Religião, religiosidade e iniciação sexual na adolescência: meio século de pesquisas

Religion as a variable with an impact on sexual behavior has emerged in the Brazilian literature as two changes are embedded in this society: the changing religious scenery and the norms and values associated with sexuality. The influence of religion on sexuality has been investigated by international researchers for nearly half a century. Given the growing interest in this demographic variable, studies are needed in order to give intellectual support for future research in Brazil. The present paper seeks to review the national and international literature on links among religion, religiosity and adolescent sexual initiation. Databases used were SciELO, Atla, JSTOR and Thesis Cedeplar, UFMG (online storage), in order to find articles published between 1950 and 2010 in Portuguese and English languages. The results indicate that there is a strong relationship among religious affiliation, religiosity (even if measured by subjective variables) and adolescent sexual initiation. The articles also reveal a number of ways over the years used to classify religion and religiosity, in addition to the methodological caution that should be taken in studies regarding adolescent sexuality and religion.