Heterosexual Practices in Different Generations - Findings of a Pilot Study for "GeSiD Gesundheit und Sexualität in Deutschland (Health and Sexuality in Germany)"

Abstract

There is a lack of broad representative data in Germany in order to analyze the lifetime experiences of heterosexual adults with different sexual practices. Differences between generations were investigated with regard to whether specific sexual experiences were more common in the generation aged from 18 to 30 years (the Digital Natives) than in the older generations, particularly referring to the generation of the 61- to 75-year-olds, whose sexual socialization was not yet embedded into the presence of new media. For young adults it was analyzed to what extent diversifications of the sexual repertoire can be depicted. In a pilot-study (2) for GeSiD - Gesundheit und Sexualität in Deutschland (Health and Sexuality in Germany) - in 2017, a representative survey was carried out on 1155 persons aged from 18 to 75 years. Data from heterosexual men and women regarding lifetime experiences with different sexual practices and sexuality-related experiences were analyzed. In the generation of the 18 to 30 year olds, experiences with oral practices and the use of a dildo/vibrator were more common in women as well as sadomasochistic/BDSM-practices in both women and men compared with older generations. While in women there were hardly any differences between the 18 to 25 year olds and the 26 to 30 year olds, a higher percentage of young men revealed having not made a variety of sexual experiences. Oral practices, active anal stimulation and sexual role play were reported slightly more often by 26 to 30 year old men than by older ones. In the generation of the 61 to 75 year olds, experiences with oral and manual practices were reported less commonly by women as well as anal practices and the use of a dildo/vibrator by women and men in comparison with younger generations. The ongoing process of digital revolution at the end of the 20th century induced a fundamental societal change, which is also reflected in different ranges of sexual experiences in the generations. The results allow first insights into heterosexual practices among different generations in Germany that may provide valuable clues for the steering of information and education campaigns as well as a psychoeducational basis for couple and sex therapy work.