Fear as a Sexual Expression in Mexican Women Experiencing Emerging Adulthood

Female sexuality during emerging adulthood represents a period of identity, relational, and sexual exploration that may be shaped by experiences of fear, influencing how women live and interpret their sexual encounters. The aim of this study was to interpret fear as a sexual expression among Mexican emerging adult women. A qualitative, empirical, cross-sectional, and interpretive study was conducted using a hermeneutic approach. Fifteen sexually active, single women aged 18 to 29 years were recruited through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using hermeneutic content analysis. Findings revealed that sexual fear among Mexican women is structured across three phases of the sexual experience: initial, transitional, and post-sexual. Fears emerged in association with sexual inexperience, bodily insecurity, coercion, sexual compliance, fear of romantic attachment, vaginal pain, anorgasmia, guilt, dissatisfaction, unplanned pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. Fear constitutes a central expression within the sexual experience of Mexican women, shaping how they interpret their bodies, regulate desire, and establish affective bonds. These findings lay the groundwork for developing a quantitative instrument to assess female sexual fears in emerging adult populations.