Men's Narratives of Sexual Intimate Partner Violence in Urban Mwanza, Northwestern Tanzania

Engaging men has been established as central in addressing intimate partner violence. Yet few studies on intimate partner violence explored men's perspectives on what constitutes sexual violence in relationships only. To explore how men conceptualize sexual violence, we engaged a qualitative approach to unpack men's narratives of sexual IPV. The study was conducted in Mwanza, Tanzania using in-depth interviews with 30 married men. Men shared a broad spectrum of unacceptable behaviors that clearly or potentially connote sexual violence. Some of the acts were deemed to constitute sexual violence when directed to both men and women, while some were perceived as sexual violence when directed to women or men only. Threatened manhood underpinned men's conceptualization of sexual violence against them by their partners. Although a large part of men's narratives of sexual violence towards women seemed to challenge the common sexual scripts existing in patriarchal societies, some of their accounts indicated the persistence of traditional presumptions of masculine sexual entitlement. Our findings uncover additional dimensions of sexual violence that go beyond what is included in the current global frameworks, underscoring the critical need of giving people a voice in their local contexts in defining what sexual intimate partner violence entails for them. This may increase the likelihood of interventions becoming more acceptable and effective when targeting sexual violence, thereby contributing to reduced levels of sexual intimate partner violence.

Sex Differences in Sexual Motivation in Humans and Other Mammals: The Role of Conscious and Unconscious Processes

In self-report questionnaires, men report higher scores than women on variables such as desire for sex, frequency of sexual thoughts, number of sex partners, etc. Based on this, men are considered to have a higher level of sexual motivation than women. However, retrospective self-reports may be unsuitable for estimations of the inherent level of sexual motivation. We review data on automatic (unconsciously controlled) responses and measures of implicit motivation during exposure to sexual stimuli. These responses and measures are inaccessible to willful manipulations and make it possible to determine whether the sex difference in answers to questionnaires is replicated when volitional response manipulations are unlikely. We complement the human data with observations from some rodent and non-human primate species. The attentional resources allotted to stimuli with sexual relevance as well as genital responses to such stimuli are similar in men and women. Measures of implicit motivation also fail to detect any sex difference. Finally, the frequency of masturbation is superior in female infants before the age at which social expectations begin to determine behavior. Neither in rodents nor in non-human primates is there any clear-cut evidence for sex differences in motivation. It seems that males and females are similar with regard to the intensity of sexual motivation. The responses to questionnaires may be affected by social learning of sexual scripts and/or the inferior quality of sexual experiences in women, among other things.

Recognize & Resist: An Online Health Intervention to Promote Writing About Sexual Consent and Egalitarian Gender Roles Among One Direction Fanfiction Writers

This paper focuses on the development and feasibility of a digitally-based educational intervention, titled Recognize & Resist (R&R), for writers of One Direction (1D) fanfiction on Wattpad.com. The goal of R&R is to reduce the prevalence of social norms that are supportive of sexual violence within 1D fanfiction. 1D fanfictions, or fictional romance stories written by fans of this British boy band, have hundreds of millions of views on Wattpad.com. Formative research has found that social norms supportive of sexual violence are prevalent in 1D fanfictions and that some authors have internalized these norms. R&R aims to motivate 1D fanfiction writers to highlight sexual consent and egalitarian gender roles in their writing. To evaluate the intervention's feasibility, 15 1D fanfiction authors completed a survey and participated in an interview or focus group. Results demonstrate R&R's feasibility, with high ratings of its acceptability and demand. Insights from the interviews and focus groups provide suggestions for revising R&R before rigorously evaluating its efficacy. Additionally, results demonstrate the utility of using popular culture as a vehicle for attitude-change regarding sensitive health issues.

Pampalibog: chemsex, desire and pleasure in the Philippines

This article draws from qualitative interviews to provide the first in-depth exploration of reasons for engaging in chemsex in the Philippines. It articulates the many forms that drugs assume as pampalibog, or enhancers of libido, demonstrating the multidimensional pleasures of chemsex along overlapping sensorial and affective planes. By showing the inextricability of the corporeal to the affective, and of the emotional to the erotic, we contend that chemsex also involves the embodied and performed attainment of pleasure. As such, chemsex is both central to modern sexual scripts yet also a negotiable aspect of any sexual encounter. In constructing this rare account of drug use in settings of pleasure in the Philippines, we situate chemsex within a historical pattern of bodily tinkering and, more significantly, demystify people who use drugs by departing not only from global public health's pathologising approach to chemsex, but also from the scholarly tendency to locate drug use in the country within scenes of hardship and marginalisation.

Evaluating a Theory-Based Online Program for Preventing Sexual Aggression: An Experimental-Longitudinal Study With German University Students

This pre-registered study evaluated an intervention designed to reduce sexual aggression perpetration and victimization by changing risky scripts for consensual sexual interactions and corresponding risky sexual behavior, and by improving sexual self-esteem, refusal assertiveness, and initiation assertiveness. In a four-wave longitudinal study covering 23 months, 1181 university students in Germany (762 female) were randomly assigned to an intervention and a no-intervention control group. The intervention group completed six weekly modules addressing the targeted theory-based risk and vulnerability factors of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization. Controlling for baseline levels (T1), the intervention group showed less risky sexual scripts one week post-intervention (T2), which predicted less risky sexual behavior nine months later (T3), which predicted lower odds of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization 12 months later (T4). No direct intervention effects on rates of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization at T3 and T4 were found. No indirect intervention effect on sexual aggression was found via sexual self-esteem and sexual assertiveness. However, sexual self-esteem at T2, which was higher in the intervention group, predicted lower odds of sexual aggression victimization at T3 via higher initiation assertiveness at T3. Implications for reducing sexual aggression and conceptualizing risk and vulnerability factors of sexual aggression are discussed.

Good servant, bad master: How eighty women perceive the influence of pornography on sexual scripts

Women are often portrayed as the victims of pornography. Their active consumption and the ways in which pornography shapes their sexuality are still under-researched. This article has three goals: to explore how and why young women watch pornography; to analyse how they perceive the influence of pornography on their sexual scripts; and to determine related positive and negative factors. Guided by sexual script theory, I thematically analysed responses from an open-ended form completed by 80 young Czech women (18-30 years old). The analysis resulted in six themes related to cultural, interpersonal and intrapsychic sexual scripts - in other words, the domains of what is societally appropriate, interpersonal relationships, and inner desires. These findings have important implications: pornography simultaneously influences several domains of sexuality. Findings show that under certain conditions, pornography may be beneficial for sexual empowerment and sexual satisfaction, but at the same time, it may also produce negative effects - providing a complex and often contradictory experience for the individual.

Sexual script flexibility and sexual well-being in long-term couples: a dyadic longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Couples in long-term relationships often face sexual challenges (eg, sexual response difficulties) that may disrupt their typical sexual routine or sexual script. Individuals with more rigid sexual scripts (eg, sex must include penile-vaginal intercourse) may struggle to navigate their sexual difficulties, potentially resulting in lower sexual well-being for themselves and their partners.

AIM

In a dyadic longitudinal study, we examined whether individuals' greater sexual script flexibility when coping with recent sexual challenges was associated with their own and their partner's greater sexual well-being (ie, dyadic sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, low sexual distress).

METHODS

Seventy-four mixed- and same-gender/sex couples in long-term relationships completed online surveys about sexual script flexibility and facets of sexual well-being at baseline and 4 months later. Dyadic data were treated as indistinguishable and analyzed using multilevel modeling guided by the actor-partner interdependence model.

OUTCOMES

Self-report measures of dyadic sexual desire (Sexual Desire Inventory-2), sexual satisfaction (Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction), and sexual distress (Sexual Distress Scale-Short Form) were assessed at baseline and follow-up.

RESULTS

Cross-sectional results showed that when individuals reported greater sexual script flexibility in response to recent sexual challenges, they and their partners reported greater sexual satisfaction. Individuals' greater sexual script flexibility was also linked to their own greater dyadic sexual desire and lower sexual distress. Unexpectedly, individuals' greater sexual script flexibility was associated with their partner's lower dyadic sexual desire at baseline and their own lower dyadic sexual desire 4 months later. No other associations were found between sexual script flexibility and sexual outcomes 4 months later and there were no interactions between individuals' gender and sexual script flexibility for the cross-sectional models.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The cross-sectional associations between sexual script flexibility and sexual well-being provides some support for the idea that modifying rigid sexual scripts in sex and couple therapy may promote contemporaneous sexual well-being.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

This is the first dyadic study, to our knowledge, to assess the assumed benefits of greater sexual script flexibility for couples' sexual well-being. The relatively small and homogeneous sample of community couples who had largely intact sexual well-being limits generalizability.

CONCLUSION

Findings provide preliminary evidence of cross-sectional links between sexual script flexibility and sexual well-being for individuals and couples, lending empirical support to the convention of promoting sexual script flexibility to help couples cope with sexual challenges. The mixed findings for the association between sexual script flexibility and dyadic sexual desire warrant additional study and replication.

