Promiscuity

Last updated

Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual activity frequently with different partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. [1] The term can carry a moral judgment. A common example of behavior viewed as promiscuous by many cultures is the one-night stand, and its frequency is used by researchers as a marker for promiscuity. [2]

Contents

What sexual behavior is considered promiscuous varies between cultures, as does the prevalence of promiscuity. Different standards are often applied to different genders and civil statutes. Feminists have traditionally argued a significant double standard exists between how men and women are judged for promiscuity. Historically, stereotypes of the promiscuous woman have tended to be pejorative, such as "the slut" or "the harlot", while male stereotypes have been more varied, some expressing approval, such as "the stud" or "the player", while others imply societal deviance, such as "the womanizer" or "the philanderer". A scientific study published in 2005 found that promiscuous men and women are both prone to derogatory judgment. [3]

Promiscuity is common in many animal species. [4] Some species have promiscuous mating systems, ranging from polyandry and polygyny to mating systems with no stable relationships where mating between two individuals is a one-time event. Many species form stable pair bonds, but still mate with other individuals outside the pair. In biology, incidents of promiscuity in species that form pair bonds are usually called extra-pair copulations.

Motivations

Accurately assessing people's sexual behavior is difficult, since strong social and personal motivations occur, depending on social sanctions and taboos, for either minimizing or exaggerating reported sexual activity.

American experiments in 1978 and 1982 found the great majority of men were willing to have sex with women they did not know, of average attractiveness, who propositioned them. No woman, by contrast, agreed to such propositions from men of average attractiveness. While men were in general comfortable with the requests, regardless of their willingness, women responded with shock and disgust. [5]

The number of sexual partners people have had in their lifetimes varies widely within a population. We see a higher number of people who are more comfortable with their sexuality in the modern world. A 2007 nationwide survey in the United States found the median number of female sexual partners reported by men was seven and the median number of male partners reported by women was four. The men possibly exaggerated their reported number of partners, women reported a number lower than the actual number, or a minority of women had a sufficiently larger number than most other women to create a mean significantly higher than the median, or all of the above. About 29% of men and 9% of women reported to have had more than 15 sexual partners in their lifetimes. [6] Studies of the spread of sexually transmitted infections consistently demonstrate a small percentage of the studied population has more partners than the average man or woman, and a smaller number of people have fewer than the statistical average. An important question in the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections is whether or not these groups copulate mostly at random with sexual partners from throughout a population or within their social groups.

A 2006 systematic review analyzing data from 59 countries worldwide found no association between regional sexual behavior tendencies, such as number of sexual partners, and sexual-health status. Much more predictive of sexual-health status are socioeconomic factors like poverty and mobility. [7] Other studies have suggested that people with multiple casual sex partners are more likely to be diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections. [8]

Severe and impulsive promiscuity, along with a compulsive urge to engage in illicit sex with attached individuals is a common symptom of borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder but most promiscuous individuals do not have these disorders. [9]

Cross-cultural studies

In 2008, a U.S. university study of international promiscuity found that Finns have had the largest number of sex partners in the industrialized world, and British people have the largest number among big western industrial nations. [10] The study measured one-night stands, attitudes to casual sex, and number of sexual partners.[ citation needed ] A 2014 nationwide survey in the United Kingdom named Liverpool the country's most promiscuous city. [11]

Britain's position on the international index "may be linked to increasing social acceptance of promiscuity among women as well as men". Britain's ranking was "ascribed to factors such as the decline of religious scruples about extramarital sex, the growth of equal pay and equal rights for women, and a highly sexualized popular culture". [12] [13] [14]

The top-10-ranking OECD nations with a population over 10 million on the study's promiscuity index, in descending order, were the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Czechia, Australia, the United States, France, Turkey, Mexico, and Canada. [12] [13] [14]

A 2017 survey by Superdrug found that the United Kingdom was the country with the most sex partners with an average of 7, while Austria had around 6.5. [15] [16] The 2012 Trojan Sex Life Survey found that African American men reported an average of 38 sex partners in their lifetime. [17] A study funded by condom-maker Durex, conducted in 2006 and published in 2009, measured promiscuity by a total number of sexual partners. The survey found Austrian men had the highest number of sex partners globally, with 29.3 sexual partners on average. New Zealand women had the highest number of sex partners for females in the world with an average of 20.4 sexual partners. In all of the countries surveyed, except New Zealand, men reported more sexual partners than women. [18] [19]

One review found the people from developed Western countries had more sex partners than people from developing countries in general, while the rate of STIs was higher in developing countries. [7]

