Same-sex Sexual Experience Research Articles

Changes in American Adults’ Reported Same-Sex Sexual Experiences and Attitudes, 1973–2014

We examined change over time in the reported prevalence of men having sex with men and women having sex with women and acceptance of those behaviors in the nationally representative General Social Survey of U.S. adults (n's=28,161-33,728, ages 18-96years), 1972-2014. The number of U.S. adults who had at least one same-sex partner since age 18 doubled between the early 1990s and early 2010s (from 3.6 to 8.7% for women and from 4.5 to 8.2% for men). Bisexual behavior (having sex with both male and female partners) increased from 3.1 to 7.7%, accounting for much of the rise, with little consistent change in those having sex exclusively with same-sex partners. The increase in same-sex partners was larger for women than for men, consistent with erotic plasticity theory. Attitudes toward same-sex sexual behavior also became substantially more accepting, d=.75, between the early 1970s and early 2010s. By 2014, 49% of American adults believed that same-sex sexual activity was "not wrong at all," up from 11% in 1973 and 13% in 1990. Controlling for acceptance reduced, but did not eliminate, the increase in same-sex behavior over time. Mixed effects (hierarchical linear modeling) analyses separating age, time period, and cohort showed that the trends were primarily due to time period. Increases in same-sex sexual behavior were largest in the South and Midwest and among Whites, were mostly absent among Blacks, and were smaller among the religious. Overall, same-sex sexual behavior has become both more common (or at least more commonly reported) and more accepted.

Reactions to First Postpubertal Male Same-Sex Sexual Experience in the Kinsey Sample: A Comparison of Minors With Peers, Minors With Adults, and Adults With Adults.

Rind and Welter (2014) examined first postpubertal coitus using the Kinsey sample, finding that reactions were just as positive, and no more negative, among minors with adults compared to minors with peers and adults with adults. In the present study, we examined first postpubertal male same-sex sexual experiences in the Kinsey same-sex sample (i.e., participants mostly with extensive postpubertal same-sex behavior), comparing reactions across the same age categories. These data were collected between 1938 and 1961 (Myear: 1946). Minors under age 18years with adults (M ages: 14.0 and 30.5, respectively) reacted positively (i.e., enjoyed the experience "much") often (70%) and emotionally negatively (e.g., fear, disgust, shame, regret) infrequently (16%). These rates were the same as adults with adults (M ages: 21.2 and 25.9, respectively): 68 and 16%, respectively. Minors with peers (M ages: 13.3 and 13.8, respectively) reacted positively significantly more often (82%) and negatively nominally less often (9%). Minors with adults reacted positively to intercourse (oral, anal) just as often (69%) as to outercourse (body contact, masturbation, femoral) (72%) and reacted emotionally negatively significantly less often (9 vs. 25%, respectively). For younger minors (≤14) with adults aged 5-19years older, reactions were just as positive (83%) as for minors with peers within 1year of age (84%) and no more emotionally negative (11 vs. 7%, respectively). Results are discussed in relation to findings regarding first coitus in the Kinsey sample and to the cultural context particular to Kinsey's time.

Sexual Health Research With Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Experiences of Benefits and Harms.

Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are often underrepresented in sexual health research because of concerns about safety, privacy, and the potential for research harms. Empirical data are needed to understand YBMSM experience of participating in research, benefits and harms (discomfort), to inform policy and regulatory decisions. Using qualitative methods, this article examines 50 YBMSM, aged 15-19years, experiences of benefits/harms, challenges of participating in sexual health research, and contextual factors impacting research experiences. Participants were asked about benefits and harms experienced in answering questions about sexual orientation, first same-sex attraction, and same-sex sexual experiences after completing an in-depth interview. Interviews were transcribed and coded. Inductive open coding was used to identify themes within and between interviews. Participants were able to describe perceived direct benefits resulting from research interview participation, including awareness of risky sexual behaviors, a safe space to share early coming out stories and same-sex sexual experiences, and a sense of empowerment and comfort with one's sexual orientation. Indirect benefits described by participants included perceptions of helping others and the larger gay community. Few participants described harms (discomfort recalling experiences). Our data suggest that participating in qualitative sexual health research focused on sexual orientation, sexual attraction, and early same-sex sexual experiences may result in minimal harms for YBMSM and multiple benefits, including feeling more comfortable than in a general medical visit.

