The means of the HS, BS and AS scores were first calculated for males and females. Furthermore, an analysis was carried out to ascertain whether there were differences in such variables on the basis of gender. Statistically significant differences were found for the three variables evaluated (see Table 1).

The variance was then analyzed to determine whether there were differences in HS, BS and AS based on the sexual experience variable, considering three levels in this study (no sexual experience, non-penetrative sexual experience and penetrative sexual experience). Analyses were carried out separately for males and females, due to the differences encountered previously. Statistically significant differences were found in the three variables evaluated in the male group, but not in the female group (see Table 2).

Subsequently, in order to establish the levels corresponding to the differences in the male group with respect to sexual experience, Bonferroni's multiple comparison test was employed. The results are shown in Table 3.

Finally, a linear regression analysis was carried out in order to determine the influence of the predictor variables (HS and BS) on the dependent variables: age of the first vaginal sexual contact, number of lifetime sex partners and proportion of condom use in the past two months. Three linear regressions were carried out for the male group and three for the female group, in which the method of selecting variables to include in the model was introduction. With regards to the age of the first vaginal sexual contact, the model was significant for males (F(2, 345) = 4.72, p = .009, R2 = .027) but not for females (F(2, 363) = 0.68, p = .503, R2 = .004). In relation to the number of lifetime sex partners, the model was significant for males (F(2, 345) = 3.48, p = .032, R2 = .020) and also for females (F(2, 363) = 3.37, p = .035, R2 = .018). Finally, the predictive model of the proportion of condom use in the past two months was significant for the male group (F(2, 345) = 5.85, p = .003, R2 = .042) but not for the female group (F(2, 363) = 1.30, p = .272, R2 = .008). The standardized coefficients, t-values and the tolerance index, to take into account the possible effect of multicollinearity, of HS and BS in linear regressions are shown in Table 4.

Regarding the first objective of the study, the results show that males report greater hostile, benevolent and ambivalent sexist beliefs compared to females. In comparison with other studies carried out among Spanish adolescents, the results are in line with those found by Ferragut et al. (2013) and Rodríguez et al. (2010). However, although other studies coincide in that males report a greater degree of HS, they do not find differences in BS on the basis of gender (Montañés et al., 2015; Viejo et al., 2015) or they find that females report a greater degree of BS than males (De Lemus et al., 2008, 2010; Silván-Ferrero & Bustillos, 2007). It is worth noting that the advantage of this study compared to those mentioned above is that the sample is representative of the Spanish adolescent population as opposed to the incidental samples of the other studies.

A second objective was to discover whether there are differences in sexist beliefs depending on sexual experience. Within the male group, those who have had some type of sexual experience (penetrative and non-penetrative) reported a greater degree of HS, BS and AS compared to those who have had no sexual experience. The same cannot be said for the female group, in which no differences were found in any of the types of sexism (HS, BS and AS) based on sexual experience. According to the theoretical approach proposed by Glick and Hilt (2000), sexual interdependence appears during adolescence. Therefore, the first intimate encounters during this stage of development could encourage BS, both in males and females, maintaining the competitive gender differentiation that is characteristic of HS. This approach could be consistent with the results of this study within the male group, given that HS would coexist with BS, enabling them to fulfill their desires of engaging in intimate relations during adolescence. In Spain, studies have been conducted among adolescents to investigate the connection between sentimental experience - including both sexual experience and the number and quality of romantic relationships - and the existence of sexist beliefs. The results of such studies strengthen the hypothesis that sentimental experience in adolescence increases sexism, particularly of the benevolent type, among adolescents (De Lemus et al., 2010; Montañés et al., 2015). Nevertheless, the results found within the female group of this study are not in line with the postulations of Glick and Hilt (2000) or with the results of studies on sentimental experience and sexism in Spain (De Lemus et al., 2010; Montañés et al., 2015). In relation to sexist beliefs in females, certain studies reveal that girls socialize from early ages, at least through play and the media (Holland & Eisenhart, 1990; Martínez & Vélez, 2006) with traditional gender identities, fulfilling their role of submission and passivity in the presence of men (Seabrook, Ward, Cortina, Giaccardi, & Lippman, 2017), and supporting benevolent romantic ideals by searching for a man who treats them with chivalry, care and protection (Rudman & Glick, 2008). Therefore, the fact that there were no differences in the sexist beliefs of the female adolescents in this study based on their sexual experience could be explained because females acquire gender identities from a very young age that foster both HS and BS, without the need for this to change upon the initiation of sentimental and sexual relations.

