Adolescence: Sexuality Female adolescent sexuality has long been a cause of concern for parents. In the United States, female adolescents are given a mix of messages. On one hand, they see media stars their age expressing their sexuality by wearing skimpy clothing and acting provocatively. On the other hand, parents may discourage their developing sexuality and want them to stay young and protected. Each culture defines its own acceptable norms in dealing with how sexuality is appropriately expressed. For example, some cultures accept dating and premarital sex as a part of normal courtship, while others do not allow men and women to socialize in public at all and female premarital sex is considered wholly unacceptable.  For this Discussion, review the week’s Learning Resources and select a specific culture that is represented in your state (or region/country, if you do not live in the United States). Examine the social and behavioral norms of adolescent female sexuality within your chosen subculture. Consider the implications of such norms when developing a teen pregnancy program and how you might accommodate them. With these thoughts in mind: Post by Day 4 a description of the culture you selected and a brief overview of their norms regarding adolescent female sexuality. Explain how these norms might influence the development and implementation of a teenage pregnancy program for this cultural group. Finally, explain strategies you might use to accommodate these considerations. Be specific and use the Learning Resources and other current literature to support your response. Cite your references using APA format. Readings · Donenberg, G. R., Emerson, E., & Mackesy-Amiti, M. (2011). Sexual risk among African American girls: Psychopathology and mother–daughter relationships. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79(2), 153–158.  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. · Graber, J. A., & Sontag, L. M. (2006). Puberty and girls’ sexuality: Why hormones are not the complete answer. New Directions for Child & Adolescent Development, 2006(112), 23–38.  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. · Kahn, J. A., Slap, G. B., Bernstein, D. I., Tissot, A. M., Kollar, L. M., Hillard, P. A., & Rosenthal, S. L. (2007). Personal meaning of human papillomavirus and pap test results in adolescent and young adult women. Health Psychology, 26(2), 192–200.  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. · Martin, J., Sheeran, P., Slade, P., Wright, A., & Dibble, T. (2009). Implementation intention formation reduces consultations for emergency contraception and pregnancy testing among teenage women. Health Psychology, 28(6), 762–769.  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. · Meade, C. S., Kershaw, T. S., & Ickovics, J. R. (2008). The intergenerational cycle of teenage motherhood: An ecological approach. Health Psychology, 27(4), 419–429.  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. · O’Donnell, L., Myint-U, A., Duran, R., & Stueve, A. (2010).

1. Adolescence: Sexuality
Female adolescent sexuality has long been a cause of concern
for parents. In the United States, female adolescents are given a
mix of messages. On one hand, they see media stars their age
expressing their sexuality by wearing skimpy clothing and
acting provocatively. On the other hand, parents may discourage
their developing sexuality and want them to stay young and
protected. Each culture defines its own acceptable norms in
dealing with how sexuality is appropriately expressed. For
example, some cultures accept dating and premarital sex as a
part of normal courtship, while others do not allow men and
women to socialize in public at all and female premarital sex is
considered wholly unacceptable.
For this Discussion, review the week’s Learning Resources and
select a specific culture that is represented in your state (or
region/country, if you do not live in the United States).
Examine the social and behavioral norms of adolescent female
sexuality within your chosen subculture. Consider the
implications of such norms when developing a teen pregnancy
program and how you might accommodate them.
With these thoughts in mind:
Post by Day 4 a description of the culture you selected and a
brief overview of their norms regarding adolescent female
sexuality. Explain how these norms might influence the
development and implementation of a teenage pregnancy
program for this cultural group. Finally, explain strategies you
might use to accommodate these considerations. Be specific and
use the Learning Resources and other current literature to
support your response. Cite your references using APA format.
Readings
· Donenberg, G. R., Emerson, E., & Mackesy-Amiti, M. (2011).
Sexual risk among African American girls: Psychopathology

2. and mother–daughter relationships. Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology, 79(2), 153–158.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Graber, J. A., & Sontag, L. M. (2006). Puberty and girls’
sexuality: Why hormones are not the complete answer. New
Directions for Child & Adolescent Development, 2006(112),
23–38.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Kahn, J. A., Slap, G. B., Bernstein, D. I., Tissot, A. M.,
Kollar, L. M., Hillard, P. A., & Rosenthal, S. L. (2007).
Personal meaning of human papillomavirus and pap test results
in adolescent and young adult women. Health
Psychology, 26(2), 192–200.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Martin, J., Sheeran, P., Slade, P., Wright, A., & Dibble, T.
(2009). Implementation intention formation reduces
consultations for emergency contraception and pregnancy
testing among teenage women. Health Psychology, 28(6), 762–
769.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Meade, C. S., Kershaw, T. S., & Ickovics, J. R. (2008). The
intergenerational cycle of teenage motherhood: An ecological
approach. Health Psychology, 27(4), 419–429.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· O’Donnell, L., Myint-U, A., Duran, R., & Stueve, A. (2010).
Especially for daughters: Parent education to address alcohol
and sex-related risk taking among urban young adolescent
girls. Health Promotion Practice, 11(3S), 70S–78S.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Document: Curriculum Guide Example (PDF)
Note: Use this document as a reference to a curriculum guide
example for the Week 6 Assignment.
Media Transcript
PSYC 8574: Women’s Health “Adolescent Sexuality” Program
Transcript NARRATOR: Adolescents are bombarded with
information about gender roles, body image, sexuality, and peer