A Survey of Same-Sex Sexual Experiences Among Psychiatric Inpatients With and Without Borderline Personality Symptomatology

To the Editor: In comparison to the general population, individuals with borderline personality disorder appear to exhibit a higher prevalence of sexual experiences with members of the same sex,1–5 with psychiatric inpatients exhibiting higher rates than psychiatric outpatients, and male psychiatric outpatients exhibiting higher rates than female psychiatric outpatients. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of same-sex sexual experiences among psychiatric inpatients, comparing those with versus without borderline personality disorder symptomatology according to 3 different self-report measures for this disorder. Method. Study candidates were 167 men and women admitted to an urban psychiatric inpatient facility. Exclusion criteria included intellectual, medical, psychiatric, or cognitive impairment of a severity to diminish the individual’s ability to complete a survey. Fourteen individuals were excluded (3 vision problems, 4 intellectually disabled/illiterate, 4 psychotic, 3 malingering). Of those approached, 145 (95%) agreed to participate: 55 men and 89 women (1 participant declined to report gender), with a mean age of 38.06 years (SD = 13.06). The majority self-identified as white (74%), with 16% black. The majority (87%) had at least completed high school. Approximately 41% reported never having been married, with 18% married, 27% divorced, 10% separated, and 3% widowed. At admission, each candidate was invited to complete an anonymous survey that contained the query, “How many same-sex partners have you had in your lifetime?” with response options of ≥ 0–5. The survey also queried about borderline personality disorder using 3 self-report diagnostic measures: the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire–46 (Cronbach α = 0.74), the McLean Screening Inventory for Borderline Personality Disorder7 (Cronbach α = 0.78), and the screening instrument for the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders8 (Cronbach α = 0.86). The elements of informed consent were provided on the cover page of the survey, and completion of the survey was assumed to function as informed consent (stated on the cover page). The project was approved by the sponsoring hospital’s institutional review board. Results. Among participants, 59% reported at least 1 same-sex sexual experience. Using χ2 analyses, we examined participants with versus without borderline personality disorder according to diagnostic cutoffs in terms of this behavior (Table 1). None of these comparisons were statistically significant (all P > .05). Moreover, dimensional scores on the measures of borderline personality disorder also were not statistically significantly correlated with a history of same-sex experiences (see Table 1). Table 1 Associations Between Borderline Personality Disorder Measures and History of Same-Sex Sexual Relationships Stated simply, while inpatients with borderline personality disorder symptomatology appear to have higher rates of same-sex sexual experiences than the general population, surprisingly, these do not appear to exceed the rates encountered among psychiatric inpatients without this personality disorder. To our knowledge, this is a novel finding in the current literature and suggests that mental disorders, in general, may predict higher rates of same-sex sexual experiences. This study has a number of potential limitations, including the small sample size, self-report nature of the data, and use of an urban inpatient psychiatric sample (ie, findings may not generalize to psychiatric inpatients in nonurban settings or psychiatric outpatients). However, findings indicate that while psychiatric inpatients with borderline personality disorder symptomatology evidence higher rates of same-sex sexual experiences than the general population, these rates are not higher than those encountered among psychiatric inpatients without borderline personality disorder symptomatology.

The role of sexually explicit material in the sexual development of same-sex-attracted Black adolescent males.

