CDC: Sexual behavior, attraction, orientation generally similar from 2006 to 2013

National estimates of sexual behavior, attraction and orientation remained similar from 2006 to 2013, though rates of same-sex contact and bisexuality among women increased during that time period, according to a recent CDC report.

“Further information on the relationships among sexual behavior, sexual attraction and sexual orientation may help to identify populations at risk of [sexually transmitted infections] or HIV in the U.S. and to better target health-related programs and interventions aimed at reducing these risks,” Casey E. Copen, PhD, of the division of vital statistics at the National Center for Health Statistics, CDC, and colleagues wrote. “In addition, nationally representative data on sexual behavior, attraction, and orientation can be helpful in understanding patterns of fertility and family formation in the U.S. household population.”

To determine national estimates of sexual behavior, sexual attraction and sexual orientation, researchers analyzed data from the 2011 to 2013 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), which included in-person interviews with 10,416 individuals aged 15 to 44 years. Data for 9,175 individuals were used for this report.

Regarding opposite-sex sexual behavior, 94.2% of women and 92% of men reported ever having vaginal intercourse; 86.2% of women and 87.4% of men reported ever having oral sex; and 35.9% of women and 42.3% of men reported ever having anal sex.

Nearly three times as many women reported engaging in same-sex contact in their lifetime, compared with men (17.4% vs. 6.2%).

Feelings of attraction “only to the opposite sex” were more common among men than women (92.1% vs. 81%).

The majority of study respondents reported they were “heterosexual or straight” (92.3% of women, 95.1% of men); 1.3% of women and 1.9% of men reported they were “homosexual, gay or lesbian;” 5.5% of women and 2% of men reported they were bisexual; and approximately 1% of men and women didn’t know or didn’t report sexual orientation.

Sexual attraction and sexual orientation correlated closely, but not completely, with reported sexual behavior, according to researchers.

Sexual behavior, sexual attraction and sexual orientation varied by age, marital or cohabiting status, education, race and Hispanic origin.

“Estimates of sexual behaviors, sexual attraction and sexual orientation among women and men aged 18-44 were generally similar between the 2011-2013 and 2006-2010 NSFG. However, significantly higher percentages of women in the 2011-2013 NSFG reported ever having had same-sex sexual contact (17.4%) compared with women in the 2006-2010 NSFG (14.2%), and higher percentages of women (5.5%) and men (2.0%) in the 2011-2013 NSFG said they were bisexual compared with women (3.9%) and men (1.2%) in the 2006-2010 NSFG,” the researchers concluded. – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

Reference:

Copen CE, et al. National health statistics reports, no 88. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2016.