Figuring It Out: How Late Adolescent and Young Adult Men and Women Perceive and Address Problems in Sexual Functioning

Abstract

Although there are high rates of sexual problems and sexual dysfunction in adulthood (Mitchell et al., 2013), little is known about the circumstances under which problems are first experienced. A growing body of research addresses prevalence of problems in sexual functioning among adolescents and young adults, yet little is known about the meanings that young people give to these experiences or how they deal with them. We used content analysis of qualitative interviews with 53 heterosexual, sexually active Canadian adolescents (ages 18 to 21) to explore their perceptions of the sexual problems in functioning they had experienced and the strategies (if any) they used to address them over time. Problems among most young people originated early in their partnered sexual life. Figuring it out emerged as an intentional process directed toward improving sexual experiences, although certainly not all young people were successful. Strategies for figuring it out included informational or material help seeking, experimentation to inform future actions, mutual sharing and problem solving, and building emotional connection to improve sexual functioning. Implications for understanding the development of sexual dysfunctions in adulthood are discussed.

Funding and Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mary Byers for coordinating data collection and Ashley Thompson, Miranda Fudge, Anthony Hopley, and Brenda Lee for conducting the interviews. This research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP210316; Lucia O’Sullivan, PI). The funding agency did not contribute to the design, implementation, analysis, or preparation of materials for publication.