Talking about Sex: Notes on First Coitus and the Double Sexual Standard

Building upon the sexual socialization ideas of Gagnon and Simon and others which have stressed male-female differences in premarital sexual behavior, the social and psychological management of the first coital experience is examined. Using data from a 1967 national sample of university undergraduates, the idea of a double standard is explicated in terms of reportage about first coitus-to whom the person reports the event, how many people, how soon, and the like. Evidence pointing to a pattern of male "ego-sex" emerges within the context of the so-called "male bond" (male peers as audiences for sexual prowess), which contrasts sharply with the modal females's management of first coitus. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of future trends in gender styles and premarital sexuality.