Sexually explicit material (SEM) (including Internet, video, and print) may play a key role in the lives of Black same-sex sexually active youth by providing the only information to learn about sexual development. There is limited school- and/or family-based sex education to serve as models for sexual behaviors for Black youth. We describe the role SEM plays in the sexual development of a sample of Black same-sex attracted (SSA) young adolescent males ages 15-19. Adolescents recruited from clinics, social networking sites, and through snowball sampling were invited to participate in a 90-min, semi-structured qualitative interview. Most participants described using SEM prior to their first same-sex sexual experience. Participants described using SEM primarily for sexual development, including learning about sexual organs and function, the mechanics of same-gender sex, and to negotiate one's sexual identity. Secondary functions were to determine readiness for sex; to learn about sexual performance, including understanding sexual roles and responsibilities (e.g., "top" or "bottom"); to introduce sexual performance scripts; and to develop models for how sex should feel (e.g., pleasure and pain). Youth also described engaging in sexual behaviors (including condom non-use and/or swallowing ejaculate) that were modeled on SEM. Comprehensive sexuality education programs should be designed to address the unmet needs of young, Black SSA men, with explicit focus on sexual roles and behaviors that may be inaccurately portrayed and/or involve sexual risk-taking (such as unprotected anal intercourse and swallowing ejaculate) in SEM. This work also calls for development of Internet-based HIV/STI prevention strategies targeting young Black SSA men who may be accessing SEM.

Disparities in Weight and Weight Behaviors by Sexual Orientation in College Students.

Objectives. We assessed disparities in weight and weight-related behaviors among college students by sexual orientation and gender. Methods. We performed cross-sectional analyses of pooled annual data (2007-2011; n = 33 907) from students participating in a Minnesota state-based survey of 40 two- and four-year colleges and universities. Sexual orientation included heterosexual, gay or lesbian, bisexual, unsure, and discordant heterosexual (heterosexuals engaging in same-sex sexual experiences). Dependent variables included weight status (derived from self-reported weight and height), diet (fruits, vegetables, soda, fast food, restaurant meals, breakfast), physical activity, screen time, unhealthy weight control, and body satisfaction. Results. Bisexual and lesbian women were more likely to be obese than heterosexual and discordant heterosexual women. Bisexual women were at high risk for unhealthy weight, diet, physical activity, and weight control behaviors. Gay and bisexual men exhibited poor activity patterns, though gay men consumed significantly less regular soda (and significantly more diet soda) than heterosexual men. Conclusions. We observed disparities in weight-, diet-, and physical activity-related factors across sexual orientation among college youths. Additional research is needed to better understand these disparities and the most appropriate intervention strategies to address them.

Physical dating violence, sexual violence, and unwanted pursuit victimization: a comparison of incidence rates among sexual-minority and heterosexual college students.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the 6-month incidence rates of sexual assault, physical dating violence (DV), and unwanted pursuit (e.g., stalking) victimization among sexual-minority (i.e., individuals with any same-sex sexual experiences) college students with comparison data from non-sexual-minority (i.e., individuals with only heterosexual sexual experiences) college students. Participants (N = 6,030) were primarily Caucasian (92.7%) and non-sexual-minority (82.3%). Compared with non-sexual-minority students (N-SMS; n = 4,961), sexual-minority students (SMS; n = 1,069) reported significantly higher 6-month incidence rates of physical DV (SMS: 30.3%; N-SMS: 18.5%), sexual assault (SMS: 24.3%; N-SMS: 11.0%), and unwanted pursuit (SMS: 53.1%; N-SMS: 36.0%) victimization. We also explored the moderating role of gender and found that female SMS reported significantly higher rates of physical DV than female N-SMS, whereas male SMS and male N-SMS reported similar rates of physical DV. Gender did not moderate the relationship between sexual-minority status and victimization experiences for either unwanted pursuit or sexual victimization. These findings underscore the alarmingly high rates of interpersonal victimization among SMS and the critical need for research to better understand the explanatory factors that place SMS at increased risk for interpersonal victimization.

Comparing Survey and Sampling Methods for Reaching Sexual Minority Individuals in Flanders

Abstract As part of a large sexual health study, we used two different approaches to target Sexual Minority Individuals (SMIs). Firstly, we drew on a probability sample (1,832 respondents aged 14-80) of the Flemish population in Belgium. Secondly, we set up a targeted sampling design followed by an Internet survey. Our focus was to explore how two different sampling procedures and survey designs could lead to differences in sample characteristics. Results showed that for female SMIs (we excluded male SMIs from the analyses due to their low numbers) the population sample differed from the Internet sample in terms of sociodemographic characteristics (the latter included younger and more highly educated respondents) and scores on sexual orientation dimensions (the population sample included more respondents who didn’t identify as lesbian or bisexual but reported same-sex sexual experiences and desire). Respondents’ scores on sexual health indicators differed between the samples for two of the seven variables. We discuss implications for improving the quality and validity of nonrandom samples.

