Skip to main content
Log in

Correlates of Heterosexual Behavior Among 23–87 Year Olds in Denmark and Sweden, 1992–1998

  • Published:
Archives of Sexual Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Correlates of heterosexual behavior, with a particular focus on early and high sexual activity, anal intercourse, prostitute visits, and HIV test activity, were studied. Telephone interviews were conducted with 852 randomly chosen persons who participated as controls in nationwide case–control studies of anogenital cancers in Denmark and Sweden, 1992–1998. While partner numbers and the practice of anal intercourse increased, age at sexual debut declined by 4–5 years (p < 0.001) and the maturation interval between menarche and first coitus halved (from 7 to 3 years, p < 0.001) between persons born in or before 1920 and those born in or after 1960. Women having high sexual activity were more often tested for HIV than less sexually active women, but men visiting prostitutes and those with prior STDs were not HIV tested more than other men. The increasing practice of anal intercourse, particularly among women with many partners, deserves attention, since this practice may erroneously be considered a safe sexual activity. Along with their partners, men with a history of STDs and those visiting prostitutes should be targeted in future safe sex campaigns, since these men appear to be inadequately HIV tested.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • ACSF (1992). AIDS and sexual behaviour in France. Nature 360: 407–409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersson-Ellström, A., Forssman, L., and Milsom, I. (1996). Age at sexual debut related to life-style and reproductive health factors in a group of Swedish teenage girls. Acta Obstet.Gynecol.Scand. 75: 484–489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brähler, E., and Unger, U. (1994). Sexuelle Aktivität im höheren Lebensalter im Kontext von Geschlecht, Familienstand und Persönlichkeitsaspekten-Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Befragung [Sexual activity in old age in the context of gender, marital status and personality-Results of a representative study]. Z.Gerontol.27: 110–115 (in German).

    Google Scholar 

  • European Study Group (1989). Risk factors for male to female transmission of HIV. Br.Med.J.298:411–415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forman, D., and Chilvers, C. (1989). Sexual behaviour of young and middle aged men in England and Wales. Br.Med.J.298: 1137–1142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frisch, M., Glimelius, B., van den Brule, A. J. C., et al. (1997). Sexually transmitted infection as a cause of anal cancer. N.Engl.J.Med.337: 1350–1358.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giesecke, J., Scalia-Tomba, G., Göthberg, M., et al. (1992). Sexual behaviour related to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases-A population based study. Int.J.STD AIDS 3: 255–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glover, B. H. (1977). Sex counseling of the elderly. Hosp.Pract.12: 101–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helm, P., and Lidegaard, Ø. (1989). The relationship between menarche and sexual, contraceptive and reproductive life events. Scand.J.Prim.Health Care 8: 59–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herlitz, C. (1993). Sexual behaviour in the general population of Sweden. Soc.Sci.Med.36: 1535–1540.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, A. M., Wadsworth, J., Wellings, K., et al. (eds.) (1994). Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, Blackwell Scientific, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kingsberg, S. A. (1998). Postmenopausal sexual functioning: A case study. Int.J.Fertil.43: 122–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kjær, S. K., Dahl, C., Bock, J. E., et al. (1990). Seksualvaner hos 20–39 årige kvinder. En sammenligningaf 3 populationsbaserede undersøgelser fra Nykøbing Falster, København og Nuuk/Godthåb [Sexual habits in women aged 20–39 years. A comparison of three population based investigations from Nykøbing Falster, Copenhagen and Nuuk (Godthåb) in Greenland]. Ugeskr.Laeger 152: 2727–2731 (in Danish).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lagergren, M., Giesecke, J., Hallquist, J., et al. (1989). Befarad smitta genom sexuell kontakt vanligaste orsaken till att låta HIV-testa sig [Fear of contamination through sexual contact most common reason for HIV-testing]. Läkartidningen 86: 3570–3577 (in Swedish).

    Google Scholar 

  • Leigh, B. C. (1990). Alcohol and unsafe sex: An overview of research and theory. Prog.Clin.Biol.Res.325: 35–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, B., Fugl-Meyer, K., Helmius, G., et al. (1997). Sex i Sverige.Om sexualitet i Sverige 1996.Preliminär rapport[Sex in Sweden. On sexuality in Sweden 1996. Preliminary report], Folkhälsoinstituttet, Stockholm (in Swedish).

  • Magnus, P., Samuelsen, S. O., Eskild, A., et al. (1994). Omfang av HIV-testing i den norske befolkning sett i sammenheng med seksuell atferd [Magnitude of HIV-testing in the Norwegian population in relation to sexual behavior]. Tidskr.Nor Lægeforen.114: 3064–3067. (in Norwegian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Melbye, M., and Biggar, R. J. (1992). Interactions between persons at risk for AIDS and the general population in Denmark. Am.J.Epidemiol.135: 593–602.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michael, R. T., Wadsworth, J., Feinleib, J., et al. (1998). Private sexual behavior, public opinion, and public health policy related to sexually transmitted diseases: A US-British comparison. Am.J. Public Health 88: 749–754.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, I. L., Fog, E., Larsen, J. L., et al. (1986). 70–årige kvinders seksuelle adfærd, oplevelse, viden og holdning [A presentation of the sexual behavior, experience, knowledge and attitudes of 70–year-old women]. Ugeskr.Laeger 148: 2863–2866 (in Danish).

    Google Scholar 

  • Persson, E., and Jarlbro, G. (1992). Tidlig sexualdebut indikator på sexuellt riskbeteende [Early sexual debut as an indicator of sexual risk behavior]. Läkartidningen 89: 1276–1277 (in Swedish).

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute (1996). The GENMOD procedure. In SAS/STAT Software: Changes and Enhancements Through Release 6.11, SAS Institute, Cary, NC, pp. 231–316.

  • Schmidt, K. W., Krasnik, A., Brendstrup, E., et al. (1989). Occurrence of sexual behaviour related to the risk of HIV-infection. A survey among Danish men, 16–55 years of age. Danish Med.Bull. 36: 84–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, E., and Rix, B. A. (1995). HIV-testning i Danmark i 1993: blev der testet relevant? [HIV-testing in Denmark in 1993: Is self-selection working?]. Ugeskr.Laeger 157: 6125–6129 (in Danish).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundet, J. M., Kvalem, I. L., Magnus, P., et al. (1988). Prevalence of risk-prone sexual behaviour in the general population of Norway. In Fleming, A. F., Carballo, M., and Fitzsimons, D. F. (eds.), The Global Impact of AIDS, Alan R. Liss, New York, pp. 53–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundet, J. M., Magnus, P., Kvalem, I. L., et al. (1992). Secular trends and sociodemographic regularities of coital debut age in Norway. Arch.Sex.Behav.21: 241–252.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uitenbroek, D. G. (1994). The relationship between sexual behaviour and health lifestyle. AIDS Care 6: 237–246.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jæger, A.B., Gramkow, A., Sørensen, P. et al. Correlates of Heterosexual Behavior Among 23–87 Year Olds in Denmark and Sweden, 1992–1998. Arch Sex Behav 29, 91–106 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1001890622358

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1001890622358

Navigation