Awkward or Amazing: Gender and Age Trends in First Intercourse Experiences

Autor/inn/en	Walsh, Jennifer L.; Ward, L. Monique; Caruthers, Allison; Merriwether, Ann
Titel	Awkward or Amazing: Gender and Age Trends in First Intercourse Experiences
Quelle	In: Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35 (2011) 1, S.59-71 (13 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0361-6843
DOI	10.1177/0361684310387781
Schlagwörter	Undergraduate Students; Females; Age Differences; Developmental Stages; Gender Differences; Sexuality; Attitude Measures; Interpersonal Relationship; Adolescents; Emotional Response + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Weibliches Geschlecht; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Geschlechterkonflikt; Sexualität; Interpersonal relation; Interpersonal relations; Interpersonelle Beziehung; Zwischenmenschliche Beziehung; Adolescent; Adolescence; Adoleszenz; Jugend; Jugendalter; Jugendlicher; Emotionales Verhalten
Abstract	Although research continues to highlight significant gender differences in first coital experiences, developmental approaches suggest that some of these patterns may be age-related. Therefore, this study investigated both gender and age differences in first intercourse experiences. Open-ended responses regarding reasons for, and descriptions of, first vaginal intercourse were provided by 323 sexually active undergraduate students (65.3% female; 75.7% White; M[subscript age] = 19.87) and coded into a range of categories. Several gender and age differences emerged, such that women's descriptions were generally less positive than men's, and women's reasons were more likely than men's to emphasize relationships and emotions. However, there were also a number of similarities in women's and men's experiences. Those who first experienced coitus during early adolescence were more likely to describe it as awkward, were less likely to describe it as positive, and differed in their reasons from those whose first coitus occurred later. Importantly, gender differences were less pronounced among older versus younger initiates, suggesting that commonly-identified gender differences may be developmentally specific. Future research focusing on subjective aspects of first intercourse experiences should carefully attend both to age or developmental stage and to gender similarities. (Contains 4 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10