{"id":218,"date":"2016-05-01T01:15:48","date_gmt":"2016-05-01T01:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontosociology-waymaker\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=218"},"modified":"2024-04-25T15:37:46","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T15:37:46","slug":"sex-and-sexuality","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/chapter\/sex-and-sexuality\/","title":{"raw":"Sex and Sexuality","rendered":"Sex and Sexuality"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Examine sexual attitudes and practices around the world, including perspectives on sex education<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<section id=\"h21203_01\">\r\n<h2>Sexual Attitudes and Practices<\/h2>\r\nIn the area of sexuality, sociologists focus their attention on sexual attitudes and practices, not on physiology or anatomy. <strong><span id=\"import-auto-id1683397\">Sexuality<\/span><\/strong> is viewed as a person\u2019s capacity for sexual feelings. Studying sexual attitudes and practices is a particularly interesting field of sociology because sexual behavior is a cultural universal. Throughout time and place, the vast majority of human beings have participated in sexual relationships (Broude 2003). Each society, however, interprets sexuality and sexual activity in different ways. Many societies around the world have different attitudes about premarital sex, the age of sexual consent, homosexuality, masturbation, and other sexual behaviors (Widmer, Treas, and Newcomb 1998). At the same time, sociologists have learned that certain norms are shared among most societies. The incest taboo is present in every society, though which relative is deemed unacceptable for sex varies widely from culture to culture. For example, sometimes the relatives of the father are considered acceptable sexual partners for a woman while the relatives of the mother are not. Likewise, societies generally have norms that reinforce their accepted social system of sexuality.\r\n<p id=\"import-auto-id1474424\">What is considered \u201cnormal\u201d in terms of sexual behavior is based on the mores and values of the society. Societies that value monogamy, for example, would likely oppose extramarital sex. Individuals are socialized to sexual attitudes by their family, education system, peers, media, and religion. Historically, religion has been the greatest influence on sexual behavior in most societies, but in more recent years, peers and the media have emerged as two of the strongest influences, particularly among U.S. teens (Potard, Courtois, and Rusch 2008). Let us take a closer look at sexual attitudes around the world and in the United States.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/234edec4-fc68-460b-a4f1-1ac289c00509\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<section id=\"h31203_01\">\r\n<h2>Sexuality around the World<\/h2>\r\nHistorically, premarital sex was considered a moral issue which was taboo in many cultures and sinful according to a number of religions, but\u00a0since about the 1960s, it has become more widely accepted, especially in\u00a0Western countries. A 2014 Pew study on global morality found that premarital sex was considered particularly unacceptable in \"predominantly Muslim nations,\" such as\u00a0Malaysia,\u00a0Indonesia,\u00a0Jordan,\u00a0Pakistan\u00a0and\u00a0Egypt, each having over 90% disapproval, while people in Western European countries were the most accepting, with\u00a0Spain,\u00a0Germany\u00a0and\u00a0France\u00a0expressing less than 10% disapproval.\r\n\r\nAs you can see from the figure below, 97% of those in Indonesia found premarital sex unacceptable. Approximately 87% of the population is Muslim.[footnote]Hays, J. 2015. \"Religion in Indonesia.\" <a href=\"http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/indonesia\/History_and_Religion\/sub6_1f\/entry-3975.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/indonesia\/History_and_Religion\/sub6_1f\/entry-3975.html<\/a>.[\/footnote]\u00a0Similarly 95-98% of Pakistanis and 90% of Egyptians are Muslim. Islam has strict prohibitions against sex outside of marriage. Christianity and Roman Catholicism also have strict rules about sex outside of marriage.\u00a0Approximately 50% of Nigerians are Muslim, 40% are Christian, and 10% adhere to local religions. In the Philippines, 92% of the population identifies as Christian.\r\n\r\nThe amount of religiosity in a country is not a magical key to understanding sexual norms around the globe, though. Clearly a country's distinctive history and the people who make up the population today are essential to understanding its norms and values. In other words, we need to utilize our sociological imaginations to understand attitudes about sexuality and sexual behavior.\r\n\r\n<\/section><\/section>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"508\"]<img src=\"http:\/\/www.ipsnews.net\/Library\/2018\/04\/chamiefigure1.jpg\" alt=\"Premarital Sex: Increasing Worldwide bar graph showing that Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Nigeria all have over 75% of the population saying the premarital sex is wrong. Next on the list, with under 75% saying premarital sex is unacceptable, come the Philippines, India, China, the global median of 48%, then Israel, the U.S., Russia, Japan, Spain, Germany, and France.\" width=\"508\" height=\"428\" \/> <strong>Figure 1.<\/strong>\u00a0The percentage of people saying the premarital sex is morally unacceptable in various countries. The countries at the top of the list, with the exception of China, are overwhelmingly religious. Image from Joseph Chamie, \"Premarital Sex: Increasing Worldwide.\" www.ipsnews.net\/2018\/04\/premarital-sex-increasing-worldwide[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<section id=\"h21203_01\"><section id=\"h31203_01\"><\/section><section><\/section><section>Many societies that have strict rules against sex outside of marriage are in countries that have low average ages for marriage. Countries with higher average ages for marriage generally have higher income levels and are more liberal in their views on marriage (see Figure 2).