According to the 2005 Global Sex Survey by Durex, people have had on average nine sexual partners, the most in Turkey (14.5) and Australia (13.3), and the fewest in India (3) and China (3.1). [20]

In many cases, the population of each country that participates is approximately 1000 people and can equate to less than 0.0003% of the population, e.g. the 2017 survey of 42 nations surveyed only 33,000 people. In India, data was collected from less than 0.000001% of the total population at that time. [21] [18] [22] According to the 2012 General Social Survey in the United States by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, Protestants on average had more sex partners than Catholics. [23] Similarly, a 2019 study by the Institute for Family Studies in the US found that of never married young people, Protestants have more sexual partners than Catholics. [24]

Male promiscuity

John Wilmot, a notorious libertine John Wilmot.jpg
John Wilmot, a notorious libertine
Giacomo Casanova was famously promiscuous. Calonghi.jpg
Giacomo Casanova was famously promiscuous.

Straight men (heterosexuals)

A 1994 study in the United States, which looked at the number of sexual partners in a lifetime, found 20% of heterosexual men had one partner, 55% had two to 20 partners, and 25% had more than 20 sexual partners. [26] More recent studies have reported similar numbers. [27]

In the United Kingdom, a nationally representative study in 2013 found that 33.9% of heterosexual men had 10 or more lifetime sexual partners. Among men between 45 and 54 years old, 43.1% reported 10 or more sexual partners. [28]

A 2003 representative study in Australia found that heterosexual men had a median of 8 female sexual partners in their lifetime. For lifetime sexual partners: 5.8% had 0 partners, 10.3% had 1 partner, 6.1% had 2 partners, 33% had between 3 and 9 partners, 38.3% had between 10 and 49 partners and 6.6% had more than 50 female sexual partners. [29]

A 2014 representative study in Australia found that heterosexual men had a median of 7.8 female sexual partners in their lifetime. For lifetime sexual partners: 3.7% had 0 partners, 12.6% had 1 partner, 6.8% had 2 partners, 32.3% had between 3 and 9 partners, 36.9% had between 10 and 49 partners and 7.8% had more than 50 female sexual partners. [30]

Research by J. Michael Bailey found that heterosexual men had the same level of interest in casual sex as gay men. However he found straight men were limited in their ability to acquire high numbers of female partners. According to Bailey, "These facts suggest that women are responsible for the pace of sex. Gay and straight men both want casual sex, but only straight men have the brake of women’s sexually cautious nature to slow them." [31]

Gay men (homosexuals)

A 1989 study found having over 100 partners to be present though rare among homosexual males. [32] An extensive 1994 study found that difference in the mean number of sexual partners between gay and straight men "did not appear very large". [33] [34]

A 2007 study reported that two large population surveys found "the majority of gay men had similar numbers of unprotected sexual partners annually as straight men and women." [35] [36]

The 2013 British NATSAL study found that gay men typically had 19 sexual partners in a lifetime (median). [37] In the previous year, 51.8% reported having either 0 or 1 sexual partner. A further 21.3% reported having between 2 and 4 sexual partners, 7.3% reported having between 5 and 9, and 19.6% reported having 10 or more sexual partners. [37]

A 2014 study in Australia found gay men had a median of 22 sexual partners in a lifetime (sexual partner was defined as any sexual contact, kissing, touching or intercourse). [38] 30% of gay respondents reported 0–9 partners in their lifetime. 50.1% of gay men reported having either 0 or 1 partner in the previous year, while 25.6% reported 10 or more partners in the previous year. [38]

Research on gay sexual behavior may overrepresent promiscuous respondents. [39] [33] [40] This is because gay men are a small portion of the male population, and thus many researchers have relied on convenience surveys to research behavior of gay men. Examples of this type of sampling includes surveying men on dating apps such as Grindr, or finding volunteers at gay bars, clubs and saunas. Convenience surveys often exclude gay men who are in a relationship, and gay men who do not use dating apps or attend gay venues. [39] [41] For example, the British and European convenience surveys included approximately five times as many gay men who reported "5 or more sexual partners" than the nationally representative NATSAL study did. [42] [40] Probability sample surveys are more useful in this regard, because they seek to accurately reflect the characteristics of the gay male population. Examples include the NATSAL in the United Kingdom and the General Social Survey in the United States.

