What do you talk about in your close friendships? Everything and anything? Or, do you have hard boundaries? In this episode, Alysa describes her research focusing on sexual communication in college-aged friendships. She details how she come to study the topic, what she’s learned so far including research conducted with the support of an Early Career Grant, the importance of studying this topic, and what else we need to know about sex talk among friends. Let’s talk about sex, but what is meant is “Let’s talk about sex talk!” So meta! Note: This episode is not explicit but does vaguely mention sex talk related to sexual behaviors, sexual health, and sexual assault.

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Sources from this Episode!

Please email Alysa if you have questions about sources or studies she discussed! Note: In the episode, I said Segrin & Powell, but the author order is reversed.

Aries, E. J., & Johnson, F. L. (1983). Close friendship in adulthood: Conversational content between same-sex friends. Sex Roles, 9,1183-1196.

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55,469-480.

Herold, E. S., & Way, L. (1988). Sexual self-disclosure among university women. The Journal of Sex Research, 24, 1-14.

Lefkowitz, E. S., Boone, T. L., & Shearer, C. L. (2004). Communication with best friends about sex-related topics during emerging adulthood. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 33,339-351.

Lucas, A. A., & Afifi, W. A. (2006, November). “We talk about that and everything in between:” Exploring patterns of sexual communication in college-aged friendships. Paper presented at the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association, San Antonio.

Lucas, A.A. (2007, November). Sexual communication in college-aged friendships: A replication of communication patterns and satisfaction. Paper presented at the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association, Chicago.

Lucas, A. A. (2009). The role of friendship support in emerging adults’ risky sexual decision-making: A test of the regret regulation theory.(Unpublished doctoral dissertation). The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

Lucas, A. A. (2014). Emerging adults in college: Communication, friendship, and risky sexual behaviors. In J. F. Nussbaum’s (Ed.), The handbook of life span communication.New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.

Lucas, A. A. (2015). Developing friendship closeness and initiating sex talk in the first semester of college.Paper presented at the Relationships, Health, & Wellness mini-conference sponsored by the International Association of Relationship Research in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Lucas, A. A. (2016). Making conversations, getting advice, fitting in, and bragging: First sexual conversations among new college-aged friends.Poster presented at the International Association of Relationship Research Convention, Toronto, Canada.

Lucas, A. A., & Nussbaum, J.F. (2011). An exploration of friendship support and sexual decisions in college-aged individuals’ sexual conversations. Paper presented at the Interpersonal Communication Division of National Communication Association Convention, New Orleans.

Powell, H. L., & Segrin, C. (2004). The effect of family and peer communication on college students’ communication with dating partners after HIV and AIDS. Health Communication, 16,427-449.

Rawlins, W. K. (1992). Friendship matters: Communication, dialectics, and the life course.New York: Aldine de Gruyter.

Spanier, G. B. (1977). Sources of sex information and premarital sexual behavior. The Journal of Sex Research, 13, 73-88.