\u00a0<\/section><section>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"712\"]<img src=\"https:\/\/i.huffpost.com\/gen\/1478994\/thumbs\/o-MARRIAGE-MAP-900.jpg?3\" alt=\"World map showing the average age of marriage. The lowest is around 20 years old in Afghanistan, some areas in central America, and central Africa. The highest median age is close to 35, and is higher in Brazil, Europe, and Australia. Countries in North America, and central Asia have an average age around 25.\" width=\"712\" height=\"444\" \/> <strong>Figure 2.<\/strong> \"At What Age Do People Get Married Around the World?\" by Alex Mayyasi, Priceonomics. https:\/\/priceonomics.com\/at-what-age-do-people-get-married-around-the-world\/[\/caption]\r\n\r\nA gender gap also exists with women, on average, marrying younger than their male counterparts. According to the United Nations, 39 countries have data showing that 20% of women are married by the age of 18 and in 20 of these countries 10% of women are married by age 15, whereas only 2 countries have 10% of men married before the age of 18.[footnote]Mayyasi, A. 2016. \"At what age do people get married around the world?\" Priceonomics. <a href=\"https:\/\/priceonomics.com\/at-what-age-do-people-get-married-around-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/priceonomics.com\/at-what-age-do-people-get-married-around-the-world\/<\/a>.[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nOf industrialized nations, Sweden is thought to be the most liberal when it comes to attitudes about sex, including sexual practices and sexual openness. The country has very few regulations on sexual images in the media, and sex education, which starts around age six, is a compulsory part of Swedish school curricula. Sweden\u2019s permissive approach to sex has helped the country avoid some of the major social problems associated with sex. For example, rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease are among the world\u2019s lowest (Grose 2007). It would appear that Sweden is a model for the benefits of sexual freedom and frankness. However, implementing Swedish ideals and policies regarding sexuality in other, more politically conservative nations, would likely be met with resistance.\r\n\r\nLet's look at Israel as an example. The State of Israel was established in 1948, and is approximately 75% Jewish, 21% Arab, and 5% other. In Judaism, masturbation (or sexually pleasuring oneself) is strictly forbidden in the Talmud, which is a compilation of centuries of rabbis' interpretations of the Torah (or the five books of Moses). Jewish women, on the other hand, are not forbidden from masturbation. The reasons are complex, but one interpretation is that ejaculation, or dispelling semen, is a loss of \"life energy\" or impurities[footnote]Dorff, E. \"Masturbation: A touchy subject.\" My Jewish Learning. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myjewishlearning.com\/article\/masturbation-a-touchy-subject\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.myjewishlearning.com\/article\/masturbation-a-touchy-subject\/<\/a>.[\/footnote]. Many modern Jews do not follow the strict laws of Orthodox Judaism, however, and with many Jews (outside of Orthodox communities) postponing marriage, it is unclear to what extent masturbation is prohibited in contemporary Israel.\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2015\/feb\/10\/israeli-film-breaks-ultra-orthodox-taboo-masturbation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sacred Sperm<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>is\u00a0a 2015 documentary created by religiously observant father Ori Gruder, who examines the various ways in which religiously observant boys and men avoid masturbation.\r\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\r\n<h3>Further Research<\/h3>\r\nLearn more about gender and sexuality at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kinseyinstitute.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kinsey Institute.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><section id=\"h31203_02\">\r\n<h2>Sexuality in the United States<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"275\"]<img src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2016\/04\/15204435\/Figure_12_03_01a.jpg\" alt=\"A bride and groom are shown from behind walking in a park setting.\" width=\"275\" height=\"412\" \/> <strong>Figure 3.\u00a0<\/strong>Sexual practices can differ greatly among groups. Recent trends include the finding that married couples have sex more frequently than do singles and that 27 percent of married couples in their 30s have sex at least twice a week (NSSHB 2010). (Photo courtesy of epSos.de\/flickr)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nPrior to the 20th century, most American physicians regarded masturbation as \"dangerous\" and believed that it could cause illness including insanity, epilepsy, acne, weight loss, decreased mental capacity, weakness, lethargy, and early death. This \"myth\" was not permanently disproved until the book\u00a0<em>Sex and Human Loving\u00a0<\/em>(Masters and Johnson 1988), even though Alfred Kinsey's research in the 1940s had established that masturbation was common, with up to 92% of men reporting.[footnote]Spector, D. 2013. \"11 findings that revolutionized our understanding of sex\" Business Insider. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/11-findings-that-revolutionized-our-understanding-of-sex-2013-10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/11-findings-that-revolutionized-our-understanding-of-sex-2013-10<\/a>.[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nThe United States prides itself on being the \"land of the free,\u201d but it is rather restrictive when it comes to its citizens\u2019 general attitudes about sex compared to other industrialized nations. In an international survey, 29 percent of U.S. respondents stated that premarital sex is always wrong, while the average among the 24 countries surveyed was 17 percent. Similar discrepancies were found in questions about the condemnation of sex before the age of 16, extramarital sex, and homosexuality, with total disapproval of these acts being 12, 13, and 11 percent higher, respectively, in the United States, than the study\u2019s average (Widmer, Treas, and Newcomb 1998).