Explaining the Mental Health Disparity by Sexual Orientation

This study examines the role of social integration and social support, a significant yet under-investigated factor in mental health disparities by sexual orientation. By analyzing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from a representative sample of the middle-aged U.S. population, the study shows that bisexual-identified individuals have the lowest levels of social resources and the poorest mental health status of all sexual orientation groups. Lesbian/gay-identified individuals and heterosexual-identified individuals with same-sex sexual experience are less socially integrated or perceive less emotional support than the sexual majority but do not report poorer mental health. Moreover, social integration and social support jointly mediate the link between sexual orientation and mental distress: sexual minorities are less socially integrated, which is related to a lower level of social support and, in turn, a higher level of mental distress. Additionally, minority-identified individuals reap more health benefits from confidants and emotional support. These findings suggest that sexual minorities are among those who most need and most benefit from supportive social relationships. The study therefore reveals the importance of social resource interventions in narrowing the mental health gap by sexual orientation.

The Use of Condoms and Dental Dams During First Same-Sex Sexual Experiences (SSE) of Adolescent African-American Men Who Have Sex With Men

The Use of Condoms and Dental Dams During First Same-Sex Sexual Experiences (SSE) of Adolescent African-American Men Who Have Sex With Men

The Size of the LGBT Population and the Magnitude of Antigay Sentiment Are Substantially Underestimated

We demonstrate that widely used measures of antigay sentiment and the size of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population are misestimated, likely substantially. In a series of online experiments using a large and diverse but nonrepresentative sample, we compare estimates from the standard methodology of asking sensitive questions to measures from a “veiled” methodology that precludes inference about an individual but provides population estimates. The veiled method increased self-reports of antigay sentiment, particularly in the workplace: respondents were 67% more likely to disapprove of an openly gay manager when asked with a veil, and 71% more likely to say it should be legal to discriminate in hiring on the basis of sexual orientation. The veiled methodology also produces larger estimates of the fraction of the population that identifies as LGBT or has had a sexual experience with a member of the same sex. Self-reports of nonheterosexual identity rose by 65%, and same-sex sexual experiences by 59%. We conduct a “placebo test” and show that for nonsensitive placebo items, the veiled methodology produces effects that are small in magnitude and not significantly different from zero in seven out of eight items. Taken together, the results suggest antigay discrimination might be a more significant issue than formerly considered, as the nonheterosexual population and antigay workplace-related sentiment are both larger than previously measured. Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2016.2503 . This paper was accepted by Uri Gneezy, behavioral economics.

Risk and Protective Factors that Distinguish Adolescents Who Attempt Suicide from Those Who Only Consider Suicide in the Past Year

Data from the 2010 Minnesota Student Survey was analyzed to identify risk and protective factors that distinguished adolescents across three groups: no suicidality, suicidal ideation only, and suicide attempt. The population-based sample included 70,022 students in grades 9 and 12. Hopelessness and depressive symptoms emerged as important risk factors to distinguish youth who reported suicidal ideation or behavior from those without a history of suicidality. However, these factors were not as important in differentiating adolescents who attempted suicidal from those who considered suicide but did not act on their thoughts. Instead, for both genders, self-injury represented the most important factor to distinguish these youth. Other risk factors that differentiated the latter groups, but not the former groups, for males were dating violence victimization and cigarette smoking, and for females was a same-sex sexual experience. Running away from home also seemed to increase the risk of a suicide attempt among youth in this study. Parent connectedness and academic achievement emerged as important protective factors to differentiate all the groups, yet neighborhood safety appeared to protect against the transition from suicidal thoughts to behavior. Findings from this study suggest risk and protective factors practitioners should target in clinical assessments and intervention programs to help prevent suicidal behavior among youth at greatest risk.

