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Adolescents of the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study: Sexual Orientation, Sexual Behavior, and Sexual Risk Exposure
- Source :
- Gartrell, Nanette K.; Bos, Henny M.W.; & Goldberg, Naomi G.(2010). Adolescents of the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study: Sexual Orientation, Sexual Behavior, and Sexual Risk Exposure. UCLA: The Williams Institute. Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/3br6230p, Archives of Sexual Behavior, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40(6), 1199-1209. Springer New York
- Publisher :
- Springer Nature
-
Abstract
- This study assessed Kinsey self-ratings and lifetime sexual experiences of 17-year-olds whose lesbian mothers enrolled before these offspring were born in the longest-running, prospective study of same-sex parented families, with a 93% retention rate to date. Data for the current report were gathered through online questionnaires completed by 78 adolescent offspring (39 girls and 39 boys). The adolescents were asked if they had ever been abused and, if so, to specify by whom and the type of abuse (verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual). They were also asked to specify their sexual identity on the Kinsey scale, between exclusively heterosexual and exclusively homosexual. Lifetime sexual behavior was assessed through questions about heterosexual and same-sex contact, age of first sexual experience, contraception use, and pregnancy. The results revealed that there were no reports of physical or sexual victimization by a parent or other caregiver. Regarding sexual orientation, 18.9% of the adolescent girls and 2.7% of the adolescent boys self-rated in the bisexual spectrum, and 0% of girls and 5.4% of boys self-rated as predominantly-to-exclusively homosexual. When compared with age- and gender-matched adolescents of the National Survey of Family Growth, the study offspring were significantly older at the time of their first heterosexual contact, and the daughters of lesbian mothers were significantly more likely to have had same-sex contact. These findings suggest that adolescents reared in lesbian families are less likely than their peers to be victimized by a parent or other caregiver, and that daughters of lesbian mothers are more likely to engage in same-sex behavior and to identify as bisexual.
- Subjects :
- Male
Sexual Abuse
Child abuse
Adolescent
Offspring
Sexual Behavior
media_common.quotation_subject
Lesbian Parenting
Mothers
LGBT Family
Adolescents
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Developmental psychology
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
Risk Factors
Same-sex parents
Surveys and Questionnaires
Humans
Child Abuse
Homosexuality
Psychology(all)
General Psychology
media_common
Original Paper
Sexual identity
Victimization
Homosexuality, Female
Child Abuse, Sexual
social sciences
United States
Lesbian families
Sexual abuse
National Survey of Family Growth
behavior and behavior mechanisms
Sexual orientation
Female
Arts and Humanities
Lesbian
Psychology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00040002
- Volume :
- 40
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Archives of Sexual Behavior
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....1f0549f2195b8df5c9d079e476d6a9bf
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-010-9692-2