\r\n\r\nIn the 1970s, only 29% of people felt that premarital sex was \"not wrong at all,\" but that number gradually increased so that by the 1980s and 1990s, 42% of the population said that premarital sex is \"not wrong at all.\" In 2012, that number increased to 58%. Interestingly, results from the General Social Survey also revealed that although\u00a0millennials (born 1981-1996) were more accepting of premarital sex, they had fewer sexual partners (average 8) than both Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) and GenXers (born 1965-1980) who averaged 11 partners.[footnote]Kraft A. 2015. \"Changing attitudes about premarital sex, homosexuality.\" CBS News. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/changing-attitudes-about-premarital-sex-homosexuality\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/changing-attitudes-about-premarital-sex-homosexuality\/<\/a>.[\/footnote]\r\n\r\n<\/section><\/section><section id=\"h21203_01\"><section id=\"h31203_02\">U.S. culture is particularly restrictive in its attitudes about sex when it comes to women and sexuality. It is widely believed that men are more sexual than women. In fact, there is a popular notion that men think about sex every seven seconds. One study tracked the number of times that college men and women thought about food, sleep, and sex, and although the numbers varied widely, they found that\u00a0men thought about sex an average of 19 times per day,\u00a0compared to 10 times per day for women\u00a0(Fisher, Moore, and Pittenger 2011). What the study did not measure was the duration of sexual thoughts for men or for women (or for sleep or food). Also, the frequencies were self-reporting, so female participants might have been less likely to report sexual thoughts due to societal norms surrounding females and sexuality.\r\n<p id=\"import-auto-id1682696\">Belief that men have\u2014or have the right to\u2014more sexual urges than women creates a double standard. Ira Reiss, a pioneer researcher in the field of sexual studies, defined the <em>double standard<\/em> as prohibiting premarital sexual intercourse for women but allowing it for men (Reiss 1960). This standard has evolved into allowing women to engage in premarital sex only within committed love relationships, but allowing men to engage in unconditional sexual relationships with as many partners as they wish (Milhausen and Herold 1999). Due to this double standard, a woman is likely to have fewer sexual partners in her lifetime than a man. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey, the average thirty-five-year-old woman has had three opposite-sex sexual partners while the average thirty-five-year-old man has had twice as many (Centers for Disease Control 2011).<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"import-auto-id1672789\">The future of a society\u2019s sexual attitudes may be somewhat predicted by the values and beliefs that a country\u2019s youth expresses about sex and sexuality. Data from the most recent National Survey of Family Growth reveals that 70 percent of boys and 78 percent of girls ages fifteen to nineteen said they \u201cagree\u201d or \u201cstrongly agree\u201d that \u201cit\u2019s okay for an unmarried female to have a child\" (National Survey of Family Growth 2013). In a separate survey, 65 percent of teens stated that they \u201cstrongly agreed\u201d or \u201csomewhat agreed\u201d that although waiting until marriage for sex is a nice idea, it\u2019s not realistic (NBC News 2005). This does not mean that today\u2019s youth have given up traditional sexual values such as monogamy. Nearly all college men (98.9 percent) and women (99.2 percent) who participated in a 2002 study on sexual attitudes stated they wished to settle down with one mutually exclusive sexual partner at some point in their lives, ideally within the next five years (Pedersen et al. 2002).<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/section><section id=\"h31203_03\">\r\n<h2>Sex Education<\/h2>\r\nOne of the biggest controversies regarding sexual attitudes is sexual education in U.S. classrooms. Unlike in Sweden, sex education is not required in all public school curricula in the United States. The heart of the controversy is not about whether sex education should be taught in school (studies have shown that only seven percent of U.S. adults oppose sex education in schools); it is about the <em>type<\/em> of sex education that should be taught.\r\n<p id=\"import-auto-id1221089\">Much of the debate is over the issue of abstinence. In a 2005 survey, 15 percent of U.S. respondents believed that schools should teach abstinence exclusively and should not provide contraceptives or information on how to obtain them. Forty-six percent believed schools should institute an abstinence-plus approach, which teaches children that abstinence is best but still gives information about protected sex. Thirty-six percent believed teaching about abstinence is not important and that sex education should focus on sexual safety and responsibility (NPR 2010).<\/p>\r\nResearch suggests that while government officials may still be debating about the content of sexual education in public schools, the majority of U.S. adults are not. Those who advocated abstinence-only programs may be the proverbial squeaky wheel when it comes to this controversy, since they represent only 15 percent of parents. Fifty-five percent of respondents feel giving teens information about sex and how to obtain and use protection will not encourage them to have sexual relations earlier than they would under an abstinence program. About 77 percent think such a curriculum would make teens more likely to practice safe sex now and in the future (NPR 2004).\r\n\r\nSweden, whose comprehensive sex education program in its public schools educates participants about safe sex, can serve as a model for this approach. The teenage birthrate in Sweden is 7 per 1,000 births, compared with 49 per 1,000 births in the United States. Among fifteen to nineteen year olds, reported cases of gonorrhea in Sweden are nearly 600 times lower than in the United States (Grose 2007).\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>Sex Ed in the United States<\/h3>\r\nA sociologist using the sociological perspective would want to look at the correlation between sex ed curricula and outcomes such as teen pregnancies and STDs. Arkansas has the highest rates of teen pregnancy with 38 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19. What does Arkansas' sex ed legislation look like? Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas are next in line with just under 35 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19. What does sex ed look like in those states? Is there a correlation? What other factors could influence teen pregnancy in these states?\r\n\r\nWhat is the sex ed legislation in your state? Teen pregnancy rates? Instances of STDs? Consider these trends and <a href=\"https:\/\/nursing.usc.edu\/blog\/americas-sex-education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">read this blog post to learn more about the pitfalls of sex education in the United States<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/section>The District of Columbia tops the states with the highest STD rates with just over 55 per 1,000 teens ages 15-24 with Louisiana in 2nd place with just over 40\/1,000. Sex Ed is mandated in D.C., and schools provide information on contraceptives there, while in Louisiana, there is no comprehensive sex ed, and there remains an emphasis on abstinence.[footnote] Woodward, Alex. 2017. \"The facts of life: the state of sex ed in Louisiana,\" Gambit.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theadvocate.com\/gambit\/new_orleans\/news\/article_1db9b66a-ff59-5e49-87f2-78a43e418b43.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.theadvocate.com\/gambit\/new_orleans\/news\/article_1db9b66a-ff59-5e49-87f2-78a43e418b43.html<\/a>.[\/footnote]\r\n\r\n<section id=\"h21203_01\"><section id=\"h31203_03\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>Watch It<\/h3>\r\nWatch this video to learn more about sex education in America.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"\/\/plugin.3playmedia.com\/show?mf=1281418&amp;p3sdk_version=1.10.1&amp;p=20361&amp;pt=375&amp;video_id=Vcpep877u3M&amp;video_target=tpm-plugin-6l0fswt6-Vcpep877u3M\" width=\"800px\" height=\"520px\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0px\" marginheight=\"0px\"><\/iframe>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><section id=\"h31203_03\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Think It Over<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li id=\"import-auto-id1387394\">Identify three examples of how U.S. society is heteronormative.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Consider the types of derogatory labeling that sociologists study and explain how these might apply to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/section><section id=\"sh1203\" class=\"short-answer\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/4f7a9fc2-90e7-4bb6-a181-0e9fbe8e3bfd\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/a931fd05-8f2a-4524-be6a-8b6e1e427a5b\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/da6ead9c-dc25-4bb8-993d-fe7cbcb0d110\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\r\n<h3>Glossary<\/h3>\r\n<dl id=\"import-auto-id2275843\" class=\"definition\">\r\n \t<dt>double standard:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>the concept that prohibits premarital sexual intercourse for women but allows it for men<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl id=\"import-auto-id1215711\" class=\"definition\">\r\n \t<dt>sexuality:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd id=\"fs-id2886408\">a person\u2019s capacity for sexual feelings<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Examine sexual attitudes and practices around the world, including perspectives on sex education<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"h21203_01\">\n<h2>Sexual Attitudes and Practices<\/h2>\n<p>In the area of sexuality, sociologists focus their attention on sexual attitudes and practices, not on physiology or anatomy. <strong><span id=\"import-auto-id1683397\">Sexuality<\/span><\/strong> is viewed as a person\u2019s capacity for sexual feelings. Studying sexual attitudes and practices is a particularly interesting field of sociology because sexual behavior is a cultural universal. Throughout time and place, the vast majority of human beings have participated in sexual relationships (Broude 2003). Each society, however, interprets sexuality and sexual activity in different ways. Many societies around the world have different attitudes about premarital sex, the age of sexual consent, homosexuality, masturbation, and other sexual behaviors (Widmer, Treas, and Newcomb 1998). At the same time, sociologists have learned that certain norms are shared among most societies. The incest taboo is present in every society, though which relative is deemed unacceptable for sex varies widely from culture to culture. For example, sometimes the relatives of the father are considered acceptable sexual partners for a woman while the relatives of the mother are not. Likewise, societies generally have norms that reinforce their accepted social system of sexuality.<\/p>\n<p id=\"import-auto-id1474424\">What is considered \u201cnormal\u201d in terms of sexual behavior is based on the mores and values of the society. Societies that value monogamy, for example, would likely oppose extramarital sex. Individuals are socialized to sexual attitudes by their family, education system, peers, media, and religion. Historically, religion has been the greatest influence on sexual behavior in most societies, but in more recent years, peers and the media have emerged as two of the strongest influences, particularly among U.S. teens (Potard, Courtois, and Rusch 2008). Let us take a closer look at sexual attitudes around the world and in the United States.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_234edec4-fc68-460b-a4f1-1ac289c00509\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/234edec4-fc68-460b-a4f1-1ac289c00509?