DESIRED SEX: HOW WOMEN’S FIRST EXPERIENCES SHAPE SEXUAL ATTITUDES LATER IN LIFE

Abstract

Women’s sexual lives have been under scrutiny for centuries but have only recently been a subject of research in the sociological community. The idea of consensual sex is widespread while the idea of desired sexual experiences are less common. In this thesis I asked women to describe their first desired sexual experience and how their early desired experiences shaped their subsequent sexual attitudes and experiences and sexual satisfaction. I interviewed and examined the experiences of older millennial women between the ages of 30 to 39, who did not have self-identified sexual trauma prior to their first desired sexual encounter. In-depth interviews lasted between 40 minutes and two hours. Previous research focuses on women with early traumatic sexual experiences, or otherwise limits and/or distorts in-depth understanding of women’s experiences by utilizing quantitative methods. Drawing from feminist standpoint theory, I identify five themes related to women’s attitudes and experiences: (1) guilt and shame, (2) impact of first sexual experience on confidence and self-esteem, (3) sex as obligation, (4) sexual experiences within relationships, and (5) negative consensual experiences. I conclude that although women have different initially desired individual experiences, collectively the generalized attitudes, experiences, and dispositions in response to these early sexual experiences are similar. Future research should continue to give voice to the variety of women’s sexual experiences, particularly those that fall outside of the framework of abuse and trauma.