Having and Holding
Does a longer sexual resume affect marriage rates?
Nicholas Wolfinger & Samuel Perry
Social Science Research, forthcoming
Abstract:
Sociologists have proposed numerous theories for declining marriage rates in the United States, often highlighting demographic, economic, and cultural factors. One controversial theory contends that having multiple non-marital sex partners reduces traditional incentives for men to get married and simultaneously undermines their prospects in the marriage market. For women, multiple partners purportedly reduces their desirability as spouses by evoking a gendered double-standard about promiscuity. Though previous studies have shown that having multiple premarital sex partners is negatively associated with marital quality and stability, to date no research has examined whether having multiple non-marital sex partners affects marriage rates. Data from four waves of the National Survey of Family Growth reveal that American women who report more sex partners are less likely to get married by the time of the survey (though so too were virgins). Yet this finding is potentially misleading given the retrospective and cross-sectional nature of the data. Seventeen waves of prospective data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth's 1997 mixed-gender cohort that extend through 2015 show the association between non-marital sex partners and marriage rates is temporary: recent sex partners predict lower odds of marriage, but not lifetime non-marital sex partners. Seemingly unrelated bivariate probit models suggest the short-term association likely reflects a causal effect. Our findings ultimately cast doubt on recent scholarship that has implicated the ready availability of casual sex in the retreat from marriage. Rather, the effect of multiple sex partners on marriage rates is "seasonal" for most Americans.
Effects of marriage equality legislation on sexual health of the US population
Dimitrios Nikolaou
Health Economics, forthcoming
Abstract:
Even though prior research has investigated the relationship between same-sex partnership recognition policies and health outcomes, the impact of same-sex marriage laws on sexually transmitted infections has not received much attention. Using state-level panel data from 2000 to 2019, I show that marriage equality legislation decreases the spread of (shorter-term) syphilis infections and of (longer-term) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) infections among the general population. Event study analyses correcting for non-staggered treatment implementation confirm these negative effects, but also suggest that standard difference-in-differences models understate the impact of the legislation by up to 8% points. Further analysis supports that these legislation effects operate through three mechanisms: increasing social tolerance, strengthening relationship commitment, and expanding health care access and coverage for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Disaggregating the results by sexual behavior reveals that legal access to same-sex marriage leads to sizable decreases in AIDS rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) (the most at-risk population for an infection). Even though there is economically significant evidence that the legislation improves sexual health of the heterosexual population due to increased utilization of preventive sexual health care, the legislation does not have a direct impact on infection rates for the non-MSM population.
Attachment Security Priming Affecting Mating Strategies Endorsement among College Students
Maximiliane Uhlich et al.
Evolutionary Psychology, July 2022
Abstract:
Exposure to environmental cues reflecting potential threats to future survivability is associated with a stronger endorsement of short-term mating strategies. Less is known, however, about the effects of safety and security cues. In four studies, we examined the effects of attachment-related security cues compared to neutral cues on preferences for short- and long-term mating strategies. Preferences were assessed using self-report and behavioral measures. In line with Life History Theory (LHT) and our hypotheses, exposure to attachment-related security cues was mainly associated with a stronger preference for long-term mating strategies and a weaker preference for short-term strategies. Our internal meta-analysis of the experimental security manipulations across studies provided further support for the association between state attachment security and endorsement of mating strategies. We also found some predictable effects of gender and relationship status. Implications for LHT and attachment theory are discussed.
Heightened sensitivity to the disinhibiting effect of alcohol in women during the late follicular phase of the menstrual cycle
Annie Griffith et al.
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, forthcoming
Abstract:
Compared with men, women are disproportionately affected by alcohol, including greater risks of physiological damage, behavioral impairment, and relapse. One likely mechanism underlying the sexual disparity in this vulnerability is the fluctuation of ovarian hormones, particularly estradiol (E2), across phases of the menstrual cycle. Several preclinical and clinical studies have shown that higher E2 levels positively correlate with drinking, suggesting E2 may play a significant role in modulating drinking. Inhibitory control also modulates drinking; when it is reduced or compromised by alcohol, the drinker's ability to stop the self-administration of alcohol could be impaired, leading to a binge episode. The present study aimed to examine the degree to which menstrual cycle phase can influence the disinhibiting effect of alcohol. Twenty-four healthy young adult women participated in a within-subjects placebo-controlled study of the acute disinhibiting effect of 0.60 g/kg alcohol over the course of two test sessions. A cued go/no-go task measured the disinhibiting effects of alcohol and placebo beverages during the early follicular phase of the cycle when E2 levels were low and the late follicular phase (i.e., ovulation) when E2 was elevated. Results showed that the disinhibiting effect of alcohol increased nearly twofold during the late follicular phase when E2 was elevated. These findings highlight the role of alcohol-induced disinhibition as a potential behavioral mechanism by which fluctuations in ovarian hormones as a function of the menstrual cycle contribute to increased risk for excessive alcohol use in women.