According to John Corvino, opponents of gay rights often use convenience sample statistics to support their belief that gay men are promiscuous, but that larger representative samples show that the difference is not so large, and that extreme promiscuity occurs in a minority of gay men. [43] Psychologist J. Michael Bailey has stated that social conservatives use promiscuity among gay men as evidence of a "decadent" nature of gay men, but says "I think they're wrong. Promiscuous gay men are expressing an essentially masculine trait. They are doing what most heterosexual men would do if they could. They are in this way just like heterosexual men, except that they don't have women to constrain them." [31] :87

Regarding sexually transmitted infections (STIs), some researchers have said that the number of sexual partners had by gay men cannot fully explain rates of HIV infection in this population. Most gay men similar numbers of unprotected sexual partners as straight men on an annual basis. Unprotected receptive anal sex, which holds a much higher risk of HIV transmission, appears to be the major factor. [44]

Female promiscuity

Empress Catherine II is remembered in popular culture for her sexual promiscuity. Grand Duchess Catherine Alexeevna by anonymous after Rotari (18th c, Russian museum).jpg
Empress Catherine II is remembered in popular culture for her sexual promiscuity.

In 1994, a study in the United States found almost all married heterosexual women reported having sexual contact only with their husbands, and unmarried women almost always reported having no more than one sexual partner in the past three months. Lesbians who had long-term partners reported having fewer outside partners than heterosexual women. [32] More recent research, however, contradicts the assertion that heterosexual women are largely monogamous. A 2002 study estimated that 45% to 55% of married heterosexual women engage in sexual relationships outside of their marriage, [45] [ better source needed ] while the estimate for heterosexual men engaging in the same conduct was 50–60% in the same study. [45]

One possible explanation for hyper sexuality is child sexual abuse (CSA) trauma. Many studies have examined the correlation between CSA and risky sexual behavior. Rodriguez-Srednicki and Ofelia examined the correlation of CSA experienced by women and their self-destructive behavior as adults using a questionnaire. The diversity and ages of the women varied. Slightly fewer than half the women reported CSA while the remainder reported no childhood trauma. The results of the study determined that self-destructive behaviors, including hypersexuality, correlates with CSA in women. [46] CSA can create sexual schemas that result in risky sexual behavior. [47] This can play out in their sexual interactions as girls get older. The sexual behaviors of women that experienced CSA differed from those of women without exposure to CSA. Studies show CSA survivors tend to have more sexual partners and engage in higher risk sexual behaviors. [48]

Since at least 1450, the word 'slut' has been used, often pejoratively, to describe a sexually promiscuous woman. [49] In and before the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, terms like "strumpet" and "whore" were used to describe women deemed promiscuous, as seen, for example, in John Webster's 1612 play The White Devil .[ citation needed ]

Thornhill and Gangestad found that women are much more likely to sexually fantasize about and be attracted to extra-pair men during the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle than the luteal phase, whereas attraction to the primary partner does not change depending on the menstrual cycle. [50] A 2004 study by Pillsworth, Hasselton and Buss contradicted this, finding greater in-pair sexual attraction during this phase and no increase in attraction to extra-pair men. [51]

In Norwegian students, Kennair et al. (2023) found no signs of a sexual double standard in short-term or long-term mating contexts, nor in choosing a friend, except that women's self-stimulation was more acceptable than men's. [52]

Evolution

Evolutionary psychologists propose that a conditional human tendency for promiscuity is inherited from hunter-gatherer ancestors. Promiscuity increases the likelihood of having children, thus "evolutionary" fitness. According to them, female promiscuity is advantageous in that it allows females to choose fathers for their children who have better genes than their mates, to ensure better care for their offspring, have more children, and as a form of fertility insurance. [53] Male promiscuity was likely advantageous because it allowed males to father more children.

Primitive promiscuity

Primitive promiscuity or original promiscuity was the 19th-century hypothesis that humans originally lived in a state of promiscuity or "hetaerism" before the advent of society as we understand it. [54] [55] [56] [57] [58] Hetaerism is a theoretical early state of human society, as postulated by 19th-century anthropologists, which was characterized by the absence of the institution of marriage in any form and in which women were the common property of their tribe and in which children never knew who their fathers were. [59]

The reconstruction of the original state of primitive society or humanity was based on the idea of progress, according to which all cultures have degrees of improvement and becoming more complicated. It seemed logical to assume that never before the types of families developed did they simply exist, and in primitive society, sexual relations were without any boundaries and taboos. This view is represented, inter alia, by anthropologist Lewis H. Morgan in Ancient Society and Friedrich Engels' work The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State . [60]

In the first half of the 20th century, this notion was rejected by a number of authors, e.g. Edvard Westermarck, a Finnish philosopher, social anthropologist and sociologist with in-depth knowledge of the history of marriage, who provided strong evidence that, at least in the first stages of cultural development, monogamy has been a perfectly normal and natural form of man-woman coexistence. [61] [62]

Modern cultural anthropology has not confirmed the existence of a complete promiscuity in any known society or culture. The evidence of history is reduced to therebyts of Herodotus, Strabo, and Solinus, which have been hard to interpret. [63]

Religious, social, and cultural views

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam condemn promiscuity and instead advocate lifelong monogamous marriage (although Islam allows polygamy for men). [64] The perspectives on promiscuity vary significantly depending on the region. Every country has different values and morals pretraining to sexual life.

