Lecture 12: Normative Views of SexualityWhat is ‘sex’?-Definitions of ‘having had sex’ oLittle empirical investigationoSocial and legal definitions vary but often refer to sexual intercourseTermed as ‘coitus’ or ‘copulationOften means penis and vagina (this neglects the penis-penis and vagina-vagina methods)-Heterosexual contextoEngaging in behaviors other than penile-vaginal intercourse preserves “technical virginity”oOral sexCollege student studyIs oral sex ‘real’ sex? StudyOnly half of men and half of women said yes-Sanders & Reinisch, 1999, JAMA Study: Would you say you ‘had sex’ if....?BehavioursWomenMenFrench Kissing1.4%2.9%Oral contact on your breasts/nipples2.3%4.1%Person touches your breasts/nipples2.0%4.5%You touch other’s breasts/nipples1.7%5.7%Oral contact on other’s breasts/nipples1.4%6.1%oMen endorse more behaviours as having sex (even though the values were not significantly differentSocial script: Could be more liberal for men to have more partnersDifferences between males and females: Maybe females’ nipples are more sexualized than malesBehavioursWomenMenYou touch other’s genitals11.6%17.1%Person touches your genitals12.2%19.2%BehavioursWomenMenOral contact with other’s genitals37.3%43.7%Oral contact with your genitals37.7%43.9%Penile-anal intercourse82.3%79.1%Penile-vaginal intercourse99.7%99.2% oInteresting how penile-vaginal intercourse didn’t reach a 100%-Other studiesoUS, UK, Australia, CanadaConsiderable variability in how university students define having sexOver 94%: sex = penile-vaginal intercourse 70-90%: sex = penile-anal intercourse20-58%: sex = oral-genital activities
