Abstract
While sexuality has radically changed across middle–high-income societies in recent years, only outdated studies are available for Italy. We aim to provide novel insights into the sexual behaviour and opinions of young Italians diachronically and through a gendered lens. Our analysis compares the results of two national samples of university students collected in 2000 and 2017. The sexual behaviour and opinions of young men and women seem to be converging in several respects. We observed a feminisation of male opinions and behaviour within couples, which is to say that men are more likely to experience first intercourse with a young woman of roughly the same age while in a stable relationship, and betray—or accept betrayal—with less frequency and willingness than in the past. Similarly, we found a masculinisation of female opinions and behaviour outside of stable relationships, for example, an increase in occasional partners, a net drop in the expectation that other women hold virgin status before marriage, and a doubling of the acceptance of casual sex. A few gender differences remain, especially concerning sexual double standards: young men and women are still subject to diverse rules guiding their sexual behaviour. Finally, acceptance of homosexuality has risen substantially—particularly among women.
Highlights
During the last 60 years, the sexual revolution—the process by which traditional codes of sexuality are challenged—has accelerated in many high-income countries (Laumann et al, 1994; Garton, 2004; Kontula, 2009; Barbagli et al, 2010)
While sexuality has radically changed across middle–high-income societies in recent years, only outdated studies are available for Italy
We address the third research question in the “Opinions on sexuality and the sexual double standards” section
Summary
During the last 60 years, the sexual revolution—the process by which traditional codes of sexuality are challenged—has accelerated in many high-income countries (Laumann et al, 1994; Garton, 2004; Kontula, 2009; Barbagli et al, 2010). The recent acceleration of the revolutionary process includes an increased acceptance of sexual behaviours for those outside of relationships, pornography use, premarital sex, increased stigma concerning partner betrayal in stable relationships, and a widespread acceptance of homosexuality. North-western European and Anglophonic countries were the first to follow this pattern. Countries in Eastern and Southern Europe and the wealthy countries of East Asia were among the last to follow this path, with other wealthier countries lying somewhere in between (Laumann et al, 1994; Bozon and Kontula, 1998; Wellings et al, 2006; Billari et al, 2007; World Health Organization [WHO], 2016)
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