Students' Experiences of Sexuality: A Cross-Cultural Study Between Belgium and South Africa.

Students' Experiences of Sexuality: A Cross-Cultural Study Between Belgium and South Africa, Arlynn T. Revell and Alfons Vansteenwegen, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

We investigated how students from a Belgian university (n = 2,608) and a South African university (n = 1,081) perceived and experienced sexuality. This exploratory study attempted to look at the differences between these populations in longing for physical contact (hugging, caressing), longing for sexual contact with a partner, the manner in which a steady relationship is necessary for sexual contact, the degree to which sexual contact is enjoyed, how often sexual intercourse takes place, and the level of satisfaction regarding to one's sexual life. The Maudsley Marital Questionnaire (MMQ) was employed in this research. The study showed that 65% of the Belgians and 47% South Africans thought that a steady relationship was necessary for sexual contact. There was a significant difference between the two groups: 39% South African students and 8% Belgian students did not think that a steady relationship with one partner was necessary for sexual contact. Findings indicated that 68% of the South African students, as compared to 40% of the Belgian students, were satisfied with their sexuality. Less that 20% of the total population indicated that they were not satisfied with their sexuality. However, 48% of Belgians indicated having sexual intercourse at least once or three times a week, whereas only 18% South Africans indicated so. Over half (54%) of the South Africans and 28% of the Belgians were not sexually active at all, and men and women reported different sexual experiences.