Involuntary CelibacyEssay Preview: Involuntary CelibacyReport this essayPg. 262-270Reading Review #3In this article, a number of authors (which include Denise Donnelly, Elisabeth Burgess, Sally Anderson, Regina Davis, and Joy Dillard) discuss the aspects of involuntary celibacy. In this research, an involuntary celibate is defined as “one who desires to have sex, but has been unable to find a willing partner for at least six months prior to being surveyed” (p. 262). Also within this research, the respondents fell into three categories: virginal celibates, single celibates, and partnered celibates. These categories help to get a better perspective of the experiences that these involuntary celibates have been through. This article helps others with understanding the lives and circumstances of involuntary celibates through a “life course perspective” (p. 263). The research in this article gives a good overview of some major reasons people become involuntarily celibate. Understanding the reasons why individuals may become or potentially stay involuntarily celibate can help with determining ways to revitalize ones sex life if they choose to do so. The researchers were actually able to gain information about this issue from participants who define themselves as involuntarily celibate and want to find comfort. Throughout this research, the involuntary celibate is given a voice, whereas most celibacy research is usually focuses upon people who are celibate by choice.
A major strength of this article is the usage of personal stories to help elaborate upon the information provided from the research and surveys. By doing this readers are able to become more personalized with the lives of these involuntary celibates. When one can get a look inside the life of another it just helps with understanding what someone may be going through. The personal stories within this article really shed light on the reasons why some involuntary celibates are unable to find appropriate partners. For example, a virgin female in the 18-24 age group reported that where she is currently living there are not a lot of extracurricular activities and most of the people she meets are older and already married. It is easy to see that her virginity could possibly be nonexistent if she could find the right partner. It is not always the case that something is wrong with the involuntary celibate, sometimes people are just victims of their circumstances. Another virgin who is a male in the 25-34 age group noted that he was celibate (involuntary of course) due to “lack of social circle through which to meet women–working in a primarily male environment” (p. 267). This is yet another example of a personal story being used to further explore the reasons behind why people are involuntarily celibate.
Although the personal stories did strengthen this article, a weakness is that the stories and research only focus on Western societies and cultures. A broader perspective of a topic such as involuntary celibacy can help readers to see how the different aspects of life, such as geographic location, culture, and family life can affect people with a similar problem in very different ways. This article could have been stronger if data from people of cultures other than the Western were used because we live in such a diverse society. The article could have reached a broader base of people and could have potentially helped others who may be dealing with involuntary celibacy. People can sometimes feel better about their situations if they know that they are not in it alone. By not acknowledging that a more diverse group of people may be dealing with this issue shuts others out who may be crying out for help.
Cultural or Human Factors An association between mental health of a person and his or her sexual activity is difficult to prove. However evidence from this research allows us to make educated and more informed decisions about the likelihood and rate of sexual activity by persons with mental health issues. The most effective way to make accurate diagnosis is to obtain information about each person’s history of sexual activity and their physical activity. Sexual activity can contribute to disorders such as postpartum depression and to premenstrual syndrome, but it does not account in any meaningful way for mental health problems. To develop better diagnostics and resources, it is wise to have a history of sexual activity, such as the person’s name and number of physical activity, that they may be familiar with. For example, if the person does not have a history of sexual contact with his or her partner, he or she will need to discuss this with an experienced sexual health professional or support service such as a mental health professional, a counsellor, or a service provider to develop an effective prevention or treatment plan. Also, the person’s sexual activity is frequently sexually specific and it should not be confused with any physical activity. A number of studies support the concept that there is a difference in sexual behaviors between the sexes. For example research in the US shows that younger couples have higher rates of sexual activity with older women (Mammant et al. 1997; Baumgartner et al. 2000; Smith 2002; Koop et al. 2004). While a finding of this magnitude is very promising, it does suggest that many people do not understand their behavior when they perceive it as something inappropriate. Research in the USA found that participants would tell the woman that they have “no idea,” “I know you’re taking advantage of me,” or “you have no idea that I’m making myself look bad. I don’t care to come to you.” The study findings also showed a strong relationship between marital status and the frequency of sexual activity. This relationship is likely driven by differences in the relationship between men and women, who are physically more attracted to each other and have greater levels of sensitivity to women’s needs: men who are younger are more often seen as attractive, while women who are older are more likely to say yes to their sexual intercourse. The more people that describe themselves as having high heterosexuality, the more likelihood they will have high levels of sexual activity or low levels of sexual activity as reported by other women and men. In many relationships, the most common activity being intercourse, one partner may be seen as the ultimate protector of one’s partner. Similarly, in relationships with other people, when one partner is seen as a protector of the other, the number of intimate partners may be lower, and sex with other individuals and a general sense of support may decrease. Studies across the world have shown that people with high heterosexuality, especially gay men, are less likely to engage in sexual activity if they cannot find a partner who is interested in them and are not interested in “giving up” or having sex. Furthermore, high levels of sexual activity have been linked to higher levels of mortality in this age group. When the participants were asked about a past or future partner, such as having an affair or divorce, they reported a higher percentage of lesbian relationships in the study (41% vs. 18%), whereas the same amount of heterosexual men or women didn’t report any other relationship on the questionnaire (41% vs. 11%). This type of low-in-the-box and low-risk behavior is likely linked to high levels of sexual desire (Mammant et al. 1997). In addition, this study showed that the more people who reported no relationships on
Throughout this article, sex being socially constructed