Table 3.

Example participant definitions of what it means to be sexually active. Bolded statements by study authors to highlight key ideas.

Question	Participant Responses
What does being “sexually active” mean to you? How would you define it?	“I’m not really sure how I guess I would define that…I don’t know.” P1, 22yo
	“Oral sex and intercourse is what I would consider sexually active” P3, 20yo
	“I would define it as sexually active like with a partner” P17, 18yo
	“Definitely like masturbation and…serious displays of affection between two people” P20, 26yo
	“It’s kind of more the emotional and mental part for me at least than the physical” P13, 21yo
	“as long as there’s no clothes involved, that’s sexual activity, but like touching…uh in areas is sexual activity as well, even through clothes” P11, 28yo
	“for me, I think um, it’s like a form of…excitement in a way.” P12, 19yo