Psychosexual Correlates of Sexual Double Standard Endorsement in Adolescent Sexuality

Endorsement and enactment of the (hetero)sexual double standard (SDS), prescribing sexual modesty for girls and sexual prowess for boys, has been shown to be negatively related to sexual and mental health. To be able to challenge the SDS, more insight is needed into the conditions that shape gendered sexual attitudes. 

A survey was conducted among 465 heterosexual adolescents (aged 16–20 years), examining the relationship between a number of relevant demographic and psychosexual variables and SDS endorsement. SDS endorsement was assessed using a newly developed instrument, the Scale for the Assessment of Sexual Standards Among Youth (SASSY). Gender (being male) and religiousness were significantly associated with increased SDS endorsement. 

For both boys and girls, increased feelings of entitlement to self-induced sexual pleasure (e.g., masturbation) were significantly associated with reduced SDS endorsement, whereas higher gender investment was significantly associated with increased SDS endorsement. Furthermore, increased feelings of entitlement to partner-induced sexual pleasure and more frequent talking about sexuality with peers were associated with increased SDS endorsement among boys but not among girls. 

We conclude that future research should explore peer influence processes through peer communication about sex, gender investment, and feelings of entitlement to both self and partner-induced sexual pleasure.

Scale for the Assessment of Sexual Standards Among Youth (SASSY) Items and Factor Loadings

Item #	Item Content	Factor Loadings
1	Once a boy is sexually aroused, a girl cannot really refuse sex anymore.	.626
2	Girls like boys who take the lead in sex.	.404
3	I think that a girl who takes the initiative in sex is pushy.	.617
4	I think it is more appropriate for a boy than for a girl to date different people at the same time.	.508
5	Girls should act in a more reserved way concerning sex than boys.	.618
6	I think it is more appropriate for a boy than for a girl to have sex without love.	.456
7	A boy should be more knowledgeable about sex than a girl.	.650
8	I think sex is less important for girls than for boys.	.712
9	I think it is normal for boys to take the dominant role in sex.	.506
10	I think sexually explicit talk is more acceptable for a boy than for a girl.	.562
11	Sometimes a boy should apply some pressure to a girl to get what he wants sexually.	.582
12	It is more important for a girl to keep her virginity until marriage than it is for a boy.	.531
13	Boys are more entitled to sexual pleasure than girls.	.640
14	It is not becoming for a girl to have unusual sexual desires.	.536
15	Sex is more important for boys than for girls.	.548
16	It is more important for a girl to look attractive than it is for a boy.	.449
17	Boys and girls want completely different things in sex.	.413
18	I think cheating is to be expected more from boys than from girls.	.533
19	I think it is important for a boy to act as if he is sexually active, even if it is not true.	.641
20	I think it is more appropriate for a boy than for a girl to masturbate frequently.	.434

Note. The instrument was administered in the Dutch language. For international readability the table provides the English translation. Dutch item wording is available upon request.

Below:  Interaction between participant sex and talking about sex with peers (separated by low and high frequency of talk) depicted based on standardized values.

Below:  Interaction between participant sex and feelings of entitlement to partner-induced sexual pleasure (separated by low and high entitlement) depicted based on standardized values

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/lCG0t8

By:  Peggy M. J. Emmerink, a , * Ine Vanwesenbeeck, a , b Regina J. J. M. van den Eijnden, a and Tom F. M. ter Bogt a

aDepartment of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands

bRutgers, Expert Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Utrecht, Netherlands

Correspondence should be addressed to Peggy M. J. Emmerink, Department of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Martinus J. Langeveldbuilding, Room H2.09, Heidelberglaan 1, Utrecht 3584 CS, the Netherlands.

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Body Dissatisfaction among Sexual Minority Men: Psychological and Sexual Health Outcomes

Body dissatisfaction is common among sexual minority (i.e., gay and bisexual) men; however, few studies have investigated the relationship between body dissatisfaction and psychosexual health variables among this population. 

The data that do exist are exclusively cross-sectional, casting uncertainty regarding temporal associations. Thus, the aims of the current study were to assess the prospective relationship between body dissatisfaction and psychological and sexual health outcomes. 