Cultivating Black Lesbian Shamelessness: Alice Walker's The Color Purple

This article reads Alice Walker's 1982 novel The Color Purple as a response to the politics of black pride that informed African American writing of the 1960s and 1970s. The Color Purple suggests that black women's open and vocal articulation of (same-sex) sexual experiences can cultivate a liberating sense of black lesbian shamelessness. This sensibility opposes the politics of pride that defined the Black Arts Movement, as well as the politics of silence that has muted black women's expressions and explorations of (queer) sexuality since at least the nineteenth century. The novel characterizes black lesbian shamelessness as an approach to racial, gender, and sexual identification that acknowledges the mutually constitutive, inter-subjective conditions of these categories, as well as the history of black violation in the United States. This article also considers The Color Purple's realist form, arguing that critical backlash in the 1980s against Walker's queering of black literary realism indicates that realism is critical terrain for the simultaneous negotiation of black community, queerness, and anti-racist politics.

24. First Same-Sex Sexual Experience: Voices of Young African American Men Who Have Sex With Men

24. First Same-Sex Sexual Experience: Voices of Young African American Men Who Have Sex With Men

Sexual Subjectivity, Relationship Status and Quality, and Same-sex Sexual Experience among Emerging Adult Females

Sexual subjectivity (SS) includes sexual body-esteem, entitlement to self-pleasure and pleasure from a partner, sexual self-efficacy, and reflection about sexual behavior. The objectives of this study were to examine if females' SS was associated with their romantic experience, including status, length, quality, and same-sex sexual experience. Participants were 251 females with a mean age of 19.6 years. In simple group comparisons, females with steady partners were higher in sexual body esteem, self-efficacy and self-reflection, and those in longer romantic relationships (> 1.5 years) had higher sexual body-esteem and self-efficacy, but lower self-reflection. Females with a history of same-sex sexual experience were higher in sexual entitlement, self-efficacy and self-reflection. In multiple regression, females with a steady partner and who reported more positive romantic quality had greater sexual body-esteem. Females in longer relationships were higher in sexual self-efficacy but lower in self-reflection. Same-sex sexual experience was associated with greater entitlement to self-pleasure. For sexual self-efficacy and self-reflection, having a steady partner and a history of same-sex sexual experience were uniquely associated. The developmental, theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Patterns and Correlates of Same‐Sex Sexual Activity Among U.S. Teenagers and Young Adults

Little is known about the prevalence and correlates of same-sex sexual activity among teenagers and young adults, particularly those who do not identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Effective interventions to prevent STDs require accurate understanding of youths' sexual behavior. Descriptive and regression analyses of data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth examined patterns and correlates of same-sex sexual activity among a sample of 2,688 never-married, noncohabiting men and women aged 15-21. Same-sex behavior was assessed separately by gender, as well as by heterosexual experience and sexual attraction and identity. Eleven percent of women and 4% of men reported same-sex sexual experience. Youth who were attracted only to the opposite sex had a decreased likelihood of reporting same-sex activity (rate ratio, 0.1 for each gender), while women and men who identified themselves as homosexual or bisexual had an elevated likelihood of such activity (5.1 and 5.9, respectively). However, among women who were attracted exclusively to men, those who had had heterosexual sex were more than four times as likely as those who had not to have engaged in same-sex activity. Finally, among youth who reported any same-sex attraction, women and men who said they were homosexual or bisexual had an elevated likelihood of having engaged in same-sex behavior (4.7 and 5.6, respectively). A significant proportion of "straight" youth engage in same-sex activity, and so information on risks associated with such behavior should be included in sex education programs and targeted to all youth.

