Sex Guilt and Sex Myths in College Men and Women

Abstract

Inventories measuring sex guilt, sex experience, and sex myths were completed anonymously by 87 males and 88 female college students to study the prevalence of sex myths and the relation of belief in sex myths to the level of sex experience and the affective-cognitive structure of sex guilt. College men endorsed significantly more sex myths than college women. The level of sex experience was not correlated with belief in sex myths. Sex guilt was negatively correlated with level of sex experience and positively correlated with belief in sex myths. High-sex-guilt males endorsed myths portraying sex as dangerous, and high-sex-guilt females regarded virginity as important. It was concluded that structured sex education and values clarification are needed to complement and amend traditional socialization into heterosexuality. © 1979, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.