ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on much more specifically on the participants' personal meanings of sexuality, and how they negotiated religious and secular scripts pertaining to it. In this context, they had to evaluate their moral and ethical positioning in light of potentially competing discourses. The chapter starts with a general discussion of the meanings our participants gave to sexuality. It examines the issue of sexual diversity and difference, focusing especially on the views of heterosexual participants. Participants saw some channels as more successful than others in helping them navigate this complex terrain. Virginity was often embedded within particular norms and expectations. While youth culture more generally has rejected the idea that virginity is important, religion is usually one of the main reasons why young people say they abstain from sex. Finally, the chapter gives attention to how meanings about sexuality are mediated through various channels, including religious faith, the media and religious leaders.
