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Experiences with Rough Sex Among Autistic University Students: Descriptive Findings from a Campus Probability-Based Survey.

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Title: Experiences with Rough Sex Among Autistic University Students: Descriptive Findings from a Campus Probability-Based Survey.
Authors: Simić Stanojević, Ivanka (AUTHOR), Wheeler, Gretchen (AUTHOR), Fu, Tsung-Chieh (AUTHOR), Piatt, Jennifer (AUTHOR), Herbenick, Debby (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Sex Research. Mar/Apr2026, Vol. 63 Issue 3, p328-343. 16p.
Subjects: Autistic people, College students, Human sexuality, Autism spectrum disorders, Sexual aggression, Sexual intercourse, Sex education, Risk-taking behavior
Abstract: There is little research on autistic adults' rough sex experiences – even though rough sex has become prevalent among young adults. We aimed to explore lifetime sexual experiences, including consensual and non-consensual rough sex, among autistic university students in the U.S. and their perceptions and subjective experiences of rough sex. The study sample consisted of 46 autistic undergraduate and graduate students from a large public Midwestern U.S. university. Participants had engaged in a broad range of solo and consensual partnered sexual experiences, including rough sex, such as having their hair pulled (54.7%), being spanked lightly (51.3%), being choked by a partner (42.5%), consensual non-consent (12.5%) and having choked themselves while masturbating (19.6%) Most indicated their rough sex experiences had felt pleasurable, joyful, exciting, intimate, loving, or liberating; however, some reported they had felt them to be upsetting (60.0%), scary (30.0%), or traumatic (15.0%). About one-fifth had experienced non-consensual rough sex. Study findings underscore the need for sexuality education curricula to address diverse sexual practices for all students, including autistic university students. As autistic students in this sample reported some higher-risk practices (e.g. choking) and non-consensual rough sex, the timely and proactive integration of autism-specific findings on rough sex into sexuality education curricula is critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Sex Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Experiences with Rough Sex Among Autistic University Students: Descriptive Findings from a Campus Probability-Based Survey.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Simić+Stanojević%2C+Ivanka%22">Simić Stanojević, Ivanka</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wheeler%2C+Gretchen%22">Wheeler, Gretchen</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fu%2C+Tsung-Chieh%22">Fu, Tsung-Chieh</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Piatt%2C+Jennifer%22">Piatt, Jennifer</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Herbenick%2C+Debby%22">Herbenick, Debby</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Sex+Research%22">Journal of Sex Research</searchLink>. Mar/Apr2026, Vol. 63 Issue 3, p328-343. 16p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Autistic+people%22">Autistic people</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+students%22">College students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+sexuality%22">Human sexuality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Autism+spectrum+disorders%22">Autism spectrum disorders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+aggression%22">Sexual aggression</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+intercourse%22">Sexual intercourse</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex+education%22">Sex education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Risk-taking+behavior%22">Risk-taking behavior</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: There is little research on autistic adults' rough sex experiences – even though rough sex has become prevalent among young adults. We aimed to explore lifetime sexual experiences, including consensual and non-consensual rough sex, among autistic university students in the U.S. and their perceptions and subjective experiences of rough sex. The study sample consisted of 46 autistic undergraduate and graduate students from a large public Midwestern U.S. university. Participants had engaged in a broad range of solo and consensual partnered sexual experiences, including rough sex, such as having their hair pulled (54.7%), being spanked lightly (51.3%), being choked by a partner (42.5%), consensual non-consent (12.5%) and having choked themselves while masturbating (19.6%) Most indicated their rough sex experiences had felt pleasurable, joyful, exciting, intimate, loving, or liberating; however, some reported they had felt them to be upsetting (60.0%), scary (30.0%), or traumatic (15.0%). About one-fifth had experienced non-consensual rough sex. Study findings underscore the need for sexuality education curricula to address diverse sexual practices for all students, including autistic university students. As autistic students in this sample reported some higher-risk practices (e.g. choking) and non-consensual rough sex, the timely and proactive integration of autism-specific findings on rough sex into sexuality education curricula is critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Sex Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2551734
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 328
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Autistic people
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Human sexuality
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Autism spectrum disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual aggression
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual intercourse
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Risk-taking behavior
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Experiences with Rough Sex Among Autistic University Students: Descriptive Findings from a Campus Probability-Based Survey.
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          Name:
            NameFull: Simić Stanojević, Ivanka
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            NameFull: Wheeler, Gretchen
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            NameFull: Fu, Tsung-Chieh
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            NameFull: Piatt, Jennifer
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            NameFull: Herbenick, Debby
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            – D: 01
              M: 03
              Text: Mar/Apr2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 63
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