Reliability and Validity of the Chinese Version of the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory.

The Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R) is a measurement tool for assessing an individual's willingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relations. Despite its widespread use in various contexts, no studies have validated the use of this instrument in China. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of an existing Chinese translation of the SOI-R. A total of 2,209 participants were recruited and randomly divided into two groups: exploratory factor analysis was conducted on one group and confirmatory factor analysis on the other, with 161 participants from the total sample recruited to assess the test-retest reliability. Criterion validity was measured by testing the correlations between sociosexuality and sexual desire, mate value, sexual attitudes, and personality traits. The results confirmed a three-factor structure (sociosexual behaviors, attitudes, and desire) for the SOI-R. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated good reliability (internal consistency and test-retest stability) and validity (criterion validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity) of the SOI-R, supporting its suitability as an assessment tool for sociosexual orientation in China.

Alcohol consumption and utilization of HIV prevention services among men who have casual sex with women in China.

Men who have casual sex with women (MCSW) have played an important role in HIV new infections in China. Research studies have shown that heavy alcohol consumption can increase the risk of HIV infection. The cross-sectional study was conducted in two cities in China from December 2018 to May 2019 to examine the association between alcohol consumption and utilization of HIV prevention services among MCSW. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants and 400 MCSW were recruited in this study. There were 238 (59.6%), 213 (53.4%) and 129 (32.4%) participants having utilized HIV prevention services, condom promotion and distribution or HIV counseling and testing (CPD/HCT) services, and peer education services in the past 12 months, respectively. MCSW who were identified as heavy drinkers were less likely to utilize HIV prevention services and CPD/HCT services compared with non-drinkers. For youngsters, those who are in the local household and those who are married/cohabitating, heavy drinkers was less likely to utilize HIV prevention services. This study highlights the significance of intensive education on heavy drinkers of MCSW, particularly for high-risk subgroups. Targeting resources for integrated HIV prevention efforts with alcohol-using MCSW should be considered by public health policymakers.

Sexual Behaviors, Satisfaction, and Intentions to Engage in Casual Sexual Relationships and Experiences in Emerging Adulthood.

The present study examined the role of sexual behavior and sexual satisfaction in casual sexual relationships and experiences (CSREs) on both immediate and long-term intentions to engage in further CSREs in a sample of emerging adults. We examined how four different operationalizations of sexual behavior (1) Penetrative sexual behaviors not including oral sex vs. non-penetrative sexual behaviors, (2) Penetrative sexual behaviors including oral sex vs. non-penetrative sexual behaviors, (3) Most sexually intimate behaviors, and (4) A sum score of sexual behaviors) and sexual satisfaction were associated with immediate intentions to engage in CSREs (measured during a five-day daily diary) and long-term intentions to engage in CSREs (measured one month later). Follow-up analyses examined intentions to engage in additional CSREs with a different partner. Our sample (N = 274) included both college-attending and non-college-attending emerging adults. Path analysis models indicated that more sexually intimate behaviors were associated with higher sexual satisfaction following a CSRE. Additionally, sexual satisfaction, but not type of sexual behavior, was associated with both immediate and long-term intentions to engage in CSREs above and beyond the effects of sample, gender, alcohol consumption, and previous CSREs. Follow-up analyses indicated that only alcohol consumption and gender were significantly associated with immediate intentions to engage in a CSRE, and only daily diary intentions and gender were significantly associated with long-term intentions to engage in a CSRE. Overall, these findings support previous research that suggests positive outcomes of a CSRE (sexual satisfaction) are associated with higher intentions to engage in future CSREs.

The Influence of Peers, Romantic Partners, and Families on Emerging Adults' Sexual Behavior.

