Wow, to be a paid researcher in America to study the sexual behaviors of Americans. Now that’s an enticing job. Where do I sign up?
Apparently I’d pop on over to Indiana University, as that’s where the latest batch of researchers come from who have something to say about sex in America.
As a part of the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, researchers surveyed a national, representative sample of 5,865 people ages 14 to 94. They recently published some of their initial findings in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
So without further ado, here are 11 surprising facts about sex in America from that survey.
1. Condom use is pretty uncommon.
Only 1 in 4 acts of sexual intercourse are protected by a condom. Condoms are, of course, the most reliable method to avoid sexually transmitted diseases while having sex.
2. Yet condom use is just as pleasurable.
Contrary to popular wisdom, people surveyed said that their sexual pleasure was just as intense with condom use as it was without. This included arousal, pleasure and achieving orgasm.
3. Americans like variety.
The researchers detailed over 40 different combinations of sexual activity when participants were asked to describe their most recent sexual encounter.
4. Men orgasm from regular intercourse most often; women, on the other hand, require more of a variety of sexual acts — which may include oral or vaginal intercourse — in order to orgasm.
While men enjoy sexual variety as much as women, they don’t need it in order to enjoy an orgasm. Women appear to benefit more from such variety in order to make the likelihood of an orgasm greater.
5. Men don’t have a clue when it comes to their partner’s orgasm.
While 85 percent of men reported their partner had an orgasm during their most recent sexual activity, only 64 percent of women reported having had an orgasm. The difference of over 20 percent isn’t accounted for simply because of same-sex relationships.
It suggests men overestimate their partner’s sexual experience, or that women are leading men to believe they orgasmed in order to end the sexual activity earlier.
6. Most teenagers aren’t doing it as often as you might think.
Only 27 percent of teens surveyed said they had intercourse in the past 3 months.
7. More of us try out a gay, lesbian or bisexual activity once in our lives than you might think.
The survey found that 8 percent of men and 7 percent of women identified themselves as either gay, lesbian or bisexual. But this percentage was much lower than the proportion of individuals who had said “Yes” to a question about whether they’ve ever had same-gender sexual activity in their lives. Many people may experiment with such activities, but stick to what feels best for them in the end.
8. You don’t have to be young to enjoy sex.
Older adults report enjoying and engaging in sexual activity nearly as much as younger adults. In fact, the survey found that men in their 50s are having more sex than teenage males.
9. Men give oral sex as much as they receive it.
Contrary to popular wisdom again, men — especially older men — give as much oral sex to women as women give to men. While the difference is greatest in the 20 to 24 year old range (with only 55 percent of men saying they’ve given it in the past year, compared to 74 percent of women), the tables turn as we age. In the 30 to 39 age range, 69 percent of men report having given a woman oral sex, while only 59 percent of women have.
In other age ranges, the differences are far less greater, with only a few percentage points differentiating the two groups.
10. Both men and women masturbate.
The vast majority of people at all age groups masturbate. Yes, men regularly out-masturbate women, with over 80 percent of 20 to 29 year old men reporting masturbating in the past year. But women are no slackers either, with 64 to 72 percent of women in the same age range reporting masturbating in the past year.
11. We all like to brag.
Similar to point #5, more people in the survey said they received oral sex than those who said they gave oral sex. If everyone was telling the truth, these numbers should be within a few percentage points of one another.
Instead, we see many discrepancies. For instance, 70 percent of women claimed to have received oral sex from a man in the 20 to 24 age group, but only 55 percent of men admitted to having given oral to a woman. Sixty-two percent of men aged 40 to 49 claimed they received oral, but only 53 percent of women said they gave it.
Apparently saying you’ve received oral sex is still more attractive than saying you’ve given it.
I would’ve thought that the University of Texas would have come out with this researcher, as their researchers came up with the 237 reasons to have sex from a 2007 survey. And while 5 minutes may be enough for most people to have sex, I think I’ll take my time next time I’m in the mood!
Enticing findings indeed.
Read the full article: Snapshot of America’s Sexual Behaviors
13 comments
“Instead, we see many discrepancies. For instance, 70 percent of women claimed to have received oral sex from a man in the 20 to 24 age group, but only 55 percent of men admitted to having given oral to a woman. Sixty-two percent of men aged 40 to 49 claimed they received oral, but only 53 percent of women said they gave it.”
