Religiosity and the Sexuality of Women: Sexual Behavior and Sexual Satisfaction Revisited.

The article examines the link between religiosity and sexual behavior of women in the United States. The initial sample consisted of 2,175 female professional nurses in 15 states who were graduate students in nursing faculty members in university schools of nursing, or registered nurses employed at least half time in teaching hospitals as located with said schools of nursing. The questionnaire in this study consisted of 122 open-form and closed-form items concerning sexual attitudes, sexual behavior, and female sexual response. Although these women had relatively similar profiles of sexual behavior, the findings suggest that women who attended church were more likely to have initiated sexual intercourse at an earlier age. Although there were no significant differences among the groups regarding having participated in masturbation, those women who frequently attended religious services were more likely to perceive masturbation as both a sin and an unhealthy practice. Further they were more likely to be ashamed to admit engaging in masturbation and to feel guilty about masturbation.