Influences on Sexual Partnering Among African American Adolescents With Concurrent Sexual Relationships

Abstract

Adolescents often engage in concurrent sexual partnerships as part of a developmental process of gaining experience with sexuality. The authors qualitatively examined patterns of concurrency and variation in normative and motivational influences on this pattern of sexual partnering among African American adolescents (31 males; 20 females), ages 15 to 17 years. Using content analysis, gender and contextual differences in social norms and motivations for concurrency were explored. Findings describe the normative influences on adolescent males and females with regard to sexual concurrency and the transfer of these norms from one generation to the next.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research was supported by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Grant Number R01 HD061027-01, awarded to M. Margaret Dolcini.