'My partner will think I'm weak or overthinking my pain': how being superwoman inhibits Black women's sexual pain disclosure to their partners

Black women experience persistent sexual pain that may often last longer than White women. Despite the value of sexual communication to alleviate sexual pain concerns, many women do not disclose sexual pain to their partners. Limited research explores barriers to disclosing sexual pain to partners among Black women. This study seeks to fill this gap. Relying on an integration of Sexual Script theory and Superwoman Schema, the study explored the barriers that premenopausal, cisgender Black women from the Southern USA perceived when disclosing sexual pain to their primary partners. We identified five common themes from women's open-ended responses to an online survey: (a) distressing emotions associated with disclosure; (b) limited knowledge and communication skills; (c) protecting partner's feelings and ego; (d) invading privacy; and (e) taking sole responsibility for managing sexual pain. Findings suggest a combination of intrapsychic, interpersonal and cultural factors influence Black women's perceived ability to have direct and open dyadic communication about sexual pain with their partners. Implications for Black women's sexual health and relationship outcomes are discussed.

The Role of Sexual Scripts in the Relationship Between Pornography Use and Sexual Coercion

Decades of research have examined the association between pornography use and sexual coercion, with the most significant relationships found between more deviant genres of pornography use and sexual violence. However, researchers have yet to provide a comparable body of research examining the theoretical mechanism of this association. One theory that has shown promise in explaining the association between certain variables of pornography use and sexual coercion is the sexual script theory. In this theory, scripts can best be understood as a mechanism through which society defines and disseminates what is acceptable, desirable, and pleasurable sexual conduct. Studies examining the application of the sexual script theory to the association between pornography use and sexual coercion have found that pornography use has a significant indirect effect on sexual coercion and correlates of sexual coercion through sexual scripts. The current study sought to extend this line of inquiry by examining the relationship between pornography use, sexual scripts, and sexual coercion. A structural equation model examining direct and indirect effects of sexual scripts and pornography use on sexually coercive behaviors was run using a sample of 390 college-aged males. Results of the study indicated there were significant direct and indirect effects in the model. Specifically, pornography use, while not directly related to sexually coercive behaviors, had a significant indirect effect on sexual coercion through sexual scripts. These results further support the use of the sexual scripts theory to help explain the relationship between pornography use and sexual coercion.

Scripts for consensual sex as risk factors for sexual aggression: A three-wave longitudinal study with university students in Germany

BACKGROUND

Sexual aggression is a major problem among young adults. Sexual scripts are cognitive schemata representing typical elements of sexual interactions and serve as guidelines for sexual behavior. They may be linked to the risk of sexual aggression if they contain elements known to be associated with the perpetration of sexual aggression, such as alcohol use, sex with casual partners, and ambiguous communication of sexual intentions.

OBJECTIVES

The study was designed to examine pathways from risky sexual scripts for consensual sex to risky sexual behavior and sexual aggression perpetration in men and women.

DESIGN

The study employed a three-wave longitudinal design with 12-month intervals. Participants were 2425 university students in Germany (58% female).

METHODS

At each wave (Time 1-Time 3), participants completed measures of risky sexual scripts and risky sexual behavior, defined by three aspects: Casual sex, alcohol consumption, and ambiguous communication of sexual intentions. Reports of sexual aggression perpetration were collected since the age of consent (14 years; Time 1) or in the past 12 months (Time 2 and Time 3) using the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale.

RESULTS

Perpetration rates for men were 9.8% at Time 1, 12.2% at Time 2, and 9.5% at Time 3. For female participants, the corresponding rates were 6.0% at Time 1, 6.3% at Time 2, and 5.1% at Time 3. The gender difference was significant at Time 1 and Time 2, but not at Time 3. As hypothesized, more risky sexual scripts prospectively predicted more risky sexual behavior, which predicted a higher risk of sexual aggression perpetration. The findings held for men and women and for participants with exclusively opposite-sex and with both opposite- and same-sex contacts.

CONCLUSION

Scripts for consensual sex may be risk factors for sexual aggression among men and women if they contain elements identified as risk factors for sexual aggression. The findings suggest that changing risky sexual scripts for consensual sex may be a promising strategy for preventing sexual aggression perpetration.

A Qualitative Examination of Withdrawing Sexual Consent, Sexual Compliance, and Young Women's Role as Sexual Gatekeepers

Introduction: Withdrawing consent for sex may be difficult for young women due to gendered sexual scripts and male persistence. Method: 40 students from Canadian universities (31 women; Mean age = 20.20 years; 75% heterosexual) were asked open-ended questions about sexual experiences and consent; data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Women perceived that: (1) women were responsible for communicating consent, (2) they were unaware it was acceptable to withdraw consent or did not know how to, (3) male partners often persisted in response to withdrawal of consent, and (4) these experiences factored into compliance. Conclusion: Sexual consent education, at least in North America, should increase emphasis on withdrawing consent.

