Exploring Yoruba Cultural and Religious Influences on Sexual Expressions

Sexual expression is an important area of study since all human beings have sexual feelings that are capable of being expressed in one way or the other. Observation has shown that the behaviour of individuals is generally influenced by the dictates of their culture and religion. Hence, this paper examined the extent to which religion and culture determined sexual expressions among the Yoruba ethno-cultural group of Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was used to select 450 married and single men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 through a random sampling technique. Data was gathered through the use of standardized scales. Three research questions were answered with frequency and simple percentages, while one hypothesis postulated was analyzed with multiple regression analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. The study found that cultural and religious restrictions exist which affect sexual expression. Also, it was discovered that religion and culture jointly accounted for about 65% of the variance in sexual expression (Adj. R2 = .652), with religion (Beta = -.861, t = -25.611, p< .05) having a stronger influence than culture (Beta = .104, t = 3.107, p< .05). It was recommended that the churches and the mosques should promote a positive attitude towards sex among the married to break cultural and religious stereotypes inhibiting sexual expression among married couples in Yoruba land.