Growing Up Sexually

 

NICARAGUA

 

Index → Americas → Caribbean, Middle / Central America→ Nicaragua / República de Nicaragua

 

Also: Soumoo

 

 

 

In a study among 7789 households in Nicaragua[1], the median age of coitarche was 17.8 for women and 16.2 for men. At around age 15, around 25% of boys and girls had had their first sexual intercourse. In another study[2] among 15-19 year old males it was 14 years among sexually experienced subjects. Concepts of male sexual initiation follow a pattern not untypical of Latin America:

 

“In some cultures, boys are actively encouraged by both their peers and family members to use their adolescent years to experiment sexually. In Nicaragua, for example, where virginity is highly valued among young women, having multiple sexual partners is taken as a sign of virility in young men. Teenage boys face social pressures from older men (including fathers, older brothers, and uncles) to have sex as early as possible. In the recent past, it was not uncommon for Nicaraguan fathers to arrange for their son’s sexual initiation with a sex worker. So while for girls, public disclosure of sexual activity leads to dishonor, bragging about sex is common for boys”[3].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Janssen, D. F., Growing Up Sexually. VolumeI. World Reference Atlas. 0.2 ed. 2004. Berlin: Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology

Last revised: Sept 2004

 


[1] Zelaya, E., Marín, F. M., García, J., Berglund, S., Liljestrand, J. & Persson, L. A. (1997) Gender and social differences in adolescent sexuality and reproduction in Nicaragua, J Adolesc Health 21,1:39-46

[2] Kalk, A. et al. (2001) Influences on condom use among young men in Managua, Nicaragua, Culture, Health & Sex 3,4:469-81

[3] Rivers, K. & Aggleton, P. (2001) Adolescent Sexuality, Gender, and the HIV Epidemic, Bull of Exp Treatm for AIDS [BETA], Summer-Autumn:35-9, at p38