The Effects of Unemployment and Poverty on Sexual Appetite and Sexual Risk in Emerging and Young Adults

Abstract

Since the economic recession was declared in December 2007, the rate of unemployed citizens has continued to rise, leading to a loss of over 7 million jobs. Emerging and young adults may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of unemployment and poverty because this developmental time period has been described as a time in which an individual is experiencing extensive identity exploration. One area of psychosocial functioning, sexual addiction, has received less attention in regard to unemployment and poverty, particularly among emerging and young adults. To examine these relationships, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) was used with a sample of 2,362 participants aged 21–27. Structural equation modeling results found that individuals with higher poverty were more likely to have sex more frequently with multiple partners and decreased birth control use, including condoms. It was also found that when divided into regular and irregular workers, group differences emerged between the genders showing that irregular workers potentially have greater sexual appetite and sexual risk. The results highlight important relationships that must be further explored to better understand how emerging and young adults are affected by poverty and unemployment.

Notes

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∗p < 05.