Sexual Practices of Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

This chapter aims to explore the trends of sexual behavior in Latin America, viewed from a life course perspective, without leaving aside social differences. A central question to answer is whether there is a weakening of the traditionally tight link between sexuality and reproduction. Four main issues are considered: trends in the timing of early sexual and reproductive events, sexual activity during adulthood, contraception and abortion, and measurement of homosexual/bisexual behaviors. Different sources of information have been used to develop this chapter, such as the analysis of recent surveys and data obtained from previous publications, in addition to estimates generated specifically for this document. Among the indicators provided by the surveys, we selected data on the first events of sexual life and on sexual life as a whole, including use of contraception, unmet need for contraception, recurrence of induced abortions, separations, and experience of forced sexual relations. Following the analysis of Bozon et al., a comparison is made between two age-groups (cohorts aged 45-49 and 25-29) and three educational levels. The distribution and meaning of educational levels are not comparable from one country to another. However, it makes sense to differentiate educational levels within each country, as other research studies have shown that schooling is an important indicator of social class and has a great impact on events in the region. Regarding homosexuality and bisexuality, because few data from surveys of the general population are available, this topic is included in an exploratory way. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)