in the Dutch Population: A Reply to Blanchard and Semenyna, Gómez Jiménez & Vasey. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2022; 59:697-703. [PMID: 35040372 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2021.2002798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Kabátek
- Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course
- Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
- CentER, Tilburg University
| | - Francisco Perales
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course
- School of Social Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of Queensland
| | - Christine Ablaza
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course
- School of Social Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of Queensland
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Semenyna SW, Gómez Jiménez FR, Vasey PL. Confounds, Causality, and Sexual Orientation: The Implications of a Population-Level Study of Sibling Characteristics and Same-Sex Attraction. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2022; 59:690-696. [PMID: 35040379 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2021.1990199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Representative samples, and especially population samples, are coveted sources of high-quality data in psychological science. In their recent article, Ablaza et al. (2021) used a population sample of marriages and registered partnerships in the Netherlands to examine the relationships between sibling characteristics and sexual orientation. We discuss the implications of this work for understanding the fraternal and sororal birth order effects on male and female same-sex attraction, and how both relate to maternal reproduction. The causal assumptions of these findings are explored, as well as the necessity of population-level data, and whether the data presented by Ablaza et al. are truly representative of the Dutch population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paul L Vasey
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge
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Alley J, Jenkins V, Everett B, Diamond LM. Understanding the Link Between Adolescent Same-Gender Contact and Unintended Pregnancy: The Role of Early Adversity and Sexual Risk Behavior. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:1839-1855. [PMID: 34816359 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02143-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Past research suggests an apparent paradox: Women who engage in same-gender sexual behavior show higher rates of unintended pregnancy than women with exclusive other-gender sexual behavior. Such women also have disproportionate rates of early adversity (both harshness, such as abuse or neglect, and unpredictability, such as father absence). We used the Add Health data (N = 5,617 cisgender women) to examine the relative contributions of early adversity, adolescent same-gender sexual behavior, and general sexual risk behavior to women's risks for adult unintended pregnancy. Women who engaged in adolescent same-gender sexual behavior were more likely to report childhood adversity, and both childhood adversity and adolescent same-gender behavior made independent contributions to subsequent rates of unintended pregnancy. The association between adolescent same-gender sexual behavior and adult unintended pregnancy was partially attributable to the fact that women with adolescent same-gender sexual behavior engaged in greater sexual risk behavior more broadly. These findings suggest that same-gender sexual behavior in adolescence may relate to a broader set of sexual risk behaviors that augment future risk for unintended pregnancy, independent of sexual identity. We draw on life history theory to explain this pattern of results and suggest directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Alley
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 South 1530 East, Room 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-0251, USA.
| | - Virginia Jenkins
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Bethany Everett
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lisa M Diamond
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 South 1530 East, Room 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-0251, USA
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