Changing Cognitive Risk Factors for Sexual Aggression: Risky Sexual Scripts, Low Sexual Self-Esteem, Perception of Pornography, and Acceptance of Sexual Coercion

Sexual aggression is a problem among college students worldwide, and a growing body of research has identified variables associated with an increased risk of victimization and perpetration. Among these, sexuality-related cognitions, such as sexual scripts, sexual self-esteem, perceived realism of pornography, and acceptance of sexual coercion, play a major role. The current experimental study aimed to show that these cognitive risk factors of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration are amenable to change, which is a critical condition for evidence-based intervention efforts. College students in Germany (N = 324) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a treatment group designed to change participants' sexual scripts for consensual sex with regard to the role of alcohol consumption, casual sex, and ambiguous communication of sexual intentions as risk factors for sexual aggression (EG1), a treatment group designed to promote sexual self-esteem, challenge the perceived realism of pornography, and reduce the acceptance of sexual coercion (EG2), and a non-treatment control group (CG). Baseline (T1), post-experimental (T2), and follow-up (T3) measures were taken across an eight-week period. Sexual scripts contained fewer risk factors for sexual aggression in EG1 than in EG2 and CG at T3. Sexual self-esteem was enhanced in EG2 at T2 relative to the other two groups. Acceptance of sexual coercion was lower in EG2 than in EG1 and CG at T2 and T3. No effect was found for perceived realism of pornography. The findings are discussed in terms of targeting cognitive risk factors as a basis for intervention programs.

Links of Perceived Pornography Realism with Sexual Aggression via Sexual Scripts, Sexual Behavior, and Acceptance of Sexual Coercion: A Study with German University Students

Exposure to pornographic material has been linked to sexual aggression perpetration and victimization in a large body of research. Based on social learning theory and ₃A theory of script learning, this study contributes to this research by testing the hypothesis that the more realistic pornography is perceived to be by young adults, the more likely they are to experience and engage in sexual aggression. Two underlying pathways were proposed: one path via scripts and patterns of sexual behavior regarding consensual sexual interactions that contain established risk factors for sexual aggression victimization and perpetration, and a second path via the acceptance of sexual coercion. In a cross-sectional study, 1181 university students in Germany (762 female; 419 male) completed measures of pornography use and perception, risky sexual scripts and sexual behavior, and acceptance of sexual coercion. As predicted, pornography realism was a positive predictor of risky sexual scripts, risky sexual behavior, and acceptance of sexual coercion. Indirect links with sexual aggression victimization and perpetration were found via both pathways. No gender differences in the associations were found. The implications for media literacy interventions addressing the realism of pornography are discussed.

Pathways from College Students' Cognitive Scripts for Consensual Sex to Sexual Victimization: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

Sexual scripts serve as cognitive representations of typical elements of sexual interactions that guide sexual behavior. To the extent that cognitive scripts for consensual sex comprise elements associated with a risk of experiencing nonconsensual sex, they may be indirectly linked to sexual victimization via risky sexual behavior. A longitudinal study with 2,425 college students in Germany (58% female) examined pathways from sexual scripts for consensual sex, sexual behavior, and sexual victimization over three data waves separated by 12-month intervals. Sexual scripts and behavior were defined as risky to the extent that they include known vulnerability factors for sexual victimization (casual sex, alcohol consumption, ambiguous communication of sexual intentions). Path analyses confirmed that more risky sexual scripts prospectively predicted more risky sexual behavior, which predicted higher odds of sexual victimization. The findings held for men and women and participants with exclusively opposite-sex and both same- and opposite-sex contacts. Moreover, reciprocal influences between risky scripts and risky sexual behavior were found over time, confirming the proposed mutual reinforcement of scripts and behavior. The findings have implications for conceptualizing the role of scripts for consensual sex as vulnerability factors for sexual victimization among women and men and may inform intervention efforts.

A different kind of risky business: Men who manage men in the sex industry

Drawing from qualitative interview data, this article examines men who manage men in the sex industry. A gendered lens reveals that male sex work management engages with sexual and gender scripts in ways that are quite distinct from female sex work. These third parties assume that male sex workers can defend their own security but notably also worry about male workers victimizing them, even as they opportunistically deploy hegemonic masculinity in their business and security practices. The article highlights and reflects on how these framings shape managerial strategies, perceptions of risk and the law, and experiences of stigma.

Who Understands Consent? A Latent Profile Analysis of College Students' Attitudes Toward Consent

Sexual assault occurs at high rates on college campuses today. This problem persists despite the many educational programs that seek to educate college students about sexual assault and consent. The current study used latent profile analysis on a survey of 717 college students at a Midwestern university to determine if different people have varying behavioral intentions about consent during four different sexual situations. Results show that there are four distinct profiles of intentions related to consent: the respecting explicit, affirmative, and ongoing consent profile (76.55% of the sample); only respecting explicit consent profile (9.89%); unsure about nonexplicit consent profile (9.04%); and the does-not-ask for verbal consent in relationships profile (4.55%). Regression analysis also revealed that males were more likely to be classified in the only respecting explicit consent profile compared with the three other profiles, but there were no significant differences among the other profiles.

