Health: Wellings and Colleagues’ Sexual Behaviour in Britain

Abstract

Sex is a topic which is virtually guaranteed to attract widespread attention. Indeed, from the expansive media coverage of the latest exploits of the rich and famous or the indiscretions of senior politicians, through to routine office gossip about who is sleeping with whom, one might reasonably conclude that the British probably spend far more time talking about sex than they do in actually having sex — however defined! Undoubtedly, much of this fascination can be attributed to prurience on the part of the British public (for which we are, of course, internationally renowned). It may equally be the case, however, that many people are merely eager to find a benchmark for their own behaviours and attitudes. A flip through the pages of the average glossy magazine does not exactly help in this regard, with the typical story lines of many publications — aimed at both men and women — doubtless leaving many readers feeling somewhat inadequate! It is in this context, then, that the specific fascination of the sex survey needs to be considered. It perhaps also helps to explain why many people seem to be quite happy to reveal their most intimate sexual attitudes and behaviours to a total stranger, whether that stranger be the features editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, or a door-to-door survey interviewer. Perhaps it is felt that the giving of such information is a price worth paying for being able to discover at the end of the day whether or not one’s own attitudes and behaviours are statistically ‘normal’ or ‘average’.