Young adults’ sexual behavior may be influenced by how much they love or feel loved by their partner, according to "What’s Love Got to Do with It? Sexual Behaviors of Opposite-Sex Couples Through Emerging Adulthood," by Christine Elizabeth Kaestle and Carolyn Tucker Halpern, published in the September 2007 issue of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. The authors found that young adults who were in long-term relationships engaged in a wide variety of sexual activities. However, those in mutually loving relationships were more likely to report having given and received oral sex than those who reported that they and their partner did not love each other a lot.

This study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to explore participation in vaginal, oral and anal sex among young adults (18–26-year-olds) currently in a long-term relationship with a member of the opposite sex. Most respondents reported engaging in a range of sexual behaviors—nearly all had had vaginal intercourse in their current relationship, and 58% had had vaginal sex, fellatio and cunnilingus; 22% had added anal sex to that combination.

Young adults who are in long-term, loving relationships engage in a variety of sexual practices with their partners, including vaginal intercourse and oral sex, which suggests that young adults should be educated on a wider range of sexual health issues than just the risks of pregnancy and STD from intercourse. Understanding the range of behaviors that young adults are likely to engage in can provide helpful guidance for HIV and other STD prevention efforts, as well as for programs and interventions that address health and well-being during young adulthood. In addition, a better understanding of the factors that contribute to successful relationships could help relationship counselors and other practitioners who work with young couples.

Also in this issue:

"Characteristics Associated with Emergency Contraception Use by Family Planning Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study," by Paul G. Whittaker et al.

"Adolescents’ Discussions About Contraception or STDs with Partners Before First Sex," by Suzanne Ryan et al.

"California Parents’ Preferences and Beliefs Regarding School-Based Sex Education Policy," by Norman A. Constantine et al.

"Using Clinical Classification Trees to Identify Individuals at Risk of STDs During Pregnancy," by Trace S. Kershaw et al.

"Developing Spanish-Language Family Planning Materials: Lessons Learned from Extensive Field Tests," by Colleen Denny-Garamendi et al.