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ABSTRACT.Women's body size is closely related to their social and sexual experiences. Clinical research has found that women's lifetime sexual behaviors may vary based on body mass index (BMI).Objectives:This study examined the relationship between BMI and recent solo and partnered sexual repertoire in a community-based, non-clinical sample of women.Methods:Two hundred thirty-eight sexually active women completed an online survey measuring age, sexual relationship status, BMI, gender of sexual partners, and engagement in sexual behaviors in the previous 4 weeks. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether BMI predicted engagement in behaviors after controlling for age and sexual relationship variables.Results:Participant age ranged from 18 to 56 years (M= 30.4,SD= 7.8). Participants were predominantly in exclusive sexual relationships (62.9%,n= 146) with men (82.8%,n= 197). Mean BMI for the sample was 29.33 (SD= 9.28). Participation in self-masturbation, masturbating a partner, performing oral sex on a partner, receiving oral sex from a partner, and penile–vaginal intercourse were not predicted by BMI after controlling for age and partner variables.Conclusions:BMI did not impact sexual repertoire during the previous 4 weeks, with the exception of an increased odds ratio for penile–anal intercourse (OR = 1.06; 95% CI [1.02, 1.10]). Researchers and practitioners working with women should not assume limitations on women's sexual repertoires because of larger body size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual coercion may affect the sexual experiences of sexual minority women differently. Women (n= 445) aged 18 to 71 years (Mean= 30.38) answered an online survey on sexual orientation, lifetime coercion, and sexual history. Sexual minority women (45.8%,n= 204) were more likely to report having been coerced into unwanted sexual behavior (56.5%) than heterosexual women (44.8 %;p= 0.010). Coerced sexual minority women reported earlier ages of initiation into performing oral sex (p= 0.016), penile-vaginal (p= 0.024), and penile-anal (p= 0.027) intercourse. In multiple logistic regression models, currently being in a partnered relationship was the sole factor related to lifetime engagement in penile-vaginal intercourse and receiving oral sex from partners. Having at least a graduate degree was the only characteristic related to engagement in lifetime penile-anal intercourse. Sexual coercion was not related to any lifetime sexual behavior outcomes. The nature of sexual initiation and coercion should be explored further among sexual minority women, with the goal of incorporating their experiences into prevention and treatment initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to (1) offer a large-scale enumeration of college students' lifetime sexual behaviors and sexual behaviors at last event, and (2) apply a gender discrepancy lens to college students' sexual behaviors in order to examine potential gender differences in heterosexual college students' experiences. Nine-hundred and seventy college students between the ages of 18 and 27 from two large universities in the United States participated in the current study. Participants filled out a paper-pencil questionnaire during the last 30 min of class. Measures of lifetime sexual behaviors and engagement in behaviors at last sexual event were replicated from the National Survey of Sexual Health Behavior. Most college students engaged in some form of sexual behavior (manual, oral, vaginal-penile, anal). Men more frequently reported engaging in receptive sexual behaviors (e.g., receiving oral sex) where as women were more likely to engage in performative sexual behaviors (e.g., performing oral sex). At most recent sexual event, men were more likely than women to report being the sexual initiator. Findings highlight gender differences in sexual behavior and provide a foundation for social norms interventions. Holistic sexual health promotion for young adults includes acknowledging and discouraging sites of disparity in equity and pleasure. Therefore, college-level sexual health educators should pay attention to the potential pleasure gap between men and women in heterosexual encounters, and to see pleasure as an important part of sexual health that should be included in social norms campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual compulsivity has been associated with higher frequencies of sexual behaviors that may increase risk for transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). In a rural midwestern region where social and community resources for the sexual health of men who have sex with men (MSM) are relatively few, the patterns of partner-seeking and sexual behavior, and their relations to sexual compulsivity, may be different than findings from other assessments of men in urban centers. Using a community-based participatory approach (CBPR), data were collected from 309 men who were primarily white, identified as gay or homosexual, and had a mean age of 29.37 years (SD = 11.33), to explore relations between scores on a measure of sexual compulsivity and their sexual partner-seeking, drug and alcohol use, and sexual behaviors with men and women. The majority of men reported having engaged in sexual activity with men in the past 30 days. Those scoring higher than the sample mean (1.65 [SD = 0.66]) on the sexual compulsivity measure reported patterns of having sex with partners met online and having been the insertive or receptive partner in unprotected anal intercourse. Given the unique patterns of sexual partner-seeking in this area, interventions to decrease sexual risk-taking should take into account that the vast majority of men in rural areas are using the Internet to locate sexual partners, and prevention messages focused on rural contexts need to be tailored to include men who have a propensity for sexually compulsive behaviors. Additionally, interventions created for virtual spaces may be more sustainable with rural communities than traditional approaches to HIV/STI prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]