3. relationships. It can be difficult for them to make sense of the
input they are receiving and to make healthy decisions based on
it. Mothyna James, Coordinator Of Community Education at
TurnAround Incorporated-- a domestic violence and sexual
assault organization-- discusses how she works with adolescents
to start a conversation related to these tough issues with the
hope that this dialogue will nurture adolescents' self-esteem and
decision making skills. MOTHYNA JAMES: When you're
talking about gender roles and expectations and the contribution
it makes to violence in our society, it plays a very key and very
significant role. Anytime we believe very rigid stereotypes
about how men and women are supposed to act and be in the
world, that also creates an environment where anything outside
of those rigid beliefs-- which changes from culture and
community and society-- whenever somebody acts outside of
those beliefs, then we deem them as wrong or we deem them as
not having enough or the right type of information, or not doing
it correctly. So what you're looking at in terms of how it is that
we educate, how do we have a conversation and put it to the
level where my 12, 13, or 14 year olds can understand it. And
what you're looking at is helping them identify within their
environment how they see this type of violence take place. One
of the things that I often do with my middle school groups is
also helping them to understand how really having strict beliefs
around what each specific gender has to do can contribute to the
sense of violence. And so, for example, we're having a
conversation and I say, what does act like a man mean? And
what does act like a lady mean? And they give me very strict
things, well, ladies are supposed to clean, ladies are supposed to
be nice, ladies are supposed to be quiet. What does act like a
man mean? Oh, men are supposed to be strong, men are
supposed to be rude. What do we call a lady when we want to
make her feel bad about herself? We call her a slut. What do we
call a guy when we want him to feel bad about himself? We call
him a sissy, we call him a punk. OK, so in order to make a
woman feel bad you talk about what she does or doesn't do

4. sexually. In order to make a man feel bad you call him a
woman. So you're saying that to bring men down he has to act
like a lady. So you're saying that women are less than men when
you relate it to this. ©2012 Laureate Education, Inc. 1 And then
you connect those dots for them and help them see, this is what
you just said to me. And they're like, oh yeah, hey, uh. And so
now we're having a conversation and just opening their minds to
how gender based violence transmits itself from our strict
beliefs, that don't necessarily match up with our values, versus
what actually happens in our world. In terms of dealing with the
sexuality as it relates to the audiences that we're working to
educate, part of what we talk about is for a long time people
only heard "no means no--" and no does mean no-- but yes also
means yes. And so being very clear about that-- you know, one
of the things that I tell them is that-- tell me if this is confusing,
no, stop, leave me alone. I'm smiling, but I'm saying no-- that
can be kind of confusing behavior for anybody to understand.
And so no means no, yes means yes. And teaching people to be
clear about that, know what you want and know that it's OK to
set those boundaries and set those limits. And so really having
that ownership that you are the boss of your body, not anyone
else. Regardless of race, religion, creed, cultural status, or
marital status, you are the boss of your body. And being able to
own that becomes very, very key in understanding one's
sexuality. You don't have to be an expert on every culture that
exists in the world, but you do have to have an understanding
that culture affects how it is we see sexuality, sex, and gender
roles and thus the violence related to those pieces. And so you
have to be willing to understand what's going on in the world.
You may have to just allow yourself to understand what it is our
young people in particular-- if you're going to work with young
people-- what it is that they're understanding and engaging in.
Understanding what those references are, if they say they're
going to drop the world on your head, you may want to know
that that's a reference to a Lil Wayne song, for example. You
may also want to know that in some communities and cultures

5. they don't talk about sex. You have to be very clear about that.
So understanding that will put anyone who desires to help in a
better position to do exactly that.
Assignment: Adolescent Program Paper
In this week’s Discussion, you considered a specific
subculture’s norms regarding female adolescent sexuality and
considered the programmatic considerations these norms might
create when applied to a pregnancy program. There are many
additional topics besides pregnancy that also are relevant to a
discussion of adolescent sexuality, such as the effect of alcohol
on sexuality and sexual decision making, as well as the
interrelationship between sexuality and self esteem. Many
parents may have difficulty addressing such highly charged
issues with their daughters due to embarrassment, lack of
knowledge, or inability to find appropriate language to express
their ideas.
For this week’s Assignment, consider these specific issues in
the context of designing an educational program for parents of
teen girls. Your local high school wants to initiate an education
program to help parents talk to their daughters about the
relationships between and among sex, alcohol use, and self-
esteem. You have been asked to provide a 200-word program
description that concisely details the program and a detailed
outline of the curriculum for the four-week (meeting once a
week) program. Refer to the Required Resources in this week
for an example of a curriculum guide.
The Assignment (12–15 pages, including an annotated
bibliography)
· Provide a title for your program and a 200-word description of
it, a detailed outline of the curriculum for the 4-week program,
at least three resources for the teachers for each week, and an
activity for the parents each week that will help them to

6. understand your key issues.
· For each of the resources you recommend, provide a 150-word
description of the resource, including justification for its use in
the program.