Abstract

This study examined the sexual attitudes of Mozambican adults. A total of 301 participants, aged 18 to 41 years (154 males and 147 females), living in the area of Maputo, were presented with the Portuguese version of the sexual attitude scale devised by Hendrick and Hendrick (1987). Data were analyzed using factorial analyses, ANOVA and correlation coefficients. A structure of seven factors was found (pleasure/premarital sex, responsibility, no-normative sex, awareness of risks, permissiveness, communion, and instrumentality). The results of ANOVA and correlation coefficients show that, in general, the participants agreed with the idea that sex may be a responsible practice and were in complete disagreement with the idea that everything in sexual relationships was permissible. They were clearly aware of the risk associated with unprotected sex and were neither favorable nor hostiles to anal or oral sex. Female and religious participants were less permissive and less instrumental than their male and nonreligious counterparts.

Key words: Attitude, permissiveness, responsibility, risk, sex.