Promiscuity has been practiced in hippie communities and other alternative subcultures since the 1960s cultural revolution. [65]

Sex and Culture is a book by J. D. Unwin concerning the correlation between a society's level of 'cultural achievement' and its level of sexual restraint. Published in 1934, the book concluded with the theory that as societies develop, they become more sexually liberal, accelerating the social entropy of the society, and there by diminishing its "creative" and "expansive" energy. [66] [67]

Other animals

Many animal species, such as spotted hyenas, [68] bonobos [69] and chimpanzees, are promiscuous as a rule, and do not form pair bonds. Although social monogamy occurs in about 90% of avian species and about 3% of mammalian species, an estimated 90% of socially monogamous species exhibit individual promiscuity in the form of copulation outside the pair bond. [4] [70] [71]

In the animal world, some species, including birds such as swans and fish such as Neolamprologus pulcher , once believed monogamous, are now known to engage in extra-pair copulations. One example of extra-pair fertilization (EPF) in birds is the black-throated blue warblers. Though it is a socially monogamous species, both males and females engage in EPF. [72]

The Darwin-Bateman paradigm, which states that males are typically eager to copulate while females are more choosy about whom to mate with, has been confirmed by a meta-analysis. [73]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heterosexuality</span> Attraction between people of the opposite sex or gender

Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to people of the opposite sex; it "also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions." Someone who is heterosexual is commonly referred to as straight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual orientation</span> Pattern of romantic or sexual attraction

Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns are generally categorized under heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality, while asexuality is sometimes identified as the fourth category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biology and sexual orientation</span> Field of sexual orientation research

The relationship between biology and sexual orientation is a subject of on-going research. While scientists do not know the exact cause of sexual orientation, they theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences. However, evidence is weak for hypotheses that the post-natal social environment impacts sexual orientation, especially for males.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biphobia</span> Aversion to bisexual people

Biphobia is aversion toward bisexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being bisexual. Similarly to homophobia, it refers to hatred and prejudice specifically against those identified or perceived as being in the bisexual community. It can take the form of denial that bisexuality is a genuine sexual orientation, or of negative stereotypes about people who are bisexual. Other forms of biphobia include bisexual erasure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heteroflexibility</span> Mostly heterosexual orientation with some homosexual activity

Heteroflexibility is a form of a sexual orientation or situational sexual behavior characterized by minimal homosexual activity in an otherwise primarily heterosexual orientation, which may or may not distinguish it from bisexuality. It has been characterized as "mostly straight". Although sometimes equated with bi-curiosity to describe a broad continuum of sexual orientation between heterosexuality and bisexuality, other authors distinguish heteroflexibility as lacking the "wish to experiment with ... sexuality" implied by the bi-curious label. The corresponding situation in which homosexual activity predominates has also been described, termed homoflexibility.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) refers to all men who engage in sexual activity with other men, regardless of their sexual orientation or sexual identity. The term was created by epidemiologists in the 1990s, to better study and communicate the spread of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS between all sexually active males, not strictly those identifying as gay, bisexual, pansexual or various other sexualities, but also for example male prostitutes. The term is often used in medical literature and social research to describe such men as a group. It does not describe any specific kind of sexual activity, and which activities are covered by the term depends on context. An alternative term, males who have sex with males is sometimes considered more accurate in cases where those described may not be legal adults.

Sociosexuality, sometimes called sociosexual orientation, is the individual difference in the willingness to engage in sexual activity outside of a committed relationship. Individuals who are more restricted sociosexually are less willing to engage in casual sex; they prefer greater love, commitment and emotional closeness before having sex with romantic partners. Individuals who are more unrestricted sociosexually are more willing to have casual sex and are more comfortable engaging in sex without love, commitment or closeness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of sexual orientation</span> Prevalence of different types of sexual orientation

Obtaining precise numbers on the demographics of sexual orientation is difficult for a variety of reasons, including the nature of the research questions. Most of the studies on sexual orientation rely on self-reported data, which may pose challenges to researchers because of the subject matter's sensitivity. The studies tend to pose two sets of questions. One set examines self-report data of same-sex sexual experiences and attractions, while the other set examines self-report data of personal identification as homosexual or bisexual. Overall, fewer research subjects identify as homosexual or bisexual than report having had sexual experiences or attraction to a person of the same sex. Survey type, questions and survey setting may affect the respondents' answers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attraction to transgender people</span> Romantic or sexual attraction to transgender people

Sexual attraction to transgender people has been the subject of scientific study and social commentary. Psychologists have researched sexual attraction toward trans women, trans men, cross dressers, non-binary people, and a combination of these. Publications in the field of transgender studies have investigated the attraction transgender individuals can feel for each other. The people who feel this attraction to transgender people name their attraction in different ways.

