Sexual Language Use in U.S. College Students Across Twenty Years.

Study 1: Students (N = 256 women, 129 men, and 13 nonbinary individuals, 61.8% heterosexual) from the same college campus studied 20 years ago (Murnen, 2000) reported on terms they used to refer to male genitals, female genitals, and "having sex" either within the context of an intimate partnership, talking with friends of their gender, or talking with friends in a mixed-gender group. Terms for genitals were coded as degrading or not, and terms for sex as aggressive or not, based on the previous study. Whereas in the past almost three-quarters of men used a degrading term for female genitals, that amount decreased to about one-quarter in the present sample. On the other hand, among women there was a significant increase in the use of a degrading term for women's genitals in the intimate partner context, particularly among sexual minority women. Degrading and aggressive language use was predicted by pornography use and endorsement of gender stereotyped sexual attitudes. Study 2: Interpretations of sexual terms were studied among 29 sexual minority women, 81 heterosexual women, 16 sexual minority men, and 54 heterosexual men. We found that few terms were perceived as degrading or aggressive today (unlike 20 years ago) and that students believe that societal changes such as sexual education and the #MeToo movement were perceived as responsible for changes in sexual language use.

Perceived Changes in Mood and Anxiety Among Male Youth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From a Mixed-Methods Study.

PURPOSE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed almost every aspect of our lives. Young adults are vulnerable to pandemic-related adverse mental health outcomes, but little is known about the impact on adolescents. We examined factors associated with perceived changes in mood and anxiety among male youth in urban and Appalachian Ohio. METHODS: In June 2020, participants in an ongoing male youth cohort study were invited to participate in an online survey that included questions about changes in mood, anxiety, closeness to friends and family, and the major impacts of the pandemic. Weighted log-binomial regression models were used to assess the risk of worsened mood and increased anxiety. Chi-square tests were used to examine the association between perceived changes in mood and anxiety and perceived changes in closeness to friends and family and open-ended responses to a question about COVID-19's impact on participants. RESULTS: Perceived worsened mood and increased anxiety during the pandemic were associated with higher household socioeconomic status, older age, feeling less close to friends and family, and reporting that COVID-19 negatively affected mental health. A perceived increase in anxiety was also associated with a history of symptoms of depression or anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Specific subgroups of male youth may be at heightened risk of worsening mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions should target vulnerable adolescents and seek to increase closeness to social contacts. Such efforts could involve novel programs that allow youth to stay connected to friends, which might mitigate the negative impact on mental health.