Past Year and Lifetime Sexual Experiences among Black Heterosexual Adolescents and Adults: Findings from a Nationally Representative Study

Ashley Townes; Brittanni Wright; Shemeka Thorpe; Tsung Chieh Fu; Debby Herbenick

doi:10.1080/15546128.2023.2187501

Past Year and Lifetime Sexual Experiences among Black Heterosexual Adolescents and Adults: Findings from a Nationally Representative Study

Ashley Townes, Brittanni Wright, Shemeka Thorpe, Tsung Chieh Fu, Debby Herbenick

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Historically, Black sexuality has been depicted through a risk-based lens rather than a sex-positive lens. This study analyzed data from a subset of 540 Black heterosexual adolescents and adults who participated in the 2018 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior. Masturbation, penile-vaginal intercourse, and oral sex were the most prevalent lifetime sexual behaviors. We found statistical differences by gender among lifetime sexual behaviors for performing oral sex, receptive anal intercourse, and vibrator use during solo masturbation. These data provide insights about Black sexuality indicating that adolescents and adults engage in a variety of sexual behaviors throughout their lifetime.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-22
Number of pages	22
Journal	American Journal of Sexuality Education
Volume	19
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/15546128.2023.2187501
State	Published - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Funding

for the National Survey of Sexual Health & Behavior was provided by Church & Dwight, Co., Inc. (Principal Investigator: Debby Herbenick).

Keywords

Black sexuality
heterosexuals
masturbation
sexual behavior
vibrator use

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Education

Access to Document

10.1080/15546128.2023.2187501

Cite this

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title = "Past Year and Lifetime Sexual Experiences among Black Heterosexual Adolescents and Adults: Findings from a Nationally Representative Study",

abstract = "Historically, Black sexuality has been depicted through a risk-based lens rather than a sex-positive lens. This study analyzed data from a subset of 540 Black heterosexual adolescents and adults who participated in the 2018 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior. Masturbation, penile-vaginal intercourse, and oral sex were the most prevalent lifetime sexual behaviors. We found statistical differences by gender among lifetime sexual behaviors for performing oral sex, receptive anal intercourse, and vibrator use during solo masturbation. These data provide insights about Black sexuality indicating that adolescents and adults engage in a variety of sexual behaviors throughout their lifetime.",

keywords = "Black sexuality, heterosexuals, masturbation, sexual behavior, vibrator use",

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AU - Fu, Tsung Chieh

AU - Herbenick, Debby

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AB - Historically, Black sexuality has been depicted through a risk-based lens rather than a sex-positive lens. This study analyzed data from a subset of 540 Black heterosexual adolescents and adults who participated in the 2018 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior. Masturbation, penile-vaginal intercourse, and oral sex were the most prevalent lifetime sexual behaviors. We found statistical differences by gender among lifetime sexual behaviors for performing oral sex, receptive anal intercourse, and vibrator use during solo masturbation. These data provide insights about Black sexuality indicating that adolescents and adults engage in a variety of sexual behaviors throughout their lifetime.

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Past Year and Lifetime Sexual Experiences among Black Heterosexual Adolescents and Adults: Findings from a Nationally Representative Study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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