Participants were 131 gay and bisexual men who completed a battery of self-report measures across two time points (baseline and 3-month follow-up), including assessment of body dissatisfaction, depressive symptoms, and sexual health variables (sexual self-efficacy and sexual anxiety). Generalized linear modeling was employed to assess the prospective relationship between body dissatisfaction and outcomes variables, accounting for non-normal distributions. Body dissatisfaction significantly predicted elevated depressive symptoms (B = .21, p = .01), lower sexual self-efficacy (B = −.22, p = .04), and elevated sexual anxiety (B = .05, p = .03). Elevated body dissatisfaction is prospectively associated with negative psychological and sexual health outcomes. 

Given the high prevalence of body image concerns in sexual minority men, depression and/or HIV/STI prevention programs may benefit from routinely assessing for body dissatisfaction among this population, and addressing those who report concerns.

Purchase full article at:   http://goo.gl/ywwvSp

By:  Blashill AJ1,2, Tomassilli J3, Biello K4,5, O'Cleirigh C4,6,7, Safren SA8, Mayer KH4,7,9.

• 1Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA. aaron.blashill@sdsu.edu.
• 2SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA. aaron.blashill@sdsu.edu.
• 3California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento, CA, USA.
• 4The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
• 5Department of Behavioral & Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
• 6Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
• 7Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
• 8Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
• 9Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. 
• Arch Sex Behav. 2016 Feb 8.

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The Psychosexual Profile of Sexual Assistants: An Internet-Based Explorative Study

Sexual assistance may have some aspects that resemble prostitution and others that might lead one to think of sexual assistants as similar to a group of subjects whose sexual object is disability (devotees). In this study, we investigate whether a rigorous selection and training process on the part of specialised organisations may reduce the risk of training subjects with an atypical sexual interest and behaviours resembling prostitution.

The study population consisted of 152 subjects defining themselves as sexual assistants. Subjects were initially contacted on websites specifically dedicated to sexual assistants and prostitutes. One hundred and twenty subjects were selected, by propensity score analysis, and studied by means of a modified version of a semi-structured questionnaire previously developed to investigate a population of subjects attracted by disability.

The study group was composed of 80 trained and 40 untrained sexual assistants, with mean ages of 41.5 (SD +/-12.58) and 44.5 (SD +/-11.62), respectively. A significant number of untrained subjects affirmed that their motivation in carrying out sexual assistance was of a remunerative nature, while this number was lower among the trained assistants (p = 0.001). Nearly all untrained subjects claimed to do one or more of the following activities during sexual assistance: sexual intercourse, oral sex, and masturbation. Among the trained subjects, however, only 47.5% claimed to do one or more of these activities, which means that there is a significant gap between trained and untrained assistants (p<0.0001). The existence of an atypical sexual interest was more evident between untrained rather than between trained subjects (p<0.0001).

Sexual assistance represents a way through which people affected by disabilities may attain the right to explore their sexuality in a safe setting. This can be guaranteed only if sexual assistants are trained and carefully selected by specialised organisations.

Table 2

The table shows the questions investigating characteristics suggestive of prostitution.

ITEMS	TRAINED SUBJECTS (N = 80)	UNTRAINED SUBJECTS (N = 40)	P value
Motivations to work as sexual assistant* (%; N)
For money	61.2%; (49/80)	95%; (38/40)	0.0001
To turn my sexual interest into a job	36.2%; (29/80)	27.5%; (11/40)	0.451
To take care of people affected by disabilities	33.7%; (27/80)	25%; (10/40)	0.442
I don’t know	3.7%; (3/80)	5%; (2/40)	0.872
Is your work as a sexual assistant always remunerated by moneyor other kinds of gifts? (%; N)
Yes	53.7%; (43/80)	87.5%; (35/40)	<0.0001
No	46.2%; (37/80)	12.5%; (5/40)	<0.0001
I’d rather not say	0%; (0/80)	0%; (0/40)	1
What kind of activities do you carry out during sexualassistance? (%; N)
Sexual activities resembling those of prostitution (oral sex, masturbation,sexual intercourse)	47.5%; (38/80)	95%; (38/40)	<0.0001

*Note that some subjects chose more than one option. Hence, the total number of responses does not equal 100% of the sample.

Full article at: http://goo.gl/iqHrnk

By:  Limoncin E1, Galli D1, Ciocca G1, Gravina GL1, Carosa E1, Mollaioli D1, Lenzi A2, Jannini EA3.

• 1Department of Clinical and Applied Sciences and Biotechnologies, School of Sexology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
• 2Department of Endocrinology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
• 3Department of Clinical and Applied Sciences and Biotechnologies, School of Sexology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy; Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.

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