Citation

Darling CA, Davidson JK, Passarello LC. J. Youth Adolesc. 1992; 21(1): 97-117.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12343905

Abstract

Data on 114 females were compared with data on 94 males at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to look at 1st sexual intercourse as it pertains to gender differences. Age at 1st intercourse was 18 years. Men were more likely to have ever masturbated than women (80% vs. 58.4%; p=.0001). 1st masturbation occurred around age 14, but the period between 1st masturbation and 1st intercourse was shorter for women than men. Men reached orgasm more often than women (98.9% vs. 84.2%; p=.0001). Women were more likely to have had their 1st intercourse with a steady partner (66.1% vs. 43.5%; p=.001). The 1st sexual intercourse for a greater proportion of men was casual than it was for women (acquaintance, 32.6% vs. 12.8%; person just met, 13% vs. 3.7%; p=.001). During 1st intercourse, women's partners averaged 2 years older while those of men averaged 102 months older (p.003). Women had more subsequent intercourses with the 1st partner than did men (7.4 vs. 6; p.05). Women agreed more strongly with the statement no intercourse without love than men (61.4% vs. 28.7%; p=.0001). Women were more likely to have felt coerced to have their 1st sexual intercourse than men (38.5% vs. 8.8%; p=.0001). Most students (women, 63.2%; men, 57.4%) did not use birth control during 1st intercourse. Of those who did, most used condoms (82.9% and 52.5%, respectively). The leading reason for women not using a contraceptive was that the 1st intercourse was unplanned (40.4%) and, for men, it was none was available (p=.006). Other significant gender differences (p=.006) were men tended to be drunk and not care (6.8% vs. 1.8%), to be too excited (6.8% vs. 0), and consider it not their problem (4.5% vs. 0). Women sometimes or constantly felt more guilty than men after 1st intercourse (56.3% vs. 40.4%; p=.011). Yet, women tended to feel less guilty about subsequent intercourses while men tended to feel more guilty. Men were more likely to find their first sexual intercourse physiologically and psychologically satisfying than women (80.6% vs. 28.3% and 67% vs. 28.3%, respectively) (p=.0001).

Language: en