Lesbian bed death is the concept that lesbian couples in committed relationships have less sex than any other type of couple the longer the relationship lasts, and generally experience less sexual intimacy as a consequence. It may also be defined as a drop-off in sexual activity two years into a long-term lesbian relationship.

Human male sexuality encompasses a wide variety of feelings and behaviors. Men's feelings of attraction may be caused by various physical and social traits of their potential partner. Men's sexual behavior can be affected by many factors, including evolved predispositions, individual personality, upbringing, and culture. While most men are heterosexual, there are minorities of homosexual men and varying degrees of bisexual men.

Women who have sex with women (WSW) are women who engage in sexual activities with women, whether they identify as straight, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, have other sexualities, or dispense with sexual identification altogether. The term WSW is often used in medical literature to describe such women as a group for clinical study, without needing to consider sexual self-identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bisexuality</span> Sexual attraction to people of any gender

Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, to more than one gender, or to both people of the same gender and different genders. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, which is also known as pansexuality.

Sexual fluidity is one or more changes in sexuality or sexual identity. Sexual orientation is stable and unchanging for the vast majority of people, but some research indicates that some people may experience change in their sexual orientation, and this is slightly more likely for women than for men. There is no scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed through psychotherapy. Sexual identity can change throughout an individual's life, and does not have to align with biological sex, sexual behavior, or actual sexual orientation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT demographics of the United States</span>

The demographics of sexual orientation and gender identity in the United States have been studied in the social sciences in recent decades. A 2022 Gallup poll concluded that 7.1% of adult Americans identified as LGBT. A different survey in 2016, from the Williams Institute, estimated that 0.6% of U.S. adults identify as transgender. As of 2022, estimates for the total percentage of U.S. adults that are transgender or nonbinary range from 0.5% to 1.6%. Additionally, a Pew Research survey from 2022 found that approximately 5% of young adults in the U.S. say their gender is different from their sex assigned at birth.

<i>The Evolution of Human Sexuality</i> 1979 book by Donald Symons

The Evolution of Human Sexuality is a 1979 book about human sexuality by the anthropologist Donald Symons, in which the author discusses topics such as human sexual anatomy, ovulation, orgasm, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, and rape, attempting to show how evolutionary concepts can be applied to humans. Symons argues that the female orgasm is not an adaptive trait and that women have the capacity for it only because orgasm is adaptive for men, and that differences between the sexual behavior of male and female homosexuals help to show underlying differences between male and female sexuality. In his view, homosexual men tend to be sexually promiscuous because of the tendency of men in general to desire sex with a large number of partners, a tendency that in heterosexual men is usually restrained by women's typical lack of interest in promiscuous sex. Symons also argues that rape can be explained in evolutionary terms and feminist claims that it is not sexually motivated are incorrect.

Promiscuity tends to be frowned upon by many societies that expect most members to have committed, long-term relationships. Among women, as well as men, inclination for sex outside committed relationships is correlated with a high libido, but evolutionary biology as well as social and cultural factors have also been observed to influence sexual behavior and opinion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual practices between men</span> Sexual activity between men

Sexual activities involving men who have sex with men (MSM), regardless of their sexual orientation or sexual identity, can include anal sex, non-penetrative sex, and oral sex. Evidence shows that sex between men is significantly underreported in surveys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual assault of LGBT persons</span>

Sexual assault of LGBT people, also known as sexual and gender minorities (SGM), is a form of violence that occurs within the LGBT community. While sexual assault and other forms of interpersonal violence can occur in all forms of relationships, it is found that sexual minorities experience it at rates that are equal to or higher than their heterosexual counterparts. There is a lack of research on this specific problem for the LGBT population as a whole, but there does exist a substantial amount of research on college LGBT students who have experienced sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Human sexual promiscuity is the practice of having many different sexual partners. In the case of men, this behavior of sexual nondiscrimination and hypersexuality is referred to as satyriasis, while in the case of women, this behavior is conventionally known as nymphomania. Both conditions are regarded as possibly compulsive and pathological qualities, closely related to hyper-sexuality. The results of, or costs associated with, these behaviors are the effects of human sexual promiscuity.

References

  1. "Promiscuous - definition of promiscