title: Sexual self-concept and sexual self-efficacy in adolescents: a possible clue to promoting sexual health?
abstract: This study examined the associations between sexual self-concept (sexual esteem and sexual anxiety) and sexual self-efficacy (situational and resistive) in a sample of 388 high school students (59% Caucasian, 28% African American). Males reported lower sexual esteem and lower sexual self-efficacy than females. Males and African Americans reported higher levels of sexual anxiety and lower levels of resistive self-efficacy than females and Caucasians. In regression models, higher sexual self-esteem uniquely predicted higher sexual self-efficacy scores, even after controlling for demographic variables, knowledge of sexual risk, and previous coital experience. In post hoc analyses, sexual self-esteem mediated the relation between knowledge of sexual risk and both types of sexual self-efficacy. Results suggest the need for interventions to promote male sexual self-efficacy and sexual esteem and the need for longitudinal research that explicates models of sexual health in adolescence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0017, USA. rostosky@coe.uky.edu
authors.forename: Sharon Scales
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Rostosky
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dekhtyar
authors.forename: Pamela K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Cupp
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Anderman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012725:Sexual Behavior