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_234edec4-fc68-460b-a4f1-1ac289c00509\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"h31203_01\">\n<h2>Sexuality around the World<\/h2>\n<p>Historically, premarital sex was considered a moral issue which was taboo in many cultures and sinful according to a number of religions, but\u00a0since about the 1960s, it has become more widely accepted, especially in\u00a0Western countries. A 2014 Pew study on global morality found that premarital sex was considered particularly unacceptable in &#8220;predominantly Muslim nations,&#8221; such as\u00a0Malaysia,\u00a0Indonesia,\u00a0Jordan,\u00a0Pakistan\u00a0and\u00a0Egypt, each having over 90% disapproval, while people in Western European countries were the most accepting, with\u00a0Spain,\u00a0Germany\u00a0and\u00a0France\u00a0expressing less than 10% disapproval.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see from the figure below, 97% of those in Indonesia found premarital sex unacceptable. Approximately 87% of the population is Muslim.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Hays, J. 2015. &quot;Religion in Indonesia.&quot; http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/indonesia\/History_and_Religion\/sub6_1f\/entry-3975.html.\" id=\"return-footnote-218-1\" href=\"#footnote-218-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Similarly 95-98% of Pakistanis and 90% of Egyptians are Muslim. Islam has strict prohibitions against sex outside of marriage. Christianity and Roman Catholicism also have strict rules about sex outside of marriage.\u00a0Approximately 50% of Nigerians are Muslim, 40% are Christian, and 10% adhere to local religions. In the Philippines, 92% of the population identifies as Christian.<\/p>\n<p>The amount of religiosity in a country is not a magical key to understanding sexual norms around the globe, though. Clearly a country&#8217;s distinctive history and the people who make up the population today are essential to understanding its norms and values. In other words, we need to utilize our sociological imaginations to understand attitudes about sexuality and sexual behavior.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<div style=\"width: 518px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ipsnews.net\/Library\/2018\/04\/chamiefigure1.jpg\" alt=\"Premarital Sex: Increasing Worldwide bar graph showing that Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Nigeria all have over 75% of the population saying the premarital sex is wrong. Next on the list, with under 75% saying premarital sex is unacceptable, come the Philippines, India, China, the global median of 48%, then Israel, the U.S., Russia, Japan, Spain, Germany, and France.\" width=\"508\" height=\"428\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1.<\/strong>\u00a0The percentage of people saying the premarital sex is morally unacceptable in various countries. The countries at the top of the list, with the exception of China, are overwhelmingly religious. Image from Joseph Chamie, &#8220;Premarital Sex: Increasing Worldwide.&#8221; www.ipsnews.net\/2018\/04\/premarital-sex-increasing-worldwide<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"h21203_01\">\n<section id=\"h31203_01\"><\/section>\n<section><\/section>\n<section>Many societies that have strict rules against sex outside of marriage are in countries that have low average ages for marriage. Countries with higher average ages for marriage generally have higher income levels and are more liberal in their views on marriage (see Figure 2).\u00a0<\/section>\n<section>\n<div style=\"width: 722px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.huffpost.com\/gen\/1478994\/thumbs\/o-MARRIAGE-MAP-900.jpg?3\" alt=\"World map showing the average age of marriage. The lowest is around 20 years old in Afghanistan, some areas in central America, and central Africa. The highest median age is close to 35, and is higher in Brazil, Europe, and Australia. Countries in North America, and central Asia have an average age around 25.\" width=\"712\" height=\"444\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 2.<\/strong> &#8220;At What Age Do People Get Married Around the World?&#8221; by Alex Mayyasi, Priceonomics. https:\/\/priceonomics.com\/at-what-age-do-people-get-married-around-the-world\/<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>A gender gap also exists with women, on average, marrying younger than their male counterparts. According to the United Nations, 39 countries have data showing that 20% of women are married by the age of 18 and in 20 of these countries 10% of women are married by age 15, whereas only 2 countries have 10% of men married before the age of 18.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Mayyasi, A. 2016. &quot;At what age do people get married around the world?&quot; Priceonomics. https:\/\/priceonomics.com\/at-what-age-do-people-get-married-around-the-world\/.\" id=\"return-footnote-218-2\" href=\"#footnote-218-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Of industrialized nations, Sweden is thought to be the most liberal when it comes to attitudes about sex, including sexual practices and sexual openness. The country has very few regulations on sexual images in the media, and sex education, which starts around age six, is a compulsory part of Swedish school curricula. Sweden\u2019s permissive approach to sex has helped the country avoid some of the major social problems associated with sex. For example, rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease are among the world\u2019s lowest (Grose 2007). It would appear that Sweden is a model for the benefits of sexual freedom and frankness. However, implementing Swedish ideals and policies regarding sexuality in other, more politically conservative nations, would likely be met with resistance.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s look at Israel as an example. The State of Israel was established in 1948, and is approximately 75% Jewish, 21% Arab, and 5% other. In Judaism, masturbation (or sexually pleasuring oneself) is strictly forbidden in the Talmud, which is a compilation of centuries of rabbis&#8217; interpretations of the Torah (or the five books of Moses). Jewish women, on the other hand, are not forbidden from masturbation. The reasons are complex, but one interpretation is that ejaculation, or dispelling semen, is a loss of &#8220;life energy&#8221; or impurities<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Dorff, E. &quot;Masturbation: A touchy subject.