Prior research acknowledges that families and peers influence adolescents' sexual behaviors. Far fewer studies have explored whether and how families and peers influence sexual behaviors among emerging adults, especially among those in committed intimate partnerships, while also accounting for dynamics specific to the intimate relationship and respondents' sociodemographic characteristics. Even less is known about whether and how previous romantic relationship experiences might influence emerging adults' future sexual behavior both within and outside the confines of committed intimate partnerships. Drawing on longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study, we examined how emerging adults' family backgrounds, peers' sexual attitudes and behaviors, and past and current relationship experiences influenced their engagement in casual sex and sexual non-exclusivity. We found that each of these contexts was significant predictors of emerging adults' casual sex, and that both peers and romantic relationship experiences significantly influenced the likelihood of engaging in sexually non-exclusive behaviors among those in committed dating, cohabiting, and marital partnerships. We discuss potential theoretical mechanisms linking these relationships and provide suggestions for future research.

The Global Distribution and Epidemiology of Psychoactive Substance Use and Injection Drug Use Among Street-Involved Children and Youth: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Globally, street-involved children and youth (SICY) who work and live on/of the streets are at higher risk of increased psychoactive substances and injecting drug use. Objectives: The present study aimed to identify the prevalence, distribution, sociodemographic factors, and risk-taking behaviors associated with psychoactive substances and injecting drug use among SICY. Methods: Studies in English published from December 1 1985 to July 1 2022, were searched for on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science to identify primary studies on psychoactive substances and injecting drug use among SICY. The pooled-prevalence estimates were obtained using a robust fixed-effects model. Results: The most commonly reported life-time and current psychoactive substance was tobacco followed by cannabis, LSD/ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and injection drug use. The results showed that life-time and current prevalence of methamphetamine and cannabis use, as well as life-time prevalence of cocaine, LSD/ecstasy, heroin, tobacco, and injecting drug use increased as age rose while current prevalence of cocaine and tobacco use decreased as age rose. SICY who were male, homeless, had parents who had died, had history of substance use among family members or best friends, had experienced violence, had casual sex partners, had a history of working in the sex trade, and had unprotected sex were all related to psychoactive substance use and injecting drug use. Conclusions: Research examining this population suffers from lack of studies, therefore, improving the knowledge for interventions aimed at reducing risk behaviors, particularly those related to the transmission of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV is of great importance.

Still Striving After All These Years: Between Normality of Conduct and Normativity of Evaluation in Casual Relationships among College Students.

Gender similarities have been detected in various sexual behaviors and attitudes in young adults, but persistent differences remain regarding casual sexual relationships (CSRs), with women feeling different external pressures than men. We set out to study the spontaneous references made to gender similarities and differences towards CSRs in eight focus group interviews (N = 35 college-students, aged 18-28) about the characteristics of CSRs within a social-role framework. The thematic analysis led us to the interpretation that there is an ongoing change in the acceptability of these relationships, leading to the emergence of a single sexual standard - mostly liberal, but at times also conservative. However, different expectations remain, derived from a deep-rooted traditional sexual double standard still perceived in society. Challenges to the unequal standards and social constraints in CSRs is desired by many women, defended by men, and admired in those women whose striving contributes to the normalization of this conduct and of how it is evaluated. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02344-9.

Perceptions of social norms played an important role in the occurrence of casual sex among Yi minority residents in China: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Liangshan is one of the areas severely affected by both HIV and poverty in China. We investigated associations between perceptions of social norms related to casual sex and the occurrence of casual sex in lifetime among Yi minority people. Participants were Yi minority people aged 15-49 years old living in Liangshan. Of the participants, 11.8% were confirmed to be HIV-positive. About half of the participants (46.6%) had engaged in casual sex in their lifetime. All six perceptions of social norms were significantly associated with the presence of casual sex in lifetime. They were acceptable of belife: (1) casual sex in general (OR: 15.03), (2) not to use condom during casual sex (OR: 1.58), (3) a Yi woman to have more than one sex partner(OR: 4.54), (4) a Yi man to have more than one sex partner(OR: 4.51), (5) premarital sex with casual sex partner (OR: 4.29), and (6) extra-marital sex with casual sex partner (OR: 3.23). Casual sex may play an important role in facilitating HIV transmission among Yi minority people. Future interventions should consider making use of the Yi clan system to change perceptions of social norms related to casual sex.