Gay male pornography and the racialisation of desire

Very few studies have focused on the role pornography plays in influencing and modelling sexual desire on the basis of race and ethnicity. Using sexual script theory as an analytic tool, the purpose of this empirical study was to explore indicators of the racialisation of desire based on a sample of gay male pornography users in Québec (Canada) (n = 974). Because gay male pornography use is widespread, and because it is not simply used for the purposes of education and validation but also influences sexual norms and cultural scripts in a social context where sexual racism seems prevalent, this study offers a new perspective on a timely phenomenon. Based on our findings, the final nested linear regression model demonstrates that higher levels of racialised desire attributed to gay male pornography use were associated with the following: being at least 55 years old; having a yearly income of less than $45,000 CAD; using interracial gay male pornography; not primarily using gender-diverse gay male pornographic content (heterosexual, bisexual, transsexual); having higher levels of perceived pressure to conform; having a higher preference for bareback pornography; and having higher levels of acquired sexual knowledge.

Bridging the Theoretical Gap: Using Sexual Script Theory to Explain the Relationship Between Pornography Use and Sexual Coercion

Research has consistently shown a relationship between pornography use and sexually coercive behaviors, but this inquiry has yet to fully examine the theoretical mechanisms through which this relationship works. The current study will use a theory that has gained support and attention as a way to understand the relationship pornography use has with general sexual behaviors, but has not been widely used to explain its relationship with sexually coercive behaviors: the sexual script theory. In this theory, scripts are attitudes and ideas about what behavior is acceptable, desirable, and pleasurable, which exist at the societal, personal, and interpersonal levels. Using items that assess all three levels of sexual scripts, a path analysis was used to examine whether sexual scripts mediate the relationship between pornography use and sexual coercion likelihood in a sample of 463 college males. Results of the study provide further support for the theory as a way to explain the relationship between pornography use and sexual behavior, and, in particular, sexually coercive behavior. Findings from the analysis also indicate that the various levels of scripts interact with each other and work together to influence likelihood of sexual coercion, providing further insight into how sexual scripts are manifested in behavior. Finally, the results suggest that pornography use is a multidimensional construct comprised of variables extending beyond frequency of use, such as number of modalities used to view pornography. Future research should continue this line of inquiry, expanding on the operationalization of sexual scripts and pornography use, to strengthen these findings and better illuminate the theoretical understanding of the relationship between pornography use and sexual coercion.

First-year college students' alcohol and hookup behaviours: sexual scripting and implications for sexual health promotion

This study used a sexual scripting framework to analyse data from the Online College Social Life Survey to examine the role of individual, (e.g. gender, race and alcohol use), relational (partner type, condom use behaviours), and contextual factors (sex ratios and fraternity/sorority affiliation) influencing 4,292 first-year college students' hookup experiences. Results suggest that hookups are relatively "safe", with the the majority involving non-penetrative sexual behaviour, condom use, and familiar partners. However, alcohol use affected hookup behaviours and lower levels of condom use were associated with heavy alcohol use, even with less well known partners. Findings point to the importance of interventions that reinforce first-year students' positive behaviours and present them with protective behavioural strategies to use in the context of alcohol, and with repeat or well-known partners to reduce risk and have enjoyable, consensual sexual experiences.

Predictors of Sexual Aggression Perpetration Among Male and Female College Students: Cross-Cultural Evidence From Chile and Turkey

This two-wave longitudinal study examined risky sexual scripts and sexual behavior regarding consensual sexual interactions, sexual self-esteem, initiation assertiveness, and religiosity as predictors of sexual aggression perpetration in a cross-cultural comparison of college students in Chile and Turkey. As predicted, risky sexual scripts were linked to higher odds of perpetration through more risky sexual behavior cross-sectionally in both the Chilean and the Turkish sample and indirectly predicted perpetration 12 months later. High sexual self-esteem increased the likelihood of perpetration via higher initiation assertiveness in the Turkish sample only. High religiosity reduced the odds of perpetration through less risky sexual scripts and less risky sexual behavior in both samples. In addition, high religiosity increased the probability of perpetration through lower sexual self-esteem in the Turkish sample. Implications of these findings and the role of cultural factors contributing to the differential functioning of religiosity and sexual self-esteem are discussed.

