A Conceptual Definition of Key Variables/Terms
Adolescent- Any young person in the process of developing from a child into an adult. Some adolescent girls become obese because of the loading effect of excess body mass (Garcia-Vicencio et al., 2016).
Body perception- A person’s perceptions, beliefs, and emotional attitudes about their body. Visual body perceptions and body weight dissatisfaction are specific aspects that influence an individual’s body image (Meneguzzo et al., 2021)
Self-esteem – Confidence in one’s worth or abilities. Low self-esteem is considered a psychological explanation for behavioral problems (Enejoh et al., 2016).
Body mass index- A measure of body fat based on an individual’s weight and height measured in kg/m2. An ideal body mass index for adolescents ranges between 18.5-24.9 (Jacob et al., 2021).
Relationship between Body Perception and Sexual Behavior in Adolescent Girls.
Body image or perception is one of the things that positively or negatively affect adolescents’ level of esteem (Chang, 2019). The phenomenon can be explained using the objection theory whereby the woman’s body is considered an object. Therefore, a girl’s sense of self-worth and value is determined by her appearance. Society determines whether she is beautiful or ugly, and those perceptions may impact a girl’s sexual behavior during her adolescent years. Social media platforms have continued to promote the notion that normal weight and thin girls are the standard of beauty (Romo et al., 2016). Different studies have been conducted to evaluate whether body image has any significant impact on the sexual behavior of adolescent girls.
Averett et al. (2013) conducted a study using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health to estimate the effects of adolescent girls’ overweight on their propensity to engage in risky sexual behavior. One of the findings is that overweight or obese girls have a lower probability of becoming sexually active and engaging in unusual sexual behavior when compared to their recommended-weight counterparts. This study only gives the findings but does not explain why girls with a high body mass have less possibility of engaging in sexual behaviors compared to their normal-weight counterparts. This gap needs to be addressed in the study. On the flip side, Lima et al. (2019) did not identify any relationship between body mass index and the propensity of any sexual behavior. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire in public schools with adolescents aged 12 to 17. Of the 1169 students included in the study, 33.9% engaged in sexual behavior with their partners or other individuals (Lima et al., 2019). 32.7 had more sexual partners, 33% did not use condoms, and 15.3% were overweight or obese. Consequently, a high percentage of teenage girls who are not overweight or obese engage in sexual behaviors compared to their counterparts. There is a gap in the study because the authors have not made any conclusive remarks about the correlation between body mass index and sexual behavior. Identifying how being obese/overweight or normal weight influences one’s sexual behavior would be essential. On the contrary, that gap has been addressed by Longobardi et al. (2021), who found that girls with a higher body mass index are more likely to use social media networks for validation and increase the risk of online sexual victimization (OSV). Rotermann (2012) argues that self-objectification among adolescent girls leads to appearance anxiety, body shame, and heightened body surveillance. It also leads to less sexual satisfaction, lower sexual self-esteem, sexual dysfunction, and sexual avoidance.
A girl who does not value herself may want validation using any available means (Longobardi et al., 2021; McLaughlin et al., 2015); Petersen & Hyde, 2013 & Rotermann (2012). Therefore, girls with a high body mass index, particularly those who have a negative body image about themselves, are easily coerced into providing sexual personal information, agreeing to requests for sexual activity, aggressive sexual solicitation, and exposure to sexual material (Hernández et al., 2021; Tamarit et al., 2021; Schoeps et al., 2020 & Ševčíková et al., 2013). Adolescent girls are easily socialized to internalize gender-stereotyped body ideals through interpersonal experiences and sexualized images of models in media platforms because of the perception that having a less body mass index is more appealing than having a high body mass index (Burnette, 2017). Obese and overweight adolescent girls and not perceived as appealing, and that belief leads to self-objectification. Afshari et al. (2016) support those claims by arguing that the potential importance of developmental changes in any sexual relationship must be considered when examining the role of body satisfaction in sexual satisfaction. In other words, a person’s appearance plays a role in sexual satisfaction; thus, most adolescent girls will be positively or negatively affected by body image (Afshari et al., 2016; Meier & Gray, 2014 & Tiggemann & Slater, 2013). Issues such as preoccupations with physical appearance, sexual attraction, physical conditions, and weight concerns are all factors that contribute to sexual dissatisfaction among adolescent girls with a high body mass index. However, this research fails to explain how appearance and self-esteem are correlated and how they may influence sexual behavior among teenage girls. Addressing that gap is crucial because it would help a counselor help any adolescent girl struggling with self-esteem and appearance to deal with their struggle without engaging in sexual behaviors.
