Chapter 7 - Sexual Development in Adolescents

Abstract

This chapter approaches sexuality development proposed from a perspective that sexuality is built from multiple influences, and that abstinence, masturbation, and partnered sexual behaviors are equally important elements of normal adolescent sexuality development. Taken together, this perspective helps create focus on the developmental contributions of adolescent sexuality to adult sexuality, and to the role of these connected sexualities in sexual health through the lifespan. Healthy adolescent sexual development implies a broad social commitment to adolescents’ sexual rights and to accurate sexuality education that recognizes abstinence, masturbation, and partnered sexual behaviors as developmentally appropriate sexual choices. This developmental perspective supports the importance of a broad range of contraceptive and STI/HIV prevention services, recognizing that these will be needed eventually for most adolescents. Finally, this perspective on sexual development implies that healthy long-term relationships will unfold in the context of sexually healthy partners.