&quot; My Jewish Learning. https:\/\/www.myjewishlearning.com\/article\/masturbation-a-touchy-subject\/.\" id=\"return-footnote-218-3\" href=\"#footnote-218-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a>. Many modern Jews do not follow the strict laws of Orthodox Judaism, however, and with many Jews (outside of Orthodox communities) postponing marriage, it is unclear to what extent masturbation is prohibited in contemporary Israel.\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2015\/feb\/10\/israeli-film-breaks-ultra-orthodox-taboo-masturbation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sacred Sperm<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>is\u00a0a 2015 documentary created by religiously observant father Ori Gruder, who examines the various ways in which religiously observant boys and men avoid masturbation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\n<h3>Further Research<\/h3>\n<p>Learn more about gender and sexuality at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kinseyinstitute.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kinsey Institute.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"h31203_02\">\n<h2>Sexuality in the United States<\/h2>\n<div style=\"width: 285px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2016\/04\/15204435\/Figure_12_03_01a.jpg\" alt=\"A bride and groom are shown from behind walking in a park setting.\" width=\"275\" height=\"412\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 3.\u00a0<\/strong>Sexual practices can differ greatly among groups. Recent trends include the finding that married couples have sex more frequently than do singles and that 27 percent of married couples in their 30s have sex at least twice a week (NSSHB 2010). (Photo courtesy of epSos.de\/flickr)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Prior to the 20th century, most American physicians regarded masturbation as &#8220;dangerous&#8221; and believed that it could cause illness including insanity, epilepsy, acne, weight loss, decreased mental capacity, weakness, lethargy, and early death. This &#8220;myth&#8221; was not permanently disproved until the book\u00a0<em>Sex and Human Loving\u00a0<\/em>(Masters and Johnson 1988), even though Alfred Kinsey&#8217;s research in the 1940s had established that masturbation was common, with up to 92% of men reporting.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Spector, D. 2013. &quot;11 findings that revolutionized our understanding of sex&quot; Business Insider. https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/11-findings-that-revolutionized-our-understanding-of-sex-2013-10.\" id=\"return-footnote-218-4\" href=\"#footnote-218-4\" aria-label=\"Footnote 4\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The United States prides itself on being the &#8220;land of the free,\u201d but it is rather restrictive when it comes to its citizens\u2019 general attitudes about sex compared to other industrialized nations. In an international survey, 29 percent of U.S. respondents stated that premarital sex is always wrong, while the average among the 24 countries surveyed was 17 percent. Similar discrepancies were found in questions about the condemnation of sex before the age of 16, extramarital sex, and homosexuality, with total disapproval of these acts being 12, 13, and 11 percent higher, respectively, in the United States, than the study\u2019s average (Widmer, Treas, and Newcomb 1998).<\/p>\n<p>In the 1970s, only 29% of people felt that premarital sex was &#8220;not wrong at all,&#8221; but that number gradually increased so that by the 1980s and 1990s, 42% of the population said that premarital sex is &#8220;not wrong at all.&#8221; In 2012, that number increased to 58%. Interestingly, results from the General Social Survey also revealed that although\u00a0millennials (born 1981-1996) were more accepting of premarital sex, they had fewer sexual partners (average 8) than both Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) and GenXers (born 1965-1980) who averaged 11 partners.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Kraft A. 2015. &quot;Changing attitudes about premarital sex, homosexuality.&quot; CBS News. https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/changing-attitudes-about-premarital-sex-homosexuality\/.\" id=\"return-footnote-218-5\" href=\"#footnote-218-5\" aria-label=\"Footnote 5\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"h21203_01\">\n<section id=\"h31203_02\">U.S. culture is particularly restrictive in its attitudes about sex when it comes to women and sexuality. It is widely believed that men are more sexual than women. In fact, there is a popular notion that men think about sex every seven seconds. One study tracked the number of times that college men and women thought about food, sleep, and sex, and although the numbers varied widely, they found that\u00a0men thought about sex an average of 19 times per day,\u00a0compared to 10 times per day for women\u00a0(Fisher, Moore, and Pittenger 2011). What the study did not measure was the duration of sexual thoughts for men or for women (or for sleep or food). Also, the frequencies were self-reporting, so female participants might have been less likely to report sexual thoughts due to societal norms surrounding females and sexuality.<\/p>\n<p id=\"import-auto-id1682696\">Belief that men have\u2014or have the right to\u2014more sexual urges than women creates a double standard. Ira Reiss, a pioneer researcher in the field of sexual studies, defined the <em>double standard<\/em> as prohibiting premarital sexual intercourse for women but allowing it for men (Reiss 1960). This standard has evolved into allowing women to engage in premarital sex only within committed love relationships, but allowing men to engage in unconditional sexual relationships with as many partners as they wish (Milhausen and Herold 1999). Due to this double standard, a woman is likely to have fewer sexual partners in her lifetime than a man. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey, the average thirty-five-year-old woman has had three opposite-sex sexual partners while the average thirty-five-year-old man has had twice as many (Centers for Disease Control 2011).