Tiggemann & Slater (2013) have also conducted a study to examine the relationship between internet exposure and body image concerns among teenage girls to evaluate whether they impact sexual behavior in adolescent girls. The article relies on a sample of 1,087 girls in the first two years (Years 8 and 9) of high school (aged 13–15 years) (Tiggemann & Slater, 2013). Each participant completed the questionnaires, which focused on body image concerns and measures of Internet consumption. Most of the girls (95.5%) had access to social media platforms which contributed to the internalization of thinness, body surveillance, and the thin ideal, body surveillance and drive for thinness. Since most spent their time on Facebook, they were more likely to have body image concerns than non-users.
Consequently, body image or perceptions affected how teenage girls felt about themselves. The author should have elaborated on how these perceptions influenced by social media alter a girl’s sexual behavior and also show a comparison between the propensity of sexual behavior between normal adolescent girls and obese or overweight girls. Such a gap should be addressed in the research for more insights. A similar study was conducted by Papageorgiou et al. (2022). They asserted that the presence of sexualized images online increases body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls because sexual objectification reinforces the ideology that a girl’s worth is based on their appearance. Consequently, a girl with a higher mass index will likely seek attention by engaging in sexual behaviors because that will make them feel more valued, loved, and appreciated. Papageorgiou et al. (2022) conducted in-depth interviews with adolescent girls aged 14–17 (n = 24). They found that appearance comparisons influenced girls to seek validation in other sexual acts because it would make them counteract negative body image and boost their self-esteem. Arguably, this is a study that has some of the gaps identified in other literature. The only thing that could perhaps be added is the change in the propensity of sexual behavior with age.
Girls with less body mass index and physical features that appeal to the mass media did not have to use sex for validation. Arguably, the explanations provided by Papageorgiou et al. (2022) are well articulated compared to what Tiggemann & Slater (2013) have provided on the topic. At least, there is clarity that obese adolescent girls are more likely to engage in sexual behaviors because of their diminished sense of self-worth. Their value is attached to how they look. Being obese and overweight does not look appealing according to societal standards; therefore, they will seek value in other things like sex which puts them at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (Riskind et al., 2014). The normal-weight adolescent girls felt contempt for their looks. They did not want any form of validation from men by engaging in sexual behaviors. A similar observation was made by Corona et al. (2018) & Pope et al. (2014). They conducted a qualitative examination to establish the relationship between body image and sexual behavior among African-American and Latina adolescent girls and their maternal caregivers.
Each participant was asked two questions to help establish whether body image significantly impacted sexual behavior. They were asked to establish who is likely to engage in sexual behavior, a girl who feels proud about her body or who feels ugly. Each participant was also required to explain their answers. In all the samples, 29 maternal caregivers (67%) and 27 adolescents (63%) responded by stating that adolescent girls with a negative body image are more likely to have sex compared to their counterparts because they are easily persuaded, have a low-self-and body-esteem and increased need to feel appreciated (Corona et al., 2018). Adolescent girls who feel insecure about themselves and how their bodies look will quickly give in to anybody who pursues them. An adolescent girl who feels ugly may think that there is nobody interested in having sex with them. Therefore, engaging in sexual intercourse is one of the ways that make them feel good about themselves. Some adolescent girls who feel ugly will go out and find somebody willing to get intimate with them and engage in sexual intercourse because it is the only way they will be beautiful. The only gap in the study is that this study is limited to two ethnic groups. Addressing cultural factors relating to the issue would offer more insights into the correlation between body mass index and sexual behaviors.
Conclusion
Adolescent girls are more likely to attach their sense of self-worth to their looks; thus, girls who may feel ugly and unappealing will look for other ways to feel loved and appreciated, like engaging in sexual behavior. Most researchers found that adolescent girls with a high body mass are more likely to engage in sexual behavior than their normal-weight counterparts because they do not get as much attention as other girls. They will utilize any opportunity provided, which increases their propensity to engage in sexual behaviors. On the contrary, a girl with a positive image of her looks will be hesitant to have sex with anyone because they care about their reputation and body more than anything else. Maternal givers had a similar opinion on issues of self-image and sexual behavior.
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