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Boundary-Setting at Sexual Debut Predicts Later Sexual Wellbeing Including Communication, Condom Use Negotiation,
Elizabeth E Malousek1, Danielle Schutz2, Sarah J Gervais1
1Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Abstract:
Little is known about how first partnered sexual experiences - i.e. sexual debut - contribute to long term sexual outcomes. Using a mixed methods approach, we analyzed quantitative and open-ended items from an online, cross-sectional survey of 856 undergraduates from the Midwestern United States, exploring links between sexual debut communication and current sexual communication satisfaction, condom use attitudes, lifetime sexual coercion, and pleasure self-efficacy. We used qualitative content analysis to examine participants' brief descriptions of debut boundary-setting experiences; these analyses showed most participants reported positive boundary-setting experiences at debut. We used a quantified version of qualitative codes to examine associations with other measures of sexual wellbeing. Positive boundary-setting experiences at debut were associated with higher current sexual communication satisfaction, fewer lifetime experiences of sexual coercion, and greater pleasure self-efficacy. Negative boundary-setting experiences were linked to stronger endorsement of partner pressure to not use condoms, more coercion history, and lower pleasure self-efficacy. However, boundary-setting experiences were largely unrelated to perceived entitlement to pleasure. Qualitative and quantitative analyses converged in finding that boundary-setting communication during sexual debut was associated with future sexual wellbeing. These findings point to the need for pre-debut sex education that builds boundary-setting skills to prepare adolescents for healthy sexual futures.
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