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International Handbook on the Demography of Sexuality pp 45–66Cite as

Sexual Behavior, Sexual Attraction, and Sexual Identity in the United States: Data from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth

Part of the International Handbooks of Population book series (IHOP,volume 5)

Abstract

This chapter presents national estimates of several types of sexual behavior among men and women 15–44 years of age in the United States in 2006–2010, as well as measures of sexual attraction and identity for adults 18–44. Data are drawn primarily from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), a nationally-representative, probability-based sample of 22,682 men and women 15–44 in the U.S. household population. Among adults 25–44, about 98 % of women and 97 % of men ever had vaginal intercourse, 89 % of women 91 % of men ever had oral sex with an opposite-sex partner, and 37 % of women and 45 % of men ever had anal sex with an opposite-sex partner. Women 25–44 were twice as likely as men 25–44 to report any same-sex contact in their lifetimes (13 % of women and 5.7 % of men). Sexual attraction and identity correlate closely but not completely with reports of sexual behavior. Sexual behaviors, attraction, and identity vary by age, marital and cohabiting status, education, race and Hispanic origin. These behaviors and characteristics are relevant to birth and pregnancy rates, as well as the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Keywords

  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • Sexual Identity
  • Sexual Attraction
  • Vaginal Intercourse
  • Cohabit Status

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Vital Statistics, CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD, USA

    Anjani Chandra Ph.D., Casey E. Copen Ph.D. & William D. Mosher Ph.D.

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  1. Anjani Chandra Ph.D.
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  2. Casey E. Copen Ph.D.
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  3. William D. Mosher Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Anjani Chandra Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Sociology, University of Houston, Philip Hoffman Hall 450, Houston, 77204, Texas, USA

    Amanda K. Baumle

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Chandra, A., Copen, C.E., Mosher, W.D. (2013). Sexual Behavior, Sexual Attraction, and Sexual Identity in the United States: Data from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth. In: Baumle, A. (eds) International Handbook on the Demography of Sexuality. International Handbooks of Population, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5512-3_4

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