Hookups Among U.S. College Students: Examining the Association Between Hookup Motives and Personal Affect.

"Hooking up" is prevalent on college campuses and is related to both positive and negative outcomes for students. The current study was an exploratory examination of hookup motives, and positive and negative affect, related to the most recent hookup experience. Participants were 256 U.S. college students who reported hooking up in the last 12 months. Students completed a 30-min anonymous online survey assessing behaviors and cognitions during their most recent hookup, including alcohol use at the time of the hookup, motives for hooking up, and post-hookup affect. The model demonstrated that gender, conformity motives, and social-relationship motives significantly and positively predicted negative affect, whereas enhancement motives negatively predicted negative affect. Coping and enhancement motives significantly and positively predicted positive affect, whereas alcohol use negatively predicted positive affect. This study was a unique examination of hookup motives, with important findings that explained large portions of variance in post-hookup affect. The overall model explained approximately 23% of the variance in negative affect and 49% of the variance in positive affect. Findings highlight that, depending on the hookup motive, hooking up can be associated with positive outcomes, such as positive affect.

An Empirical Examination of Hookup Definitions Across the Literature, 2000-2019.

There has been a longstanding debate about what constitutes hooking up. To date, little research has analyzed how hookups are being defined such that the field can foster consistency across definitions. To inform this debate, we conducted a content analysis of 122 empirical articles across disciplines (e.g., human sexuality, public health) from 2000 to 2019 by systematically coding conceptual definitions of hooking up contained in the articles using five commonly discussed dimensions of hooking up (behaviors, nature of partner relationship, span of hookup interaction, frequency of hookup behavior, and level of romantic commitment expectation). Unspecified sexual intercourse (52.5%) was the most frequently identified behavior in definitions. The majority of hookup definitions did not mention the nature of partner relationship (e.g., acquaintance, friend), the duration of the hookup interaction, or the frequency of hookup behavior. Additionally, most conceptual definitions (82.0%) mentioned that the relationship was uncommitted, but only half discussed the level of romantic commitment expectations. Overall, most conceptual definitions relied on behaviors rather than all five dimensions, resulting in broad and non-descript definitions of hookups. We suggest that future hookup definitions explicitly reference behaviors, nature of partner relationship, span of hookup interaction, frequency of hookup behavior, and level of romantic commitment expectation to provide clarity, comparability, and validity across future research.

It's The "Why": Links between (Non)autonomous Sexual Motives, Sexual Assertiveness, and Women's Orgasm in Casual Sex.

Existing literature shows conflicting and inconclusive evidence regarding women's sexual experiences in casual sex. Some studies have found negative sexual outcomes (e.g., fewer orgasms), while others have found positive sexual outcomes (e.g., more orgasms, higher sexual satisfaction) when women had casual sex. According to self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), people's needs are fulfilled when their choice and behavior are self-motivated and reflect their intrinsic values. We hypothesized that women's autonomous motivation to have casual sex would be associated with higher orgasmic function, whereas nonautonomous motivation would be associated with lower orgasmic function in casual sex. We also hypothesized that sexual assertiveness would mediate the relationship between sexual motives and orgasmic function in casual sex. Participants in this study were women (N = 401) aged 18-59 years who reported having had casual sex in the past 12 months. Participants completed an online survey reporting their motives to have casual sex, sexual assertiveness, and orgasmic function (e.g., orgasm frequency, satisfaction with orgasm) in casual sex. We focused on two motives: (a) pleasure motive and (b) insecurity (i.e., self-esteem boost and pressure) motive. Results showed that greater pleasure (autonomous) motives related to higher sexual assertiveness, which in turn related to higher orgasmic function in casual sex. In contrast, greater insecurity (nonautonomous) motives related to lower sexual assertiveness, which in turn related to lower orgasmic function in casual sex. The findings support self-determination theory, suggesting that autonomous motives are important for women's sexual experience in casual sex.

