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Sexual Behaviors in Mexico: The Role of Values and Gender Across Adolescence
Author(s) -
EspinosaHernández Graciela,
Vasilenko Sara A.,
BámacaColbert Mayra Y.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of research on adolescence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.342
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1532-7795
pISSN - 1050-8392
DOI - 10.1111/jora.12209
Subject(s) - virginity test , psychology , human sexuality , developmental psychology , sexual behavior , demography , clinical psychology , gender studies , sociology , psychoanalysis
Adolescent sexuality research has expanded to include noncoital behaviors, but there is limited knowledge about individual factors such as cultural values associated with these sexual behaviors outside of industrialized nations. Thus, we examined associations between Latino values (familism, sexual guilt, and importance of female virginity) and three sexual behaviors (making out, oral sex, and vaginal sex), among adolescents ages 12–19 (53% female) in Mexico. Findings indicate that sexual guilt and importance of female virginity were consistently associated with all sexual behaviors. Some associations differed by gender and school level. For instance, sexual guilt was a better predictor of high school girls’ oral and vaginal sex. This study expands our understanding of adolescent sexuality in Mexico.