ABSTRACT
For many, being an emerging adult comes with opportunities to explore sexual identity, experiment with sexual behaviors, and make decisions about romantic and sexual relationships. Most emerging adults in the United States have been exposed to sexual health education that emphasizes health risks and avoiding such risks through abstinence. Guidelines for sexual health education recommend comprehensive programs, and research has shown that young adults benefit from curricula on sexual motivations. This chapter describes how research on sexual motivations and the number of sexual partners should inform young adult sexual health education programs and parent-child sexual communication. The reader learns how to identify opportunities to increase youths’ sexual knowledge and engage in discussions about sexual motives, beliefs, and behaviors, to reduce health risks and promote healthy sexuality.
