Elders’ influence on how we f*ck

Nearly one million people contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI) each day worldwide, and almost half of all pregnancies are unintended, underscoring a persistent global challenge for sexual and reproductive health. Despite research efforts, the understanding of the interplay between social structures and sexual behaviors is still insufficient. This paper investigates the relationship between perceived restrictiveness of intergenerational social norms surrounding sexual conduct and risky sexual behavior among young adults in university settings in Colombia. Drawing on the framework of social norms, I develop a novel index measuring the perception of social norms restrictiveness and conduct a list experiment to infer risky sexual behaviors, while also measuring their frequency. The results reveal a paradox: while more restrictive social norms reduce risky sexual behavior when they are actively enforced, individuals exposed to these norms during adolescence exhibit significantly higher levels of sexual risk-taking—such as multiple having sexual partners (in a context of low self-care) and substance-influenced sexual encounters—once these norms are no longer in place. These findings challenge the conventional view that restrictive social norms are always protective, evidencing their potential to generate unintended negative consequences. This research contributes to the understanding of the complex relationship between social norms, sexual behavior, and public health; advances knowledge on the social determinants of sexual health in Colombia; and sheds light on how intergenerational changes in norms may interact with the efficacy of sexual health interventions. Finally, these insights underscore the need for balanced policies that integrate comprehensive sexual education with adaptable and sustained norm-setting approaches to promote healthy sexual behaviors across the life course.