The third objective was to determine whether sexual risk behaviors such as the age of vaginal sex initiation, the number of sex partners and the proportion of condom use are linked to the maintenance of hostile and benevolent sexist beliefs, both in males and females. The results obtained demonstrate that the males who engage in vaginal sex at an earlier age are those who report a greater level of BS. This result could be explained due to the fact that, as claimed by Glick and Hilt (2000), adolescent males need to display their benevolent beliefs in order to fulfill their desires and maintain intimate relations. Therefore, those who maintain benevolent sexist beliefs to a greater extent are those who engage in vaginal sexual contact at an earlier age. Furthermore, a study conducted among Spanish adolescents (Montañés, De Lemus, Moya, Bohner, & Megías, 2013) demonstrates that females find benevolent sexist males more attractive, and therefore the benevolent sexist beliefs of males could facilitate an early sexual initiation.

This study also shows that the males who report a lower proportion of condom use are those who maintain HS to a greater extent. A possible explanation for this is that, with the objective of conforming to their traditional gender roles and in order to exercise power over women in the decision-making process, including in sexual relations (Martínez-Catena & Redondo, 2017; Pulerwitz, Gortmaker, & DeJong, 2000), the most hostile sexist males use condoms less frequently during sexual relations. In fact, a positive association has been identified between traditional gender ideology and sexual risk behaviors and beliefs, such as inconsistent condom use, less self-efficacy when using condoms or negative attitudes towards their use (De Meyer et al., 2014; Grose et al., 2014; Lotfi et al., 2016; Santana et al., 2006).

Another of the results found in the study has been that, within the female group, those who reported having a greater number of lifetime partners also reported a greater degree of HS. This result contrasts with the initial hypothesis which predicted that support of BS among females would be linked to a greater number of sex partners. In fact, at first, we could think that this result is contradictory to the hostile sexist ideology, as women with a traditional ideology would be expected to behave in accordance with their passive role in sexual relations (Vannier & O'Sullivan, 2012). However, Montañés et al. (2013) have found that Spanish male adolescents describe females who report a high degree of HS as more likable and attractive compared to those with a low rate of HS. This may explain why adolescent females maintain greater HS have a greater number of sex partners. Furthermore, traditional gender ideology or HS also entails submission and acceptance of the power held by males in the decision-making process compared to females (Gavey, 2005). Therefore, the hostile sexist beliefs of females could be linked to less self-efficacy to refuse sexual relations, which would imply a greater number of sex partners. Nevertheless, the initial hypotheses on the link between BS and an early age of sexual initiation, and between HS and a lower proportion of condom use, within the female group, are not present in this study. From a cognitive perspective, these results could indicate that the sexual beliefs of females are not sufficient to explain their sexual risk behavior, and it is possible that other cognitive variables, such as irrational beliefs regarding romantic relationships (Coleman & Ganong, 1987) or the type of attitudes towards love (Zeng, Pan, Zhou, Yu, & Liu, 2016) influence the spread of sexual behaviors.

This study is an important contribution to research on sexism and sexual behavior in adolescents, but it is not without its limitations which should be mentioned and studied in future research. It is worth mentioning that the adolescents surveyed were of Spanish nationality, and therefore the results and conclusions drawn from the study on sexism and adolescent sexual behavior should not be extrapolated to other populations given that, as stated in certain studies, the cultural values of society influence both sexist beliefs (Glick & Fiske, 1996) and sexual behaviors (Bermúdez, Castro, & Buela-Casal, 2011). Therefore, as a future line of research, it would be advisable for other researchers to ascertain whether the results of this study also apply within other cultural environments.

In general, the results are indicative of the importance of sexist beliefs in relation to sexual risk behaviors, particularly in the case of males. It is therefore recommended to include specific intervention and/or prevention of sexist beliefs in STI/HIV prevention programs, taking into account a gender perspective. Such programs should be conducted at an early age, before adolescents have their first coital relationship (Reis, Ramiro, Matos, & Díniz, 2013).

This report has been carried out with the support of a pre-doctoral contract of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (FPU13/03841), awarded to the first author. The authors would like to thank the Spanish secondary schools and the adolescents who collaborated and participated in the study.