J L Stewart1, Leigh A Spivey2, Laura Widman3, Sophia Choukas-Bradley4, Mitchell J Prinstein5. 1. Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA. Electronic address: j_stewart@ncsu.edu. 2. Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: laspivey@unc.edu. 3. Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA. Electronic address: lmwidman@ncsu.edu. 4. Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: scb.1@pitt.edu. 5. Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: mitch.prinstein@unc.edu.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Adolescents are heterogeneous in how they define and experience their sexual orientation, which can include specific identity labels, romantic attractions, and other- and/or same-sex sexual behavior. These three components of sexual orientation are not always concordant, and studies suggest adolescents-particularly girls-are fluid in these dimensions of orientation over time. The current study examined: 1) fluidity in adolescent girls' and boys' self-labeled identities and romantic attractions over time, and 2) patterns of adolescent girls' and boys' self-labeled identities and romantic attractions as they coincide with sexual behavior. METHODS: Surveys were administered to adolescents in three low-income high schools in the rural Southeastern U.S. at three yearly intervals (n = 744; Mage = 15.0; 54.3% girls; 48% White, 24% Hispanic/Latinx, 21% Black/African American). Participants reported their self-labeled sexual identity and romantic attraction at each time point and their lifetime sexual behavior with girls and boys at year 3. RESULTS: Results revealed 26% of girls and 11% of boys reported fluidity in identity and 31% of girls and 10% of boys reported fluidity in attractions. At each time point, up to 20% of girls and 6% of boys reported a sexual minority identity label with concurrent same-sex attraction; the majority of these participants also reported same-sex behavior. Among heterosexual-identified participants reporting some degree of same-sex attraction at year 3, approximately 66% of girls and 10% of boys reported same-sex behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that many adolescents are nuanced and dynamic in how they identify and experience their developing sexualities.
INTRODUCTION: Adolescents are heterogeneous in how they define and experience their sexual orientation, which can include specific identity labels, romantic attractions, and other- and/or same-sex sexual behavior. These three components of sexual orientation are not always concordant, and studies suggest adolescents-particularly girls-are fluid in these dimensions of orientation over time. The current study examined: 1) fluidity in adolescent girls' and boys' self-labeled identities and romantic attractions over time, and 2) patterns of adolescent girls' and boys' self-labeled identities and romantic attractions as they coincide with sexual behavior. METHODS: Surveys were administered to adolescents in three low-income high schools in the rural Southeastern U.S. at three yearly intervals (n = 744; Mage = 15.0; 54.3% girls; 48% White, 24% Hispanic/Latinx, 21% Black/African American). Participants reported their self-labeled sexual identity and romantic attraction at each time point and their lifetime sexual behavior with girls and boys at year 3. RESULTS: Results revealed 26% of girls and 11% of boys reported fluidity in identity and 31% of girls and 10% of boys reported fluidity in attractions. At each time point, up to 20% of girls and 6% of boys reported a sexual minority identity label with concurrent same-sex attraction; the majority of these participants also reported same-sex behavior. Among heterosexual-identified participants reporting some degree of same-sex attraction at year 3, approximately 66% of girls and 10% of boys reported same-sex behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that many adolescents are nuanced and dynamic in how they identify and experience their developing sexualities.
Authors: Francis B Annor; Heather B Clayton; Leah K Gilbert; Asha Z Ivey-Stephenson; Shalon M Irving; Corinne David-Ferdon; Laura K Kann Journal: Am J Prev Med Date: 2018-02-21 Impact factor: 5.043