10 Mar, 2010

A new study conducted by the Kinsley Institute of Indiana University has found “no universal consensus on which behaviours constituted having sex”, reported the LA Times.

Results were obtained from 486 random telephone surveys of adults between 18-96 years of age (204 men and 282 women), most of whom were heterosexual.

Whilst 95% of respondents identify penile-vaginal intercourse as “having sex”, a significant 11% said they do not consider it to be sex unless “ejaculation occurs”.

The findings further showed that approximately one in three adults do not classify oral sex as “sex”, and one in five do not believe anal sex is counted as “sex”.

These results were mostly represented in younger (18-29) and older ( 65+) age groups and were similar across both genders.

“There’s a vagueness of what sex is in our culture and media," said the study’s co-author William L. Yarber in a release. "If people don't consider certain behaviors as sex, they might not think sexual health messages about risk pertain to them.”
 
While this is slightly humorous in a Bill Clinton-esque sense, the level of confusion is actually rather alarming. Considering how much we think and talk about sex in our culture – you’d think we’d be experts by now.


By Penelope Roth