The OLB Research Institute is currently working on one of the United States’ first assessments of the sexual behaviors of gay and bisexually identified men. An academic version of the study, “Sexual Behaviors and Situational Characteristics of Most Recent Male-Partnered Sexual Event Among Gay and Bisexually Identified Men in the United States,” was recently published online.
The study consists of an online questionnaire that asked participants to indicate, among other issues, which of 12 sexual behaviors they had engaged in during their most recent sexual encounter with a male partner, the location of the activity, and the nature of the relationship.
The most commonly reported sexual behavior was giving oral sex, which 75 percent of the participants mentioned. The sexual behaviors of kissing on the mouth and receiving oral sex were mentioned almost as frequently.
The least commonly reported sexual behaviors were receptive or insertive anal intercourse, which approximately 35 percent of the participants mentioned. The most common combination of behavior was holding the partner romantically, kissing the partner on the mouth, solo masturbation, masturbating the partner, masturbation by the partner and genital-genital contact. However, this combination was performed by only 16 percent of the participants.
This study demonstrates just how diverse the sexual experiences of gay and bisexually identified men are. Participants who identified as gay reported a total of 1,308 combinations of behavior. Participants who identified as bisexual reported a total of 617 combinations of behavior. The study also implies that anal intercourse is the least common sexual activity, most sexual activity occurred in a house, and transactional relationships make up only a small percentage of sexual activity among gay and bisexual men.
A community version of the study will be released to the public on www.mensnationalsexstudy.com on or after Oct. 27.