Sex at Sea: Undergraduates' Perceptions of Sexual Relationships During Their Semester at Sea Voyage.

Often viewed as right of passage in emerging adulthood on college campuses, most undergraduate students participate in casual sex during their undergraduate career. Sexual exploration typically continues during study abroad programs; however, these programs have previously been associated with an increase in risky sexual behavior due to a lack of familiar social norms and community. The current study examined the casual sexual relationships of 302 undergraduates participating in Semester at Sea, an eleven country, 106-day voyage which incorporates aspects of a traditional college campus combined with the novel experience of studying abroad. The purpose of this research was to explore students' casual sexual relationship perceptions and behaviors in the context of a structured and community-oriented study abroad environment. Over half (52%) of the student population completed a series of open-ended questions regarding their uncommitted sexual activity during the Semester at Sea voyage. Results indicated that 16.9% of students engaged in at least one casual sexual relationship over the course of the trip. Casual sex relationships on-board the Semester at Sea voyage were less prevalent than those on traditional college campuses, but casual sex relationships at sea appeared to focus more on the importance of communication and boundaries during the sexual relationship and concluded on a more positive note. It is likely that these decisions were influenced by the established communal culture on-board the ship, which encouraged students to maintain harmonious social relationships and a high level of awareness of others.

Was it Good for You? Gender Differences in Motives and Emotional Outcomes Following Casual Sex.

Casual sex, also referred to as a hookup, has been associated with a range of negative emotional outcomes for women, including regret, anxiety, depression and social stigma. However, it has been argued that it is the nature of the sexual motivation, not gender that influences the emotional outcome. This study was designed to ascertain what motivates people to have casual sex, what emotional outcomes follow casual sex and whether there are gender differences among these variables. Seven hundred and one participants (47% men and 52.8% women) completed a 44-item online survey. Gender differences were found for both sexual motivations and emotional outcomes of casual sex, with women generally having more negative emotional outcomes than men. Additionally, a principal components analysis uncovered four reliable principal motivations underlying engagement in casual sex, and three principal emotional outcomes of casual sex. Predictors of negative emotional outcomes included being motivated to regulate negative emotions and to achieve positive emotions. No predictors (apart from being a man) were found for a positive emotional outcome. While the stigma surrounding female sexual agency is diminishing, results generally support the presence of a sexual double-standard which encourages male promiscuity but dissuades female sexual autonomy.

Short-Term Consequences of Sex: Contextual Predictors and Change Across College.

Although sexual experiences are normative by young adulthood, individuals continue to explore and develop their sexual behaviors and cognitions across the college years. Thus, perceived consequences of sexual experiences may change. Similarly, characteristics of sexual experiences such as partner type, alcohol use, and sexual behavior type predict perceived consequences, and these associations may change over time. In this study, we addressed links between characteristics of sexual experiences (casual vs. committed partner, heavy alcohol use on sex days, and kissing/touching only vs. oral/penetrative sex) and short-term perceived consequences of sexual experiences (physical satisfaction, emotional intimacy, not satisfied, guilt, not ready), using daily data collected longitudinally across seven college semesters. We also examined whether perceived consequences of sex change across college and whether within-person daily associations between sexual experience characteristics and perceived consequences of sex change across college. An ethnically and racially diverse sample of traditionally aged first year university students (N = 566; 54% female; 98% heterosexual) completed online surveys, yielding 8,838 daily reports about sexual behaviors. Multilevel models indicated that partner type, heavy alcohol use, and sexual behavior type predicted within-person differences in perceived consequences of sex. Interactions between characteristics of sexual experiences and college semester indicated that differences in perceived consequences of sexual experiences with casual versus committed partners lessened over time. The likelihood of reporting physical satisfaction and guilt after only kissing/touching (but not oral/penetrative sex) decreased across college semesters. Findings inform understanding of normative sexual development by demonstrating that perceived consequences and their predictors change across time.

Partner Type and Young Women's Sexual Behavior: A Qualitative Inquiry.

The incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has increased over recent years, particularly among young women. Partner type is believed to influence women's STI risk. However, researchers often restrict partner type to "casual" versus "committed," labels that can mask risk variability. Therefore, in this study, we identified and explored a range of sexual partner types in order to understand how young women's perceived risk and condom use intentions vary by partner type. Data were obtained during six focus groups of young women (N =25) who were recruited from a community reproductive healthcare clinic. Women described a range of monogamous and non-monogamous partner types that were distinguished based on partner regularity (i.e., whether the sexual partnership was ongoing) and personal relationship (i.e., degree of involvement outside of the sexual relationship). Women's perceived STI risk was higher and condom use intentions stronger with new partners, particularly unfamiliar partners (i.e., "one-night stand," "fuck boy"). Women identified potential harm from condom negotiation with all but the "friends with benefits" partners. However, the nature of this harm differed by partner type. Clinicians and researchers should consider how to support women in advocating for safer sexual behaviors across these partner types by understanding how partner regularity, degree of personal relationship, and emotional attachment differentially impact couples' condom use decisions.

A Prospective Study of Predictors and Consequences of Hooking Up for Sexual Minority Women.

Hooking up, which refers to a sexual encounter (ranging from kissing to penetrative sex) between individuals who are not in a committed relationship, is an increasingly normative form of sexual exploration among emerging adults. Past research has focused on hookups within a heteronormative context, and some of this work has examined hookups as a way to cope with distress. Building on this work, we examined the role of hookups as a means for lesbian and bisexual women to cope with minority stress through increasing connection and engagement with the LGBTQ (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer or questioning) community. A nationally recruited sample of 520 lesbian and bisexual women ages 18 to 25 years completed questionnaires regarding their hookup behaviors as part of a longitudinal study. Childhood sexual abuse, posttraumatic stress symptoms, alcohol use, minority stress, and involvement and connectedness with the LGBTQ community were also assessed. First, regression analyses were used to examine baseline predictors of hookup behaviors reported at a 12-month follow-up. Findings revealed that alcohol use was associated with a greater likelihood of any subsequent hookups, and individuals reporting more minority stress subsequently hooked up with more partners. Second, hookup behaviors at 12 months were examined as predictors of outcomes at a 24-month follow-up, after controlling for baseline variables. Findings revealed that hookup behaviors were associated with reduced minority stress as well as increased involvement with and connectedness to the LGBTQ community, suggesting hookups may serve a protective function. Overall, findings support the notion that, for sexual minority women, hookups may operate as a means of coping and connection.

First-year college students' alcohol and hookup behaviours: sexual scripting and implications for sexual health promotion.

This study used a sexual scripting framework to analyse data from the Online College Social Life Survey to examine the role of individual, (e.g. gender, race and alcohol use), relational (partner type, condom use behaviours), and contextual factors (sex ratios and fraternity/sorority affiliation) influencing 4,292 first-year college students' hookup experiences. Results suggest that hookups are relatively "safe", with the the majority involving non-penetrative sexual behaviour, condom use, and familiar partners. However, alcohol use affected hookup behaviours and lower levels of condom use were associated with heavy alcohol use, even with less well known partners. Findings point to the importance of interventions that reinforce first-year students' positive behaviours and present them with protective behavioural strategies to use in the context of alcohol, and with repeat or well-known partners to reduce risk and have enjoyable, consensual sexual experiences.

Are Perceptions of the Developmental Features of Emerging Adulthood and Endorsement of the Hookup Culture Associated with Number of Different Hookup Partners and Behaviors?

