The Correlates of Sexual Experience and Reasons for Abstinence Among Asian Americans

Objective: This study examines the sexual socialization experiences of Asian American emerging adults by assessing the content and frequency of parent and peer sexual communication and their links to sexual experience and reasons for abstinence. Method: In addition to reports of parent and peer communication on four discourses-abstinence until marriage, gendered sexual roles, acceptance of casual sex, and sex is taboo-154 college students (44% female, M = 19.21 years old) also reported on language use with parents, percentage of best friends who were Asian, and parent rules regarding dating and time spent with friends. Results: As expected, peer communication was more frequent and more permissive than parent communication, and women reported receiving far more restrictive messages than did men. Of parent messages, only those portraying sex as taboo was linked to stronger endorsement of abstinence to avoid physical risks, whereas proabstinence messages from friends were linked to endorsing abstinence for family and culture reasons, to avoid physical risks, and because of general discomfort. Conclusion: Findings suggest that parent rules may be a primary means by which Asian parents are perceived as conveying their attitudes and expectations about sexuality and that same-race best friends serve simultaneously as sexual and cultural socialization agents. Public Significance Statement This study addressed the lack of research on Asian Americans' sexual socialization and sexual health by examining possible culturally relevant factors. Parent rules about dating and time spent with friends were linked to parent communication but not to sexual behavior. Same-race friends and proabstinence messages from friends, however, were each associated with less sexual experience and with stronger support for various reasons for abstinence.