Sexuality in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

“This book provides an up-to-date, highly readable, authoritative review of what we know (and do not know) about adolescent sexuality. It covers such important topics as the biological and social forces shaping sexuality; the experiences of LGBTQ youth; the role of parents, peers, and media; potential negative consequences of sexual behavior; and positive aspects of adolescent sexuality. This balanced approach is both timely and important. Montemayor does a superb job of highlighting key studies and placing them in the context of recent trends in adolescent sexual behavior. Novel features include the question-and-answer format and the use of students’ stories about their own sexuality, which are engaging and relatable. This is a needed text for undergraduate courses in adolescence or adolescent sexuality, and will also be useful in graduate seminars for its accessible, 'big-picture' account.”

—Lisa J. Crockett, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln


“A very timely book, given the changing nature of adolescents' and emerging adults’ sexual behavior. The scientific literature is integrated with youths’ descriptions of their experiences. Particularly striking is the breadth of coverage, including often-omitted topics such as sexuality in childhood, sex education, and teen parents. Although the text is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on sexuality, scholars and practitioners in many disciplines will find it a great way of broadening their knowledge base.”

—Wyndol Furman, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Denver


“A comprehensive work that pulls together several domains of research in adolescent sexual development and behaviors. I would use this as both a reference book and a class text. It would be suitable for both undergraduate and graduate student learning about adolescent risk-taking behaviors.”

—Wendy Hadley, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University


“This is a straightforward text on adolescent sexuality and beyond, with all the bells and whistles (personal narratives, suggestions for research), making it especially well suited for use at the university level, particularly for sexuality classes in the social sciences.”

—Paul R. Abramson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles


“This clearly written, well-organized book summarizes what we currently know about adolescent sexuality. Most of the cited research is recent, which is important in an area that is so sensitive to changing times and social mores. The author is very good at making sense of a complicated field and presenting complex findings in an understandable manner. I like the coverage of the material and the mainstreaming of LGBT issues.”

—Terri D. Fisher, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, The Ohio State University at Mansfield; Visiting Professor of Psychology, University of the South