Dyadic Qualitative Analysis of Condom Use Scripts Among Emerging Adult Gay Male Couples

Sexual risk reduction among gay male couples has received increasing attention in light of evidence that primary partners account for many-and possibly most-new HIV infections. This study examined the content of condom use scripts in interviews conducted with both members of 17 HIV-negative gay male couples. In each couple, at least one partner was an emerging adult (aged 18 to 29). Three scripts were identified: romantic love, unanticipated condomless anal intercourse (CAI), and negotiated safety. Scripts varied in their emphasis on emotional factors versus HIV risk reduction, the salience of sexual agreements, and the presence of an explicit communication goal. Results indicated that condom use may vary for couples as a result of script content and from the fluid adoption of scripts across contexts. Results highlighted potential tensions between emotional closeness and HIV prevention. Condom use cessation and sexual agreements-a potential mechanism for HIV risk reduction-may also serve as expressions of intimacy. This implies interventions that facilitate direct communication about sexual and relational goals-as well as those that expand couples' repertoires for expressing emotional closeness-may enhance sexual health for gay couples, particularly during the period of emerging adulthood.

Navigating unintelligibility: Queer Australian young women's negotiations of safe sex and risk

Australian public health promotion positions safe sex as a biomedical, heteronormative concept. Consequently, there is a dearth of scholarly research examining queer young women's sexual health. To fill this knowledge gap, this article considers how Australian bisexual and queer young women understand 'safe sex' and conceptualise 'good' sexual citizenship. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 15 participants in Tasmania, findings reveal that although queer women understand heterosexual safe sex, there is little awareness of safer sexual practices with female partners. We argue that gendered sexual scripts shape perceptions of sexual health risk whereby queer women adopt multiple situation-dependent approaches to safer sex.

Size Matters: Penis Size and Sexual Position in Gay Porn Profiles

This article combines qualitative and quantitative textual approaches to the representation of penis size and sexual position of performers in 10 of the most visited gay pornography Web sites currently in operation. Specifically, in excess of 6,900 performer profiles sourced from 10 commercial Web sites are analyzed. Textual analysis of the profile descriptions is combined with a quantitative representation of disclosed penis size and sexual position, which is presented visually by two figures. The figures confirm that these sites generally market themselves as featuring penises that are extraordinarily large and find a sample-wide correlation between smaller penis sizes (5-6.5 inches) and receptive sexual acts (bottoming), and larger (8.5-13 inches) with penetrative acts (topping). These observations are supported through the qualitative textual readings of how the performers are described on these popular sites, revealing the narratives and marketing strategies that shape the construction of popular porn brands, performers, and profitable fantasies.

Unscripted: Exploring representations of older unpartnered women's sexuality

Images of sexually active women beyond the age of 50 are lacking in popular culture and in particular on television. Dominant sexual scripts depict older women as generally asexual. The television program Hot in Cleveland features unpartnered midlife and older women as main characters. In this article, based on analysis of four seasons of Hot in Cleveland, we look closely at portrayals of sexual activity to see whether they underscore dominant sexual scripts mocking older women's sexual interest, position aging as sexual decline, or reinforce the narrative of "successful" aging/aging as progress. We find that women are depicted as desirable and desiring, counter to the narrative of aging as sexual decline. Hot in Cleveland thus provides sexual scripts for older women and reinforces the idea of lifelong sexual desire.

In and out of love with hip-hop: saliency of sexual scripts for young adult African American women in hip-hop and Black-oriented television

Hip-hop media and Black-oriented reality television are powerful mechanisms for conveying and promoting stereotypes of Black women. Black women's sexuality is frequently presented as highly-salient in each medium. However, little is known about the impact of those images on Black women's sexuality and identity. The current study uses focus-group methodology to engage young adult Black in critical discussion of two predominant sexual scripts found in hip-hop music and Black-oriented reality television - the Freak and the Gold Digger. Analyses revealed shared and distinct aspects of each sexual script represented in both media and the impact of those scripts on participants' experiences. Implications for future research are discussed.

What Is Nonconsensual Sex? Young Women Identify Sources of Coerced Sex

Extending the American Psychological Association (APA) report on the Sexualization of Girls, this study investigated how young women identified sources of coerced sex. Findings from three focus groups with 25 Black and White adolescent women uncovered a perceived overarching force that "pushed" them to have sex before they felt ready. Participants identified four domains of coerced sex: (a) Sociocultural Context, (b) Internalized Sexual Scripts, (c) Partner Manipulation of Sexual Scripts, and (d) Developmental Status. Coerced sex was a complex system consisting of cultural, peer, and internal messages that create pressures to engage in sexual activities. Future implications for research and practice are presented.

