Bi- and Homosexuality in European sex surveys from the perspective of couple history Osmo Kontula, Ph.D.

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?

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

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 N Response rate Switzerland ,9% Norway ,2% England ,9% Germany ,7% France ,9% Italy ,9% Greece ,1% Portugal ,0% Spain

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…” 1. 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

”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?”

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

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 S ame-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

Bi-sexuals (Tr æ en 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

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 male- male 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. I n 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