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In Search of Emerging Same-Sex Sexuality: Romantic Attractions at Age 13 Years.

ABSTRACT: Sex-typed behavior in childhood is significantly related to sexual orientation in adulthood. In addition, same-sex attractions in early adolescence are more non-exclusive than in adulthood and can differ from later same-sex orientations. However, little research has focused on romantic attractions as they emerge during early adolescence. Drawing a sample from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (197 girls, 204 boys), the current study examined whether same-sex romantic attractions at age 13 years were exclusive, and whether they were predicted by sex-typed behavior at age 3.5 years. No young adolescents in this sample reported exclusive same-sex attractions, and increased same-sex attractions were not significantly related to reduced other-sex sexualities. Childhood sex-typed behavior did not significantly predict early same-sex attractions, suggesting that early same-sex attractions differ from later same-sex orientations. The current study highlights the importance of studying the development of sexuality beginning prior to adulthood.

SUBMITTER: Li G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4987389 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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In Search of Emerging Same-Sex Sexuality: Romantic Attractions at Age 13 Years.

Li Gu G Hines Melissa M

Archives of sexual behavior 20160418 7

Sex-typed behavior in childhood is significantly related to sexual orientation in adulthood. In addition, same-sex attractions in early adolescence are more non-exclusive than in adulthood and can differ from later same-sex orientations. However, little research has focused on romantic attractions as they emerge during early adolescence. Drawing a sample from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (197 girls, 204 boys), the current study examined whether same-sex romantic attraction ...[more]

PMID: 27091185

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Project description:ObjectivesTo assess prevalence and correlates of same-sex sexuality and its relationship to poor mental health and experiences of violence among youth and young adults in Sweden. A secondary aim was to estimate the same-sex sexuality attributable fractions.DesignA population-based cross-sectional survey.SettingSouthern Sweden.Participants2968 respondents out of 7000 youth and young adults between 18 and 29 years old, resident in southern Sweden, selected randomly by the Swedish Central Population Registry (final sample=2931 respondents, 318 with same-sex sexuality and 2613 without).Outcome measuresThe outcome measures were self-reported poor mental health (depression and anxiety) and experience of violence (physical violence, sexual violence and sexual coercion).ResultsIncreased odd of high scores of depression (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.26) and anxiety (adjusted OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.07) were observed among youth and young adults with same-sex sexuality. Similarly, increased odds of experience of physical violence (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.51), sexual violence (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.96 to 3.89) and sexual coercion (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.95 to 3.30) were observed with same-sex sexuality. Within the entire young population, same-sex sexuality accounted for 4.7% and 4.1% of the self-reported experience of depression and anxiety, respectively. The estimated same-sex sexuality attributable fractions of violence within the entire population of young people were 4.5% for physical violence, 7.3% for sexual violence and 6.4% for sexual coercion.ConclusionsThis study findings suggest that same-sex sexuality is associated with poor self-rated mental health and experience of violence among youth and young adults in Sweden. Some differences were observed between males and females, indicating that the vulnerabilities and experiences vary between young males and females. Further research is needed in order to gain a deeper knowledge of the factors underlying these associations and the gender differences observed.

Dataset Information

In Search of Emerging Same-Sex Sexuality: Romantic Attractions at Age 13 Years.

Publications

In Search of Emerging Same-Sex Sexuality: Romantic Attractions at Age 13 Years.

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