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceptions of each developmental feature of emerging adulthood and endorsement of each feature of the hookup culture with number of different hookup partners and hookup behaviors. Participants were 1219 college-attending emerging adults (ages 18-29 years) who completed an online survey about emerging adult experiences. After controlling for semester of data collection and known correlates of hooking up (e.g., age, sex, religiosity, and binge drinking experience), none of the developmental features of emerging adulthood were significantly associated with number of different hookup partners in the last 12 months. In addition, only one feature of the hookup culture was associated with number of different hookup partners: Hooking up is fun. In follow-up analyses among those who reported at least one hookup in the last 12 months (n = 807), some of the developmental features of emerging adulthood (e.g., experimentation/possibilities, negativity/instability) and features of the hookup culture (e.g., hooking up is fun, hooking up provides sexual freedom) helped differentiate reported involvement in various types of hookup behaviors. The most prominent and consistent correlate was number of different hookup partners in the last 12 months (increased likelihood of all behaviors, except deep kissing). Recommendations for understanding hooking up as a developmental and/or cultural experience are discussed.

Associations Between Motives for Casual Sex, Depression, Self-Esteem, and Sexual Victimization.

People's motives for casual sex moderate associations between their sexual behavior and the outcomes they experience. Derived from self-determination theory, autonomous motives for casual sex (e.g., I wanted the fun and enjoyment) and non-autonomous motives (e.g., I wanted to please someone else) correlated in previous research differentially with measures of well-being and incidence of casual sex. In a sample of American college students (N = 284), we replicated these prior findings and extended them as follows: autonomous and non-autonomous motives for sex were correlated with two measures of casual sex (i.e., the three behavior questions from the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory; the number of partners with whom participants had penetrative sex but did not wish to become emotionally involved); two measures of well-being (i.e., self-esteem, depression), and a measure of overall sexual victimization (i.e., a combined score from the Sexual Experiences Survey). We found that autonomous motives were more strongly associated with casual sexual behavior than were non-autonomous motives in both sexes. Autonomous motives were positively associated with sexual victimization in women but not in men. Compared to autonomous motives, sex for non-autonomous motives was linked to less self-esteem in both sexes, and with more depression and sexual victimization in women. Sex differences in associations between motives and victimization persisted even when the general effects of participant's sex and casual sex were controlled in hierarchical regressions. Our findings further revealed the importance of agency (or lack thereof) in predicting sexual behavior and psychological health.

Understanding Relations Among Drinking and Hookup Motives, Consequences, and Depressive Symptoms in College Students.

In this longitudinal study (N = 98), we examined whether drinking for suppression reasons moderated the relation between depressive symptoms and hooking up for self-affirmation reasons and negative hookup consequences. No moderation was found for hooking up for self-affirmation reasons, but the effect for negative hookup consequences approached significance. When drinking for suppression reasons is low, participants with fewer depressive symptoms reported more negative consequences, and participants with more depressive symptoms reported fewer negative consequences 2 months later. Results are discussed within the context of sex education and mental health programming for young adults.

A Short-Term Longitudinal Investigation of Hookups and Holistic Outcomes Among College Students.

Majority of college students hook up at least once during their time in school. The literature on casual sex encounters among college students is growing, though most studies are cross-sectional and individual studies focus on few outcomes at a time, leaving piecemeal and mixed results. The current longitudinal study clarifies prior work by analyzing how post-event process (PEP), an understudied construct within the hookup literature, and emotional (i.e., positive or negative) hookup reactions interact to predict a breadth of outcomes, representing holistic student well-being. The inclusion of PEP reframes the current literature to consider PEP as a predictor variable of hookup outcomes, as moderated by emotional hookup reactions. This is consistent with literature indicating emotional experiences affect PEP across a variety of incidents. Participants (N = 377, 87.6% female) completed self-report measures at 2-month intervals. We tested relationships between the main and interaction effects of PEP and emotional hookup reactions as a moderation regression analyses on anxiety, academic engagement, religious coping, and psychological flourishing. The main effect of PEP predicted more anxiety and less negative religious coping, negative hookup reactions predicted more anxiety, and positive hookup reactions predicted more flourishing. Regarding interaction effects, high levels of positive hookup reactions and PEP were associated with less anxiety, less academic engagement, more negative religious coping, and less psychological flourishing; high levels of negative hookup reactions and PEP were associated with less anxiety and more negative religious coping and were unrelated to academic engagement or flourishing over two months.