Sexual scripts and sexual risk behaviors among Black heterosexual men: development of the Sexual Scripts Scale

Sexual scripts are widely shared gender and culture-specific guides for sexual behavior with important implications for HIV prevention. Although several qualitative studies document how sexual scripts may influence sexual risk behaviors, quantitative investigations of sexual scripts in the context of sexual risk are rare. This mixed methods study involved the qualitative development and quantitative testing of the Sexual Scripts Scale (SSS). Study 1 included qualitative semi-structured interviews with 30 Black heterosexual men about sexual experiences with main and casual sex partners to develop the SSS. Study 2 included a quantitative test of the SSS with 526 predominantly low-income Black heterosexual men. A factor analysis of the SSS resulted in a 34-item, seven-factor solution that explained 68% of the variance. The subscales and coefficient alphas were: Romantic Intimacy Scripts (α = .86), Condom Scripts (α = .82), Alcohol Scripts (α = .83), Sexual Initiation Scripts (α = .79), Media Sexual Socialization Scripts (α = .84), Marijuana Scripts (α = .85), and Sexual Experimentation Scripts (α = .84). Among men who reported a main partner (n = 401), higher Alcohol Scripts, Media Sexual Socialization Scripts, and Marijuana Scripts scores, and lower Condom Scripts scores were related to more sexual risk behavior. Among men who reported at least one casual partner (n = 238), higher Romantic Intimacy Scripts, Sexual Initiation Scripts, and Media Sexual Socialization Scripts, and lower Condom Scripts scores were related to higher sexual risk. The SSS may have considerable utility for future research on Black heterosexual men's HIV risk.

"He enjoys giving her pleasure": diversity and complexity in young men's sexual scripts

Research on heterosexual men's sexual expectations has focused on self-described personal traits and culturally dominant models of masculinity. In a pair of studies, we used a sexual scripts perspective to explore the range and diversity of young men's thoughts about sex and relationships with women and to develop measures for assessing these scripts. In the first study, we conducted semi-structured interviews to elicit young men's accounts of their sexual relationships. We used these narratives to produce brief sexual script scenarios describing typical sexual situations, as well as conventional survey items assessing sexual behavior themes. In the second study, we administered the scenarios and theme items to an ethnically diverse, national sample of 648 heterosexually active young men in an online survey. Using exploratory factor analysis, we delineated sets of sexual scripts and sexual behavior themes. In the scenarios, we found both a traditional masculine "player" script and a script that emphasized mutual sexual pleasure. Analysis of theme items produced scales of Drinking and Courtship, Monogamy and Emotion, and Sexual Focus and Variety. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding heterosexual men's thinking about sexuality and how cultural change in sexual thinking may arise. We also discuss the need for measures of sexual thinking that better integrate perceptions and expectations about the partner as well as the self in relation to the partner, rather than solely self-assessed traits.

Romancing the boundary: client masculinities in the Chinese sex industry

This paper draws on 24 in-depth interviews and 2 focus-group discussions conducted since 2012 with Hong Kong heterosexual men who buy sex in order to examine men's level of physical and emotional engagement with sex workers under two dominant sexual scripts in contemporary Hong Kong. Torn between companionate sexuality, with its companionate model of relationships, and recreational sexuality, with its promiscuous model of sexual pleasure, Hong Kong male clients seek to satisfy their sexual and affective needs through commercial sexual relationships. The term (meaning 'chicken worm', connoting a 'McSex' form of masculinity) refers to those men who seek impersonal sexual release with as many women as they wish, while the term (meaning 'sunken boat' and connoting a 'Titanic' form of masculinity) refers to those men who seek an intense level of emotional intimacy with sex workers. Between these two contrasting types, the majority of respondents fall into a form of 'bounded' masculinity characteristic of men who emphasise control and balance by seeking emotionally responsive women in a time-bound romance. By comparing clients' variations in the level of physical and emotional engagement with sex workers, this paper seeks to understand individual differences in client types and offers a new understanding of Chinese male sexuality and relationship formation, and the corresponding health risks (e.g., sexual, emotional) associated with each type.

"Becoming bold": alcohol use and sexual exploration among Black and Latino young men who have sex with men (YMSM)

Alcohol use is correlated with unprotected sex, which may place young men who have sex with men (YMSM) who use alcohol with sex at increased risk for contracting HIV. However, little is known about how this link develops. This study used qualitative interviews to explore how alcohol became associated with sex and sexual risk among YMSM. We purposively sampled 20 Black and 20 Latino YMSM (N = 40), ages 21 to 24, who used substances (alcohol, marijuana, and crystal methamphetamine) with sex. Interviews focused on participants' personal histories to trace how these associations developed for each individual. Drawing on sexual script, emotion regulation, and alcohol expectancy theories, analyses followed a modified grounded theory approach. Participants stated that alcohol enabled them to engage in sexual behaviors with men that they wanted to try, allowing them to be more "bold," overcome stigma about homosexuality, and feel increased comfort with their sexual desires and identities. The use of alcohol during sex was helpful to some of the participants but could also lead to sexual risk behaviors. Intervention programs seeking to reduce alcohol misuse and sexual risk should take into account how YMSM conceptualize associations between alcohol and sex. These programs may be more effective if they provide support for sexual identity exploration.