<\/p>\n<p id=\"import-auto-id1672789\">The future of a society\u2019s sexual attitudes may be somewhat predicted by the values and beliefs that a country\u2019s youth expresses about sex and sexuality. Data from the most recent National Survey of Family Growth reveals that 70 percent of boys and 78 percent of girls ages fifteen to nineteen said they \u201cagree\u201d or \u201cstrongly agree\u201d that \u201cit\u2019s okay for an unmarried female to have a child&#8221; (National Survey of Family Growth 2013). In a separate survey, 65 percent of teens stated that they \u201cstrongly agreed\u201d or \u201csomewhat agreed\u201d that although waiting until marriage for sex is a nice idea, it\u2019s not realistic (NBC News 2005). This does not mean that today\u2019s youth have given up traditional sexual values such as monogamy. Nearly all college men (98.9 percent) and women (99.2 percent) who participated in a 2002 study on sexual attitudes stated they wished to settle down with one mutually exclusive sexual partner at some point in their lives, ideally within the next five years (Pedersen et al. 2002).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"h31203_03\">\n<h2>Sex Education<\/h2>\n<p>One of the biggest controversies regarding sexual attitudes is sexual education in U.S. classrooms. Unlike in Sweden, sex education is not required in all public school curricula in the United States. The heart of the controversy is not about whether sex education should be taught in school (studies have shown that only seven percent of U.S. adults oppose sex education in schools); it is about the <em>type<\/em> of sex education that should be taught.<\/p>\n<p id=\"import-auto-id1221089\">Much of the debate is over the issue of abstinence. In a 2005 survey, 15 percent of U.S. respondents believed that schools should teach abstinence exclusively and should not provide contraceptives or information on how to obtain them. Forty-six percent believed schools should institute an abstinence-plus approach, which teaches children that abstinence is best but still gives information about protected sex. Thirty-six percent believed teaching about abstinence is not important and that sex education should focus on sexual safety and responsibility (NPR 2010).<\/p>\n<p>Research suggests that while government officials may still be debating about the content of sexual education in public schools, the majority of U.S. adults are not. Those who advocated abstinence-only programs may be the proverbial squeaky wheel when it comes to this controversy, since they represent only 15 percent of parents. Fifty-five percent of respondents feel giving teens information about sex and how to obtain and use protection will not encourage them to have sexual relations earlier than they would under an abstinence program. About 77 percent think such a curriculum would make teens more likely to practice safe sex now and in the future (NPR 2004).<\/p>\n<p>Sweden, whose comprehensive sex education program in its public schools educates participants about safe sex, can serve as a model for this approach. The teenage birthrate in Sweden is 7 per 1,000 births, compared with 49 per 1,000 births in the United States. Among fifteen to nineteen year olds, reported cases of gonorrhea in Sweden are nearly 600 times lower than in the United States (Grose 2007).<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>Sex Ed in the United States<\/h3>\n<p>A sociologist using the sociological perspective would want to look at the correlation between sex ed curricula and outcomes such as teen pregnancies and STDs. Arkansas has the highest rates of teen pregnancy with 38 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19. What does Arkansas&#8217; sex ed legislation look like? Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas are next in line with just under 35 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19. What does sex ed look like in those states? Is there a correlation? What other factors could influence teen pregnancy in these states?<\/p>\n<p>What is the sex ed legislation in your state? Teen pregnancy rates? Instances of STDs? Consider these trends and <a href=\"https:\/\/nursing.usc.edu\/blog\/americas-sex-education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">read this blog post to learn more about the pitfalls of sex education in the United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<p>The District of Columbia tops the states with the highest STD rates with just over 55 per 1,000 teens ages 15-24 with Louisiana in 2nd place with just over 40\/1,000. Sex Ed is mandated in D.C., and schools provide information on contraceptives there, while in Louisiana, there is no comprehensive sex ed, and there remains an emphasis on abstinence.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Woodward, Alex. 2017. &quot;The facts of life: the state of sex ed in Louisiana,&quot; Gambit.\u00a0https:\/\/www.theadvocate.com\/gambit\/new_orleans\/news\/article_1db9b66a-ff59-5e49-87f2-78a43e418b43.html.\" id=\"return-footnote-218-6\" href=\"#footnote-218-6\" aria-label=\"Footnote 6\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<section id=\"h21203_01\">\n<section id=\"h31203_03\">\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Watch It<\/h3>\n<p>Watch this video to learn more about sex education in America.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/plugin.3playmedia.com\/show?mf=1281418&amp;p3sdk_version=1.10.1&amp;p=20361&amp;pt=375&amp;video_id=Vcpep877u3M&amp;video_target=tpm-plugin-6l0fswt6-Vcpep877u3M\" width=\"800px\" height=\"520px\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0px\" marginheight=\"0px\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"h31203_03\">\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Think It Over<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li id=\"import-auto-id1387394\">Identify three examples of how U.S. society is heteronormative.<\/li>\n<li>Consider the types of derogatory labeling that sociologists study and explain how these might apply to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"sh1203\" class=\"short-answer\">\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_4f7a9fc2-90e7-4bb6-a181-0e9fbe8e3bfd\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/4f7a9fc2-90e7-4bb6-a181-0e9fbe8e3bfd?