Influencia de la religión en las prácticas sexuales de las personas adolescentes en Puerto Rico

Abstract

Religion is linked to the sexual behavior of adolescents, preventing, postponing and reducing sexual debut. Scientific evidence suggests that, despite their religious commitment, religious adolescents engage in sexual activities. An exploratory study was conducted with a nonexperimental, correlational cross-sectional design to examine the relationship between religion and sexual practices of Puerto Rican teenagers. Two hundred and fifty-one (251) students, ages 15 to 18, were surveyed in six public schools in the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Eighty-three percent of teens reported having religion. A little more than half of these (52.9%) belonged to the Catholic religion and 40.4% said they were Protestant-Evangelical. The findings reveal that religiosity did not prevent the participants become involved in the following sexual practices: masturbation; fondling of breasts; rubbing his body with another person; touching the penis or vagina; and watch erotic films. There were differences by gender and religious denomination. Catholic and Protestant men practice masturbation, in contrast to the religious females. Intercourse is practiced by 20.4% of male and female religious participants, which exposes them to the risks of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and therefore, all spiritual, physical and social implications they entail.