Young and Sexual in Norway and Croatia: Revisiting the Scandinavian Versus Mediterranean Gendered Pattern of Sexual Initiation

ABSTRACT This article describes and analyzes patterns of first sexual intercourse and contraception use from a bicultural perspective. Study results are based on a 2009–2010 large-scale national probability survey of young adults aged 18 to 24 years in Croatia (n = 1,005) and Norway (n = 871). The findings corroborated the persistence of the dual model of sexual initiation in Europe (Scandinavian vs. Mediterranean), in which Norwegian women and Croatian men reported coital debut at an earlier age than their gender counterparts. Age difference between partners and the prevalence of condom use at first coitus were similar in both countries, with differences in contraceptive choices emerging with time. Young Norwegian men and women switched from using condoms to hormonal contraception when having been coitally active for some time. Interestingly, “the pill” remains rather unpopular among young Croatian women. Controlling for selected variables, using a condom at most recent sexual intercourse was significantly associated with condom use at first intercourse in all groups except Norwegian men, as well as with years of coital activity (except among Croatian men). Additionally, the odds of a condom being used at most recent intercourse were significantly correlated with same-sex sexual experience (only among Norwegian men) and with reporting the most recent intercourse with a casual partner (only among Norwegian participants). Country-specific patterns of contraceptive use are discussed in the context of public health and prevention.

Self-Assessed Risk of HIV and Other STIs Among Young Adults in Norway and Croatia

The purpose of the present study is to explore how sexually active young Norwegian and Croatian adults assess the risk of being infected with HIV and other STIs. Study results are based on a 2009–2010 large-scale national probability survey of young adults aged 18–24 in Croatia (n = 1,005) and Norway (n = 871). A majority of sexually active young adults in Croatia and Norway assessed the risk of becoming infected with HIV or other STIs as low or negligible. Among non-condom users, 85–98% determined they had low or no risk of getting infected with HIV. The corresponding figures for STIs were 77–79%. In both countries a higher HIV risk self-assessment was observed among those who had had same-sex sexual experience, those who reported a higher number of sex partners during the past year, and those who were single. When investigating the patterns of HIV/STI risk assessment, gender and country-related differences appeared. Condom use associated with higher risk assessment was significant only among Croatian men. The strong perception of condom use as being a male responsibility in Croatia may be the reason for a higher risk assessment for unwanted pregnancy and HIV/STIs when protection fails. The risk assessment for HIV/STIs was not associated with partner turnover in Croatian men. New campaigns need to develop gender-sensitive messages, particularly targeting men who believe that a great number of sexual partners is a sign of manliness and women who shy away from their responsibility to use protection.

“Aren't We All a Little Bisexual?”: The Recognition of Bisexuality in an Unlikely Place

The hypermasculine subculture of men's team sports has traditionally been characterized by the one-time rule of homosexuality: one same-sex sexual experience is normally equated with a homosexual orientation. Thus, men have been polarized into sexual identity categories, erasing bisexuality as a legitimate or viable category of sexual identification. Accordingly, in this research the authors examine the perspectives on bisexuality among team sport athletes. Interviewing 60 male soccer players from three strategically selected U.S. universities, the authors show that these athletes accept bisexuality as a legitimate and nonstigmatized sexual identity. The authors find that the athletes intellectualize an understanding of bisexuality in highly complex ways. The authors also highlight that though only a very small minority have engaged in same-sex sexual behaviors, at some level, most players recognize some degree of bisexuality in their own identities. The authors suggest that these results are a product of increased exposure to and contact with homosexual persons, leading to decreasing cultural homohysteria, finally resulting in increasingly open discussion and complex understanding of sexual behaviors and identities that were once erased or stigmatized in men's team sport culture.

Survey investigating homosexual behaviour among adult males used to estimate the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among men who have sex with men in Japan

This study investigated the prevalence of male homosexual behaviour among adult men and of HIV and AIDS among men who have sex with men (MSM) and non-MSM in Japan. An anonymous self-administered postal questionnaire, and national HIV and AIDS notifications. Same-sex sexual experience was reported by 2.0% of respondents. The prevalence of HIV and AIDS was 0.8818% among MSM and 0.0130% among non-MSM, indicating that HIV and AIDS are 68 times more prevalent among MSM. Our findings underestimate homosexual and HIV prevalence due to several methodological limitations. The high prevalence of HIV and AIDS among MSM in comparison with non-MSM indicates the urgent need to prioritise funding and programs targeting MSM in Japan.