Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, 6th Floor, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada.
J Youth Adolesc. 2016 May;45(5):831-45. doi: 10.1007/s10964-016-0447-9. Epub 2016 Mar 1.
Researchers have given significant attention to abstinence among adolescents, but far less is known about purposeful avoidance of sexual activity (and relationship involvement). Typically, it is assumed that, once adolescents have initiated sexual activity, they will thereafter engage in sexual activity if given the opportunity. However, it is unclear whether that is true as some research indicates that many adolescents engage in sexual activity intermittently. Sexually experienced adolescents may purposefully avoid engaging in sexual activity for a period of time and, if so, this has implications for understanding their sexual decision-making. We used a mixed methods approach to investigate sexually experienced adolescents' decisions to purposefully avoid further sexual activity and/or romantic relationships with a focus on how common these decisions are and factors influencing them. Participants were 411 (56 % female) adolescents (16-21 years old) who completed an on-line survey that assessed reasons for each type of avoidance, religiosity, sexual esteem, sexual distress, sexual coercion, and dysfunctional sexual beliefs. Overall, 27 % of participants had engaged in sexual avoidance and 47 % had engaged in romantic avoidance. Significantly more female than male adolescents reported sexual and romantic avoidance. Adolescents' reasons for sexual avoidance included: lack of sexual pleasure or enjoyment, relationship reasons, negative emotions, values, fear of negative outcomes, negative physical experience, and other priorities. Reasons for romantic avoidance included: effects of previous relationship, not interested in commitment, wrong time, other priorities, negative emotions, no one was good enough, and sexual concerns. Logistical regressions were used to assess associations between age, religiosity, sexual esteem, sexual distress, experience of sexual coercion, and dysfunctional sexual beliefs and having engaged in romantic and/or sexual avoidance. The female adolescents who had avoided sexual activity were more likely to have experienced sexual coercion. The male adolescents who had avoided sexual activity were more religious and likely to have experienced sexual coercion. The male adolescents who had avoided romantic relationships were more sexually distressed and likely to have experienced sexual coercion. No associations were found for romantic avoidance among female adolescents. These results reflect considerable agency in the decision-making of adolescents in intimate contexts. They are discussed in terms of their challenge to current discourses about rampant adolescent sexuality as well as their implications for education and prevention interventions that incorporate personal choice and decision-making into their protocols.
研究人员对青少年的禁欲行为给予了极大关注，但对有目的避免性行为（和关系参与）的了解要少得多。通常情况下，一旦青少年开始性行为，如果有机会，他们此后就会参与性行为。然而，这是否属实尚不清楚，因为一些研究表明，许多青少年间歇性地参与性行为。有过性经验的青少年可能会有目的地在一段时间内避免参与性行为，如果是这样，这将对理解他们的性决策产生影响。我们采用混合方法研究了有过性经验的青少年有目的避免进一步性行为和/或与浪漫关系的决定，重点关注这些决定有多常见，以及影响这些决定的因素。参与者是 411 名（56%为女性）青少年（16-21 岁），他们完成了一项在线调查，评估了每种类型的回避的原因、宗教信仰、性自尊、性困扰、性胁迫和功能失调的性信念。总体而言，27%的参与者有过性回避，47%的参与者有过浪漫回避。报告有性和浪漫回避的女青少年明显多于男青少年。青少年回避性行为的原因包括：缺乏性愉悦或享受、关系原因、负面情绪、价值观、对负面结果的恐惧、负面的身体体验和其他优先事项。回避浪漫关系的原因包括：以前关系的影响、对承诺不感兴趣、时机不对、其他优先事项、负面情绪、没有人足够好、以及性方面的担忧。逻辑回归用于评估年龄、宗教信仰、性自尊、性困扰、性胁迫经历和功能失调的性信念与参与浪漫和/或性回避之间的关联。有过性回避的女青少年更有可能经历过性胁迫。有过性回避的男青少年更虔诚，更有可能经历过性胁迫。有过浪漫关系回避的男青少年性困扰更大，更有可能经历过性胁迫。女青少年在浪漫关系回避方面没有发现任何关联。这些结果反映了青少年在亲密环境中的决策中有相当大的自主权。这些结果挑战了当前关于青少年放荡不羁的性行为的论述，也对将个人选择和决策纳入其方案的教育和预防干预措施提出了启示。
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