Would You Say You "Had Sex" If . . . ?

TLDR

The public debate over whether oral sex counts as having “had sex” is hampered by a lack of empirical data. The study aimed to identify which sexual interactions Americans consider as having “had sex.” A 1991 survey of 599 randomly selected university students from 29 states assessed attitudes toward sexual behaviors. Approximately 59% of respondents reported that oral‑genital contact does not count as having had sex, 19% felt the same about penile‑anal intercourse, and 79% identified as politically moderate to conservative, underscoring divergent views.

Abstract

ContextThe current public debate regarding whether oral sex constitutes having "had sex" or sexual relations has reflected a lack of empirical data on how Americans as a population define these terms.ObjectiveTo determine which interactions individuals would consider as having "had sex."MethodsA question was included in a survey conducted in 1991 that explored sexual behaviors and attitudes among a random stratified sample of 599 students representative of the undergraduate population of a state university in the Midwest.ParticipantsThe participants originated from 29 states, including all 4 US Census Bureau geographic regions. Approximately 79% classified themselves as politically moderate to conservative.Main Outcome MeasurePercentage of respondents who believed the interaction described constituted having "had sex."ResultsIndividual attitudes varied regarding behaviors defined as having "had sex": 59% (95% confidence interval, 54%-63%) of respondents indicated that oral-genital contact did not constitute having "had sex" with a partner. Nineteen percent responded similarly regarding penile-anal intercourse.ConclusionsThe findings support the view that Americans hold widely divergent opinions about what behaviors do and do not constitute having "had sex."