Social class differentials in marital sex in China (2000–2015)

Abstract

This study examines whether and how social class matters for marital sex in China since the beginning of the 21st century. We utilize data from a national sexuality survey that has been administered at four time points: 2000, 2006, 2010, and 2015. We use a composite socioeconomic status score deriving from education, occupation, and income to distinguish between the lower class (the bottom 25%), the middle class (the middle 50%), and the upper class (the top 25%). Marital sex aspects include sexual frequency, orgasm frequency, engagement in the woman-on-top and rear-entrance coital positions, and experience with oral and anal sex. Regression results with year-fixed effects reveal significant class differentials in all aspects but anal sex. Whereas the reported sexual frequency is highest in the middle class, the engagement in various coital positions and oral sex is characterized by a positive class gradient. Temporally, we observe an upward trend in all aspects but orgasm frequency. Results from the class–year interaction effects further show that most class differentials have remained stable over the period 2000–2015. The temporal increase in sexual frequency, however, has been the greatest in the lower class but relatively negligible in the upper class.