Journal article
The prevalence of homosexual behavior and attraction in the United States, the United Kingdom and France: Results of national population-based samples
Archives of sexual behavior, v 24(3), pp 235-248
01 Jun 1995
PMID: 7611844
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Researchers determining the prevalence of homosexuality in nationally representative samples have focused upon determining the prevalence of homosexual behavior, ignoring those individuals whose sexual attraction to the same sex had not resulted in sexual behavior. We examine the use of sexual attraction as well as sexual behavior to estimate the prevalence of homosexuality in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France using the Project HOPE International Survey of AIDS-Risk Behaviors. We find that 8.7, 7.9, and 8.5% of males and 11.1, 8.6, and 11.7% of females in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, respectively, report some homosexual attraction but no homosexual behavior since age 15. Further, considering homosexual behavior and homosexual attraction as different but overlapping dimensions of homosexuality, we find 20.8, 16.3, and 18.5% of males, and 17.8, 18.6, and 18.5% of females in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France report either homosexual behavior or homosexual attraction since age 15. Examination of homosexual behavior separately finds that 6.2, 4.5, and 10.7% of males and 3.6, 2.1, and 3.3% of females in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, respectively, report having had sexual contact with someone of the same sex in the previous 5 years. Our findings highlight the importance of using more than just homosexual behavior to examine the prevalence of homosexuality.
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Details
- Title
- The prevalence of homosexual behavior and attraction in the United States, the United Kingdom and France: Results of national population-based samples
- Creators
- Randall SellJames WellsDavid Wypij
- Publication Details
- Archives of sexual behavior, v 24(3), pp 235-248
- Publisher
- Springer Nature B.V
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:A1995QY74200001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-0029006826
- Other Identifier
- 991021895786004721
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Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychology, Clinical
- Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary