J.R. Hauser’s scientific contributions

In the United States, a majority of the population (80%) self-identifies with some form of religion. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of religiosity on sexual behaviors of 13 young adults. The findings covered four themes: (a) religious beliefs and religious leaders matter to them, (b) participants" religion influence their sexual behaviors, (c) sex should not be performed outside of marriage, (d) participants" decisions were influenced by parents, peers, religion, and the media. The findings indicate that by using the identified salient referents in conjunction with each other, and by acknowledging and teaching religious beliefs, interventions could be very effective in promoting sexual health and reducing risky sexual behaviors among young adults.