These are only discrepancies on the assumption that men and women are arranged in monogamous one-to-one pairs that never change. This is of course not the case, and not just because there are homosexuals. The two ‘discrepancies’ cited here could each be explained by the hypothesis — prima facie a plausible one — that people who perform oral sex tend to be more than averagely promiscuous. So those 70 percent of women received oral sex from those 55 percent of men, etc.
It means that the 55% men are the men who get most of the pussy. There may be 100 men and a 100 women, but chances are that those 100 women will choose to screw only half of the men, meaning they are willing to share the men because the other 45% of men are unattractive.
>So those 70 percent of women received oral sex from
>those 55 percent of men, etc.
Yep; I had exactly the same initial reactions – we simply can’t draw such easy conclusions from this data.
This is the problem with self-reports,the researchers never know if the person reporting is being truthful.
people who perform oral sex tend to be more than averagely promiscuous
I don’t think this is a very good hypothesis to start with. You just can’t pick one piece of data and not challenge the hypothesis.
What does “averagely promiscuous” mean?
70% 55% 53% said they gave it, so the majority are more than “averagely promiscuous” ?
People, take YOUR time, enjoy. Most important is to be comfortable in your own skin.
Just want to point out that discrepancies may also be caused by unfaithfulness to a partner. More guys or girls (depending on what’s “in style”) may be having sexual activity than the other gender based on cheating in relationships. Just want to put that out there.
English is not my first language so I might have missed some relevant data but it seems to me the author assumed people only have sex with people within their age group. Couldn’t the discrepancies have been caused by for example 20 year olds having sex with 40 year olds etc.?
Exactly! It asked how many women in the 20 to 24 age group were receiving oral sex. It didn’t ask the age of their partners. Many of them, no doubt, are receiving it from older men.
Interesting that women 20-24 have much more sexual encounters with women then in any age group and that is the college age. Must be doing it to impress guys or drunken experimentation’s because then it goes down in ages older then that and its probably a one time thing.
I’m in my 50’s and I’ve both given and received oral sex in most of my sexual encounters, and I’ve been with about 300 women in my lifetime. Currently, I don’t enjoy sex unless I’ve wound my woman up so tight, and made her squirt before I bone her. Sex at this age is so much better than sex when I was younger, I suppose because I am so much more experienced now and can give far more pleasure to my partner. It makes it so much better for me this way. I never leave my partner without having given her at least a half dozen, more times a bakers dozen of orgasms. I am the man these days. I effing love it. If I had it to do all over again, I’d wouldn’t even waste my time on any woman less than 35 years old. Nothing beats a fully matured woman. They are sexual beasts and they bring the very best out in me. Any young men reading this, if you do not take my advice, one day , I promise, you will wish you had. Women over 35. There is no better pussy on the planet.
The oral sex part is completely flawed. It is a known fact that as a woman age she becomes more giving and a freak in bed. In fact more matured women are open and get pleasured in giving. Experience will tell you this and many other men who have will agree to this. And yes there is another survey indicating matured women give more oral sex than younger girls while matured men give far less oral sex than young guys.
1. Condom use is pretty uncommon.
How else can a woman trap a man into marriage?
2. Yet condom use is just as pleasurable.
No, it’s not. It’s merely OK, and I never refused a request to put one on. But without IS better.
3. Americans like variety.
I don’t have a high “number”, but In only ever had one partner who actually liked variety. Even with that, none of them gave oral or liked receiving it. But they all like me giving them orgasms!
4. Men orgasm from regular intercourse most often …
What other result is possible when missionary PIV is all a man can expect?
5. Men don’t have a clue when it comes to their partner’s orgasm.
Since all women are different when it comes to how this is displayed, they do need to be honest with their men when they do have an orgasm, for how else is he to know when he’s dog what she likes?
6. Most teenagers aren’t doing it as often as you might think.
Teens today have more things to do which they find more rewarding than sex. Considering how the gender war is so horrible right now, this is actually a good thing.
7. More of us try out a gay, lesbian or bisexual activity once in our lives than you might think.
A brother’s friend is the only one I know of who fits this item. I’d want to see supporting information before I’d believe this one.
8. You don’t have to be young to enjoy sex.
You do have to have a partner who wants to as you do yourself. That becomes rare during the menopause years. “Me No Pause” – yet most women do.
9. Men give oral sex as much as they receive it.
Based on my life, I say BS! If I held off until I’d been serviced orally, no woman would ever have received it from me. No woman ever reciprocated, either.
10. Both men and women masturbate.
My ex did all the time, yet denied it each time I called her on it. If I didn’t, I’d have had no sex life.
11. We all like to brag.
Braggarts lie to cover up that they rarely get to have sex.
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