Sexuality in Adulthood

Throughout the nineteenth and onset of the twentieth century, sex was not a socially acceptable topic of conversation (Abramson and Pinkerton 1995; Scanzoni 2000). Sex was seen as a means of procreation. Couples, within the bounds of marriage, engaged in sexual intercourse for the sake of reproduction (Abramson and Pinkerton 1995; Scanzoni 2000; Francoeur 1987; Tuttle 1984). Men could enjoy it, whereas women needed to endure it.

When did sex and sexual interaction become a means of expression and pleasure? According to John Scanzoni (2000), it was not until the 1920s that terms such as necking, petting, and french kissing found their way into the U.S. vernacular. This coincided with the practice of dating. What was new about this practice was that those involved were not necessarily planning to marry the person that they were dating. Couples shared some physical intimacies without the expectation of marriage. Although sexual intercourse, prior to marriage, was still a social taboo, these couples engaged in activities that could be considered foreplay. This meant that women and men were more likely (or at least had the opportunity) to experience, even if to a limited degree, sexual intimacy with someone other than the person they would marry. This is not to suggest that males and females, prior to this time, had never engaged in sexual activities but now many of these activities were more socially acceptable. A girl was not necessarily doomed for life because she engaged in necking with a boy that she was not engaged to, although there was still a double standard as to what was acceptable behavior for boys/men and girls/women (Scanzoni 2000).

The ability to date and explore one's sexuality, to a limited degree, continued in this manner for some time. It was not until the 1960s that there was a dramatic shift in sexual practices among late adolescents and adults (Abramson and Pinkerton 1995). This shift occurred not only in dating practices but in marital sexuality as well. The sexual revolution not only opened the doors for sex outside of marriage, it also liberated sexual practices within marriage (Aiken 1998; Scanzoni 2000; Tuttle 1984). Up to this point, procreation was still the focus of sexual intercourse within marriage. Now a shift in emphasis—or at least an addendum to that focus—became sex for the sake of pleasure. It was to be enjoyed by both men and women. Sexual intercourse no longer had to be the only venue of married sexual expression. Foreplay made its way into the marital sexual domain. Mutual stimulation and oral sex became components of married sexual relationships.

Although the sexual revolution may have been liberating to many, the concept of sex for pleasure also placed a tremendous amount of pressure on married couples and singles alike. Sexual performance was essential to pleasure. Advice columns appeared in a variety of places such as women and men's magazines. In addition, sex therapy became a viable component of marriage counseling. Discussions of sex and sexuality became part of the public discourse.