Sexual Subjectivity, Relationship Status and Quality, and Same-sex Sexual Experience among Emerging Adult Females

Abstract

Sexual subjectivity (SS) includes sexual body-esteem, entitlement to self-pleasure and pleasure from a partner, sexual self-efficacy, and reflection about sexual behavior. The objectives of this study were to examine if females' SS was associated with their romantic experience, including status, length, quality, and same-sex sexual experience. Participants were 251 females with a mean age of 19.6 years. In simple group comparisons, females with steady partners were higher in sexual body esteem, self-efficacy and self-reflection, and those in longer romantic relationships (> 1.5 years) had higher sexual body-esteem and self-efficacy, but lower self-reflection. Females with a history of same-sex sexual experience were higher in sexual entitlement, self-efficacy and self-reflection. In multiple regression, females with a steady partner and who reported more positive romantic quality had greater sexual body-esteem. Females in longer relationships were higher in sexual self-efficacy but lower in self-reflection. Same-sex sexual experience was associated with greater entitlement to self-pleasure. For sexual self-efficacy and self-reflection, having a steady partner and a history of same-sex sexual experience were uniquely associated. The developmental, theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.