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<p>Although qualitative research has offered rich insights into different aspects of sexual agency, few large-scale studies have systematically examined how young people enact their sexual agency. To address this gap, our study analyzes responses to three open-ended questions on sexual agency enactment that can be added to the end of quantitative measures to capture further nuance. It aims to capture how young people make sense of, negotiate, and assert their sexual agency, thereby advancing a more grounded and nuanced understanding of how sexual agency is experienced and expressed in everyday life. We recruited participants through targeted advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. To qualify, individuals had to be 18–20 years old, currently residing in the United States, and be fluent in English. Three short answer questions were analyzed: (1) When you’re having an intimate interaction with a partner, what makes you feel comfortable to ask for what you do (or don’t) want? (2) How can you tell when a partner isn’t interested in being intimate with you? How does it make you feel? How do you respond? and (3) Tell us about a time when you had to discuss some sexual boundaries or preferences with an intimate partner. How did you do it? How did it go? Themes were analyzed by question. We conducted a thematic analysis and then an AI analysis to triangulate the data. A total of 732 participants completed all three short answer questions and were included in the final sample. Q1 themes: Safety and comfort are rooted in familiarity, rational history, and stability; and Comfort through intimacy, grounded in respect and ongoing communication. Q2 themes: Body language and physical cues as primary indicators of disinterest; Partner history shaping interpretation of disinterest; and Consent and boundaries as helping to reframe disinterest and regulate emotional responses. Q3 themes: Importance of direct and honest communication; Past relationship experiences contributing to proactive communication; and Perception of boundary conversations shaped by partner reaction. The study offers a grounded understanding of how young adults enact sexual agency. Our findings carry significant implications for the design of sexual health interventions and educational programs aimed at fostering healthier intimate relationships and sexual encounters among young people.</p>

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Unveiling Nuance: Understanding Young Adults’ Enactment of Sexual Agency

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月24日

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  • Spring Chenoa Cooper,
  • Ira Memaj,
  • Andrew Porter,
  • Eman Abdelfadeel,
  • Camila Yepes,
  • Patricia Muther,
  • Joselyn Calderon

摘要

Although qualitative research has offered rich insights into different aspects of sexual agency, few large-scale studies have systematically examined how young people enact their sexual agency. To address this gap, our study analyzes responses to three open-ended questions on sexual agency enactment that can be added to the end of quantitative measures to capture further nuance. It aims to capture how young people make sense of, negotiate, and assert their sexual agency, thereby advancing a more grounded and nuanced understanding of how sexual agency is experienced and expressed in everyday life. We recruited participants through targeted advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. To qualify, individuals had to be 18–20 years old, currently residing in the United States, and be fluent in English. Three short answer questions were analyzed: (1) When you’re having an intimate interaction with a partner, what makes you feel comfortable to ask for what you do (or don’t) want? (2) How can you tell when a partner isn’t interested in being intimate with you? How does it make you feel? How do you respond? and (3) Tell us about a time when you had to discuss some sexual boundaries or preferences with an intimate partner. How did you do it? How did it go? Themes were analyzed by question. We conducted a thematic analysis and then an AI analysis to triangulate the data. A total of 732 participants completed all three short answer questions and were included in the final sample. Q1 themes: Safety and comfort are rooted in familiarity, rational history, and stability; and Comfort through intimacy, grounded in respect and ongoing communication. Q2 themes: Body language and physical cues as primary indicators of disinterest; Partner history shaping interpretation of disinterest; and Consent and boundaries as helping to reframe disinterest and regulate emotional responses. Q3 themes: Importance of direct and honest communication; Past relationship experiences contributing to proactive communication; and Perception of boundary conversations shaped by partner reaction. The study offers a grounded understanding of how young adults enact sexual agency. Our findings carry significant implications for the design of sexual health interventions and educational programs aimed at fostering healthier intimate relationships and sexual encounters among young people.