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_4f7a9fc2-90e7-4bb6-a181-0e9fbe8e3bfd\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_a931fd05-8f2a-4524-be6a-8b6e1e427a5b\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/a931fd05-8f2a-4524-be6a-8b6e1e427a5b?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_a931fd05-8f2a-4524-be6a-8b6e1e427a5b\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_da6ead9c-dc25-4bb8-993d-fe7cbcb0d110\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/da6ead9c-dc25-4bb8-993d-fe7cbcb0d110?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_da6ead9c-dc25-4bb8-993d-fe7cbcb0d110\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\n<h3>Glossary<\/h3>\n<dl id=\"import-auto-id2275843\" class=\"definition\">\n<dt>double standard:<\/dt>\n<dd>the concept that prohibits premarital sexual intercourse for women but allows it for men<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl id=\"import-auto-id1215711\" class=\"definition\">\n<dt>sexuality:<\/dt>\n<dd id=\"fs-id2886408\">a person\u2019s capacity for sexual feelings<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-218\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Sex &amp; Sexuality. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: OpenStax CNX. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/AgQDEnLI@11.1:Zy3RJpzj@5\/Sex-and-Sexuality\">https:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/AgQDEnLI@11.1:Zy3RJpzj@5\/Sex-and-Sexuality<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Download for free at http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d@10.1.<\/li><li>Premarital Sex. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Wikipedia. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Premarital_sex\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Premarital_sex<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">All rights reserved content<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Sex Education In America: A Brief History. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: AJ+. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Vcpep877u3M\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Vcpep877u3M<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em>Other<\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Standard YouTube License<\/li><li>Priceonomics graph on marriage age. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Alex Mayyasi. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Priceonomics. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/priceonomics.com\/at-what-age-do-people-get-married-around-the-world\/\">https:\/\/priceonomics.com\/at-what-age-do-people-get-married-around-the-world\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em>All Rights Reserved<\/em><\/li><li>Premarital Sex: Increasing Worldwide bar graph. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Joseph Chamie. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ipsnews.net\/2018\/04\/premarital-sex-increasing-worldwide\">http:\/\/www.ipsnews.net\/2018\/04\/premarital-sex-increasing-worldwide<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em>All Rights Reserved<\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-218-1\">Hays, J. 2015. \"Religion in Indonesia.\" <a href=\"http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/indonesia\/History_and_Religion\/sub6_1f\/entry-3975.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/indonesia\/History_and_Religion\/sub6_1f\/entry-3975.html<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-218-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-218-2\">Mayyasi, A. 2016. \"At what age do people get married around the world?\" Priceonomics. <a href=\"https:\/\/priceonomics.com\/at-what-age-do-people-get-married-around-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/priceonomics.com\/at-what-age-do-people-get-married-around-the-world\/<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-218-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-218-3\">Dorff, E. \"Masturbation: A touchy subject.\" My Jewish Learning. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myjewishlearning.com\/article\/masturbation-a-touchy-subject\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.myjewishlearning.com\/article\/masturbation-a-touchy-subject\/<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-218-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-218-4\">Spector, D. 2013. \"11 findings that revolutionized our understanding of sex\" Business Insider. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/11-findings-that-revolutionized-our-understanding-of-sex-2013-10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/11-findings-that-revolutionized-our-understanding-of-sex-2013-10<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-218-4\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 4\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-218-5\">Kraft A. 2015. \"Changing attitudes about premarital sex, homosexuality.\" CBS News. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/changing-attitudes-about-premarital-sex-homosexuality\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/changing-attitudes-about-premarital-sex-homosexuality\/<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-218-5\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 5\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-218-6\"> Woodward, Alex. 2017. \"The facts of life: the state of sex ed in Louisiana,\" Gambit.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theadvocate.com\/gambit\/new_orleans\/news\/article_1db9b66a-ff59-5e49-87f2-78a43e418b43.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.theadvocate.com\/gambit\/new_orleans\/news\/article_1db9b66a-ff59-5e49-87f2-78a43e418b43.html<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-218-6\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 6\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":29,"menu_order":6,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Sex & Sexuality\",\"author\":\"OpenStax 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