Sexual scripts among young heterosexually active men and women: continuity and change

Whereas gendered sexual scripts are hegemonic at the cultural level, research suggests they may be less so at dyadic and individual levels. Understanding "disjunctures" between sexual scripts at different levels holds promise for illuminating mechanisms through which sexual scripts can change. Through interviews with 44 heterosexually active men and women aged 18 to 25, the ways young people grappled with culture-level scripts for sexuality and relationships were delineated. Findings suggest that, although most participants' culture-level gender scripts for behavior in sexual relationships were congruent with descriptions of traditional masculine and feminine sexuality, there was heterogeneity in how or whether these scripts were incorporated into individual relationships. Specifically, three styles of working with sexual scripts were found: conforming, in which personal gender scripts for sexual behavior overlapped with traditional scripts; exception-finding, in which interviewees accepted culture-level gender scripts as a reality, but created exceptions to gender rules for themselves; and transforming, in which participants either attempted to remake culture-level gender scripts or interpreted their own nontraditional styles as equally normative. Changing sexual scripts can potentially contribute to decreased gender inequity in the sexual realm and to increased opportunities for sexual satisfaction, safety, and well-being, particularly for women, but for men as well.

Sexual Hookup Culture: A Review

"Hookups," or uncommitted sexual encounters, are becoming progressively more engrained in popular culture, reflecting both evolved sexual predilections and changing social and sexual scripts. Hook-up activities may include a wide range of sexual behaviors, such as kissing, oral sex, and penetrative intercourse. However, these encounters often transpire without any promise of, or desire for, a more traditional romantic relationship. A review of the literature suggests that these encounters are becoming increasingly normative among adolescents and young adults in North America, representing a marked shift in openness and acceptance of uncommitted sex. We reviewed the current literature on sexual hookups and considered the multiple forces influencing hookup culture, using examples from popular culture to place hooking up in context. We argue that contemporary hookup culture is best understood as the convergence of evolutionary and social forces during the developmental period of emerging adulthood. We suggest that researchers must consider both evolutionary mechanisms and social processes, and be considerate of the contemporary popular cultural climate in which hookups occur, in order to provide a comprehensive and synergistic biopsychosocial view of "casual sex" among emerging adults today.

Reducing HIV and AIDS through Prevention (RHAP): a theoretically based approach for teaching HIV prevention to adolescents through an exploration of popular music

Using popular culture to engage students in discussions of HIV prevention is a nontraditional approach that may complement current prevention efforts and enhance the ability to reach youth who are at high risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Hip-hop or rap music is the dominant genre of music among adolescents, especially Black and Latino youth who are disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS. This paper describes the rationale and development of the Reducing HIV and AIDS through Prevention (RHAP) program, a school-based program that uses hip-hop/rap music as a vehicle for raising awareness among adolescents about HIV/AIDS. Constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory and the Sexual Script Theory were used in developing the program. It was piloted and evaluated among 26 middle school students in East Harlem, New York. The lessons learned from a formative evaluation of the program and the implications for developing other programs targeting public health problems are discussed. The RHAP program challenges the traditional pedagogue-student paradigm and provides an alternative approach to teaching about HIV prevention and awareness.

Sexual scripts of women: a longitudinal analysis of participants in a gender-specific HIV/STD prevention intervention

Project FIO (The Future Is Ours) was a three arm randomized controlled HIV prevention intervention trial carried out with heterosexually-active women in a high seroprevalence area of New York City. The trial was effective and women in the eight-session intervention arm were significantly more likely to report decreased unsafe sex or no unsafe sex compared to controls at one month and one year post-intervention. The current investigation was a qualitative analysis of women's sexual scripts at baseline and one year follow-up for a randomly selected subsample of participants in Project FIO. We examined the domains of sexual initiation, pace setting, sexual decision-making, communication about sexual needs, and the timing of condom introductions in the experimental and control arms at baseline and one year follow-up. At one year follow-up, among both the experimental and control arms, results showed changes away from male-dominated and toward female-dominated sexual initiation and sexual decision-making. Among both the experimental and control arms, results also showed that trial participants shifted from a late condom introduction (right before intercourse) toward much earlier mention of condoms (e.g. during a date). The fact that shifts in sexual scripts at one year follow-up occurred in both groups is likely reflective of the degree to which a lengthy assessment interview facilitated comfort with discussing and imagining new sexual behaviors, even for control group participants who did not receive the intervention. The value of empirically assessing sexual scripts in HIV/AIDS prevention and doing so longitudinally is assessed in light of the goals of HIV prevention interventions.