Bi- and Homosexuality in
European sex surveys from
the perspective of couple
history
Osmo Kontula, Ph.D.
[email protected]
http://www.vaestoliitto.fi/english/activ/cvkontula.htm
Bi- and Homosexuals in sex surveys
Most of the studies are HIV-focused,
not much has been published with
intention to understand sexual
expression outside more problem
focused areas – the main interest is
usually to understand HIV transmission
dynamics.
The lack of generally agreed-upon
definition of bisexuality make
comparison across surveys difficult
- Sexual contact had even been defined as
intercourse to the point of orgasm
- Samples often recruited from at-risk
populations
- What constitutes bisexuality and how to
measure it?
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Hom os e xuality can alw ays - ne ve r be jus tifie d
Scale 1 - 10; Surve ys 1999-2000
Mean
9
9
7
7
5
5
3
3
1
1
Kontula 2003
The New Encounter Module
(NEM) Project, funded by
“Europe against AIDS” EU
programme
Coordinator of the project is Michel Hubert,
Facultés Universitais Saint-Louis, Bruxelles
http://www.fusl.ac.be/Files/General/ces/rechsida.AC2.html
The aim of the NEM Project
To provide cross-national analyses on
both risky and protected behaviour
The use of a common set of indicators
and survey questions in the general
population surveys aimed at following
up HIV/AIDS prevention in European
countries
”New Encounter Module” (NEM) Project
Surveys
Country
Year
Switzerland
Norway
England
Germany
France
Italy
Greece
Portugal
Spain
1997
1997
1998
1998
1998
1998
1998
1999
2001
N
2659
3723
5801
3600
2223
2603
2000
1000
2935
Response rate
68,9%
37,2%
77,9%
68,7%
75,9%
80,9%
84,1%
86,0%
..
Partner approach in NEM
surveys
No questions on
- fantasies
- emotional/physical
attraction
- self-definition/identity
Questions and response
categories in NEM surveys
”What was the sex of your first partner?”
”Over your life, did you have sex…”
With women only
2. Primarily with women, but with at least one man
as well
3. With both women and men
4. Primarily with men, but with at least one woman
as well
5. With men only
1.
”With how many persons of your own sex
have you had sex over the last 5 years,
even only once?”
”With how many persons of your own sex
have you had sex over the last 12
months, even only once?”
”What is the last new partner’s sex?”
Finland: ”Have you had sexual
experiences (arousing fondling or
intercourse) with a person of the same
sex?”
In life tim e has had s e x w ith s om e body of s am e s e x
%
9
8
7
6
5
4
Men
W omen
3
2
1
0
Switzerland 97
Italy 98
Portugal 99
Finland 99
Sweden 96
Greece 98
Norway 97
France 98
England 98
Kontula 2003
Has had s e x w ith at le as t one pe rs on of s am e s e x
ove r the las t 12 m onths
%
4
3
Men
W omen
2
1
0
Spain 01
Italy 98
Greece 98
Portugal 99
Norway 97
Finland 99
France 98
Kontula 2003
Heteroscript=Primarily with
opposite sex, but with at least
one man/woman as well
Bisexual=With both women and
men
Homosexual=Primarily with
men/women, but with at least
one woman/men as well +
With men/women only
Sexual relationship w ith sam e sex over the last
5 years by sexual orientation
M en
%
100
80
60
H eteroscript
B isexual
H omosexual
40
20
0
Spain 01
Italy 98
Norway 97
France 98
Kontula 2003
Sexual relationship w ith sam e sex over the last
5 years by sexual orientation
Wom en
%
100
80
60
H eteroscript
B isexual
H omosexual
40
20
0
Spain 01
Italy 98
Norway 97
France 98
Kontula 2003
A substantial proportion of people with
homosexual experiences do not
continue to have them as they grow
older
-
such experiences are more likely to occur among men
in the teen years (at least before the age of 25)
- some women become homosexually active first in their
late 20s, 30s and 40s
- first homosexual experiences seem to occur later in life
if one lives in a country with less positive climate
towards homosexuality
National Health and Social Life Survey
(NHSLS)
Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels
1994
Same-gender sexual desire
Appeal
The appeal of sex with someone of the same gender
Attraction
The gender of the people to whom is sexually attracted
Identity
Do you think of yourself as heterosexual, homosexual,
bisexual, or something else?
Bi- and Homosexuality
types in the U.S. survey
50% only desire
20% only behaviour
10% desire+behaviour
1% only identity
20% desire +identity+behaviour
¤ The social control of sexuality is
less strict upon fantasies and
attraction than upon behavior
¤ Some engage in sex with same
gender partners without any erotic or
psychological desire because they
have been forced (prisons) or enticed
into doing so (also compensation for
missing opposite gender partner)
Heteroscript/Bisexuals
¤ fantasies and sexual stimulation with same
gender much higher among women
(remain hidden)
¤ ménage a trios (two women and a man
watching) as part of heterosexual script
¤ men more often than women (25%/4% in
Norway) accept that their partner is attracted
to a person of the same gender
Sexual interest, em otions and experiences of sam e
sex in Sw eden
%
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Men
W omen
Sexual f antasies
A pproves for part ner
H as been in love
Might be st imulat ed
H as been at tracted
Sexual experiences
Kontula 2003
Bi-sexuals
(Træen et al 2002)
Are sexually more active
¤ have significantly higher number of lifetime
sex partners
¤ a broad repertoire of sexual acts: higher
freguency of oral and anal sex and
masturbation
¤ lower age at orgasm and masturbation
debut
Is cohabiting w ith a sexual partner
m en by sexual experiences
%
80
70
60
50
H eterosex
H eteroscript
B i/H omosex
40
30
20
10
d
gl
an
En
Fr
an
ce
l
ga
rtu
Po
No
rw
ay
e
G
re
ec
ly
Ita
Sp
ai
n
0
Kontula 2003
Is cohabiting w ith a sexual partner
w om en by sexual experiences
%
80
70
60
50
H eterosex
H eteroscript
B i/H omosex
40
30
20
10
d
gl
an
En
Fr
an
ce
l
ga
rtu
Po
No
rw
ay
e
G
re
ec
ly
Ita
Sp
ai
n
0
Kontula 2003
Is m arried
m en by sexual experiences
%
60
50
40
H eterosex
H eteroscript
B i/H omosex
30
20
10
d
gl
an
En
nd
rla
itz
e
Sw
Fr
an
ce
l
ga
rtu
Po
No
rw
ay
e
G
re
ec
ly
Ita
Sp
ai
n
0
Kontula 2003
Is m arried
w om en by sexual experiences
%
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
d
gl
an
En
nd
rla
itz
e
Sw
Fr
an
ce
l
ga
rtu
Po
No
rw
ay
e
G
re
ec
ly
Ita
Sp
ai
n
H eterosex
H eteroscript
B i/H omosex
Kontula 2003
Is cohabiting w ith a sexual partner
m en by sam e-sex sexual experiences
%
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Fr
an
ce
l
ga
rtu
Po
No
rw
ay
e
G
re
ec
ly
Ita
Sp
ai
n
over last 5 years
over last 12 months
Kontula 2003
Is cohabiting w ith a sexual partner
w om en by sam e-sex sexual experie nces
%
60
50
40
over last 5 years
over last 12 months
30
20
10
Fr
an
ce
l
ga
rtu
Po
No
rw
ay
e
G
re
ec
ly
Ita
Sp
ai
n
0
Kontula 2003
Has cohabited or been m arried in the life tim e
There is a m an or w om an w ho loves a respondent
by current sexual interest in Finland
%
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
0
0
lo
v
ed
,i
s
lo
v
W
om
en
,i
s
ab
oh
,c
en
om
W
M
en
d
ite
ab
oh
,c
M
en
H eterosex
H eteroscript
B i/H omosex
ed
100
ite
d
100
Kontula 2003
Limitations of national sex surveys:
”Homosexuality is a complex, multidimensional
phenomenon, there is no single answer to
questions about the prevalence of
homosexuality.”
”A major limitation of national sex surveys is
that very large samples are needed to find
enough people with homosexual experiences to
allow statistical analyses.”
”National sample cannot answer the kind of
detailed questions which are relevant to
understanding homosexual lifestyle.”
The estimates derived from survey data on
socially stigmatized sexual behaviors and
feelings, whether they be masturbation,
homosexual relations, prostitution,
pornography, anal sex, or extramarital
affairs, are no doubt lower-bound
estimates.
Improving the consepts and
the structure of the survey
1. A broad definition of the term sex or
sexual conduct is vitally important!
2. Need for multidimensional filters!
3. Creation of enhanced items:
- together with same-gender interviewer
can even triple a prevalence in a survey
Improving data
collection techniques
A computer driven tehchnology:
Administers questionnaires in audio
format and records respondents
answers (ACASI)
Gives higher prevalences in malemale sex than paper-and-pencil
technic (Turner et al 1996)
Advantages of national sex surveys
We know very little of men and women
who are not linked to the gay world.
In representative samples there is a lot
more homosexuality (feelings and
experiences) than there are in urban
convenience samples homosexually
identified men and women.
- for example gay men in convenience
samples are much more promiscuous