The results suggest that, for some youth, initial sexual reactions to CSA may persist over time and interfere with the development of sexual behavior as well as representations of sexual intimacy. Although the actual levels of the initial sexual reactions were moderate, individual differences in reactions predicted sexual functioning 6 years after discovery. Each of these initial sexual reactions predicted a distinct pattern of sexual function. Eroticism was primarily associated with later indicators of heightened sexuality, whereas sexual anxiety was associated with indicators of diminished sexuality. The findings indicate that the developmental stage at which CSA occurs is an important moderator of the associations between initial sex-specific abuse reactions and subsequent sexual functioning. Adolescents whose initial reactions were characterized by greater sexual anxiety were more likely to develop avoidant views of sexual intimacy. Because sexual anxiety is less characteristic of adolescents’ than children's initial reactions to CSA, its presence may be particularly meaningful for understanding adolescents' sexual functioning. Being a child at the time of abuse did not moderate links between initial self-specific reactions to abuse and subsequent sexual function. For the child group, initial eroticism predicted more recreational use of sex; however, the persistence of eroticism 1 year later predicted recreational use regardless of the age group. Treatments that consider individuals' views of sex and address underlying beliefs and emotions about the functions of sex are likely to be important for promoting healthy sexuality and intimacy. Data were collected from participants recruited from urban and suburban populations in New Jersey; 118 youths with confirmed histories of sexual abuse were followed longitudinally to examine associations between their initial sexual reactions to abuse and subsequent sexual functioning. Tables, note, references