Coital frequency among single women: Normative constraints and situational opportunities

Abstract

A nationally representative sample is used to analyze the effects of normative constraints and situational opportunities on the coital frequency of post‐adolescent, never‐married women. Race‐specific, multiple regression results are presented, separately, for all nonvirgins and for those nonvirgins in a sexual relationship. Our conceptual model is most effective at explaining white women's sexual behavior, which is significantly affected by religious affiliation and devoutness, sex‐role attitudes, past sexual behavior, living arrangements, age, pregnancy risk status, and partner and relationship characteristics. We offer possible explanations for the weakness of our model in accounting for black women's coital frequency. We end with a discussion on the implications of this research for understanding pregnancy and health risk‐taking behaviors among young single women.