Building: Main Venue Building
Room: room 4
Date: 2017-02-09 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Last modified: 2017-01-23
Abstract
In the current low fertility context the study of childless women has acquired an increasing relevance in demographic research. Literature has shown that childlessness is more frequently the result of a combination of events in the life course rather than associated with one single characteristic or life trajectory. In addition, these paths can differ by country and by birth cohorts.
However, the relationship between sexual behaviors and attitudes and childlessness has not been much scrutinized. Most studies concern small samples and/or groups of people with peculiar characteristics (such as health services users or college students). Moreover, researchers usually analyze just the diffusion of birth control methods or the incidence of sexual transmitted diseases.
In this paper we would like to explore the theme of sexual life of Italian childless people, using the data of the most recent nationally representative survey about sexual behavior held in Italy (see Barbagli et al. 2012). We are going to analyze the links between attitudes toward sex, sexual practices and experiences and the reproductive lives of childless heterosexual men and women.
We expect to find a diversity of combinations between sexual behaviors and determinants of childlessness.