Shifting Sexual Boundaries: Ethnicity and Pre-marital Sex in the Lives of South Asian American Women

Bacchus, Nazreen S.

doi:10.1007/s12119-017-9421-2

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Reports of having more parent rules was positively linked to greater parent communication of abstinence until marriage, less parent communication of acceptance of casual sex, and more communication of sex as taboo. These associations were expected, given that parent rules against dating and premarital sexual activity have emerged as a common theme in qualitative research on Asian American and Asian Canadian adolescents and emerging adults (Bacchus, 2017;Kim, 2009;Talbani & Hasanali, 2000). Although we had hypothesized that not speaking the same language to each other in the This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…For example, some Asian American youth consider talking to one’s parents as if they were peers inappropriate (Russell et al, 2010). Nevertheless, friends’ sexual communication may be very similar to parental communication in one respect: messages promoting caution and self-restraint in sexual behaviors are conveyed to young women far more often than they are conveyed to young men (Bacchus, 2017; Kim, 2009; Trinh & Ward, 2016). Thus, peers’ sexual communication may not wholly contradict parents’ communication, but may amplify some messages and not others.…”

Section: Sexual Socialization: Parents and Friendsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The correlates of sexual experience and reasons for abstinence among Asian Americans.

Trinh¹,

Kim²

2021

Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: This study examines the sexual socialization experiences of Asian American emerging adults by assessing the content and frequency of parent and peer sexual communication and their links to sexual experience and reasons for abstinence. Method: In addition to reports of parent and peer communication on four discourses-abstinence until marriage, gendered sexual roles, acceptance of casual sex, and sex is taboo-154 college students (44% female, M ϭ 19.21 years old) also reported on language use with parents, percentage of best friends who were Asian, and parent rules regarding dating and time spent with friends. Results: As expected, peer communication was more frequent and more permissive than parent communication, and women reported receiving far more restrictive messages than did men. Of parent messages, only those portraying sex as taboo was linked to stronger endorsement of abstinence to avoid physical risks, whereas proabstinence messages from friends were linked to endorsing abstinence for family and culture reasons, to avoid physical risks, and because of general discomfort. Conclusion: Findings suggest that parent rules may be a primary means by which Asian parents are perceived as conveying their attitudes and expectations about sexuality and that same-race best friends serve simultaneously as sexual and cultural socialization agents. Public Significance StatementThis study addressed the lack of research on Asian Americans' sexual socialization and sexual health by examining possible culturally relevant factors. Parent rules about dating and time spent with friends were linked to parent communication but not to sexual behavior. Same-race friends and proabstinence messages from friends, however, were each associated with less sexual experience and with stronger support for various reasons for abstinence.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Sexual Socialization: Parents and Friendsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The correlates of sexual experience and reasons for abstinence among Asian Americans.

Trinh¹,

Kim²

2021

Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our study indicates that abortion stigma may begin with the act of having sex, particularly outside marriage (and community/family members finding out about it), rather than with abortion decision-making, as most literature in the United States may indicate. One study in Indonesia refers to the “social value of virginity” and abortion dispelling the virginity status; ( 25 ) and another study explores the need among South Asian Americans to maintain their virtuous image within their community ( 20 ). Further exploration of how expectations around virginity interact with abortion stigma within the wider AA community is warranted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies have shown that community stigma toward abortion arises as a result of cultural norms, including religious and gender norms. Religiosity, in particular, has been shown to be associated with higher abortion stigma ( 20 – 24 ). Additionally, gender norms that contribute to abortion stigma include stigma against women for engaging in sex outside of marriage as well as the view that motherhood is a defining characteristic of female gender identity ( 25 , 26 ).…”

Section: Role Of Culture and Community In Abortion Stigmamentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of community and culture in abortion perceptions, decisions, and experiences among Asian Americans

Chandrasekaran

Key

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionCulture and community can play a role in views, stigma, and access related to abortion. No research to date has documented the influence of culture and community attitudes on Asian American (AA) experiences accessing abortion care in the United States (US). This paper aims to fill gaps in research and understand how cultural and community views influence medication abortion access and experiences among AAs.MethodsWe used a community-based participatory research approach, which included collaboration among experts in public health, advocates, practitioners, and community partners to understand abortion knowledge, attitudes, and experiences among AAs. Using a semi-structured interview guide, we interviewed twenty-nine eligible people of reproductive age over 18 that self-identified as Asian American or mixed race including Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and/or Pacific Islander (AANHPI), and had a medication abortion in the US between January 2016 and March 2021. Interviews were analyzed and coded in NVivo 12 using a modified grounded theory approach.ResultsParticipants described various influences of religion negatively impacting acceptability of abortion among their family and community. Lack of openness around sexual and reproductive health (SRH) topics contributed to stigma and influenced most participants' decision not to disclose their abortion to family members, which resulted in participants feeling isolated throughout their abortion experience. When seeking abortion care, participants preferred to seek care with providers of color, especially if they were AANHPI due to past experiences involving stigma and judgment from White providers. Based on their experiences, respondents recommended ways to improve the abortion experience for AAs in the US including, (1) more culturally aware abortion providers from one's community who better understand their needs; (2) clinics providing abortion services located in or near AA communities with signage in local languages; and (3) tailored mental health resources with culturally aware therapists.ConclusionThis study demonstrates ways in which culture and community opinions toward SRH can influence both the acceptability of abortion and experiences seeking abortion care among AAs. It is important to consider family and community dynamics among AAs to better tailor services and meet the needs of AAs seeking abortion care in the US.

show abstract

“…However, childbearing prior to marriage is less common among migrant women ( Dribe & Lundh, 2012 ). Premarital childbearing is heavily stigmatised among many groups of migrant women ( Bacchus, 2017 ; Hawkey et al, 2018 ) and may lower ones prospects for marriage. Further, while evidence of the effect of motherhood on the mental health of women is inconsistent ( Giesselmann et al, 2018 ; Holton et al, 2010 ), it is possible that the double stigma of childbearing outside of marriage and of mental disorders could result in greater consequences in terms of marriage formation for migrant mothers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental disorder and first-time marriage formation among non-Western migrant women: A national register study

Straiton

Hynek

Reneflot

et al. 2022

SSM - Population Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose Studies show that there is a mental health selection into marriage among the general population. This study explored the association between mental disorder and marriage formation among non-Western migrant women living in Norway, and whether the association varied with region of origin, income, education and having a dependent child. Methods Using linked national register data, we followed 49,329 non-Western never married migrant women aged 18-60 living in Norway between 2006 and 2014. As a proxy for mental disorders, we investigated whether outpatient mental health service use was associated with marital formation using discrete time logistic regression analyses. Result Overall, outpatient mental health service use was associated with lower odds of marital formation, even after controlling for sociodemographic factors. Interaction analyses suggested that the relationship was weaker for South Asian women, who had the highest odds of marriage formation, compared with Sub-Saharan African women, who had the lowest. The relationship was also stronger for women with children and women with low incomes. Conclusion Mental health selection effects may depend on the universality of marriage. Since marriage may be associated with psychosocial and economic benefits, it is important to identify and treat mental disorder among non-Western migrant women, particularly those with childcare responsibilities and low income.

show abstract

Shifting Sexual Boundaries: Ethnicity and Pre-marital Sex in the Lives of South Asian American Women

Cited by 20 publications

References 15 publications

The correlates of sexual experience and reasons for abstinence among Asian Americans.

The correlates of sexual experience and reasons for abstinence among Asian Americans.

The role of community and culture in abortion perceptions, decisions, and experiences among Asian Americans

Mental disorder and first-time marriage formation among non-Western migrant women: A national register study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About