Growing Up Sexually

SHARANAHUA (Peruan Amazonia)

Index → Americas → South America → Peru → Sharanahua

Also featured: Shipibo, Machiguenga, Amahuaca, Cashinahua; ®Aymara)

Siskin (1975:p58-9)[1] stated: “The prepubescent girls, many of whom are already married, flirt and giggle but are already experts at evasion and teasing, aiming their wills mostly again at men. […] Some sex play goes on, but a real attempt at sexual intercourse is reported to the adults. The girls are incessant tale bearers, reporting on each other as well as on the boys”. Marriage may be completed at age seven (ibid., p75, 79). “Little girls are sometimes affectionate to their husbands, but they usually ignore them until they are closer to adolescence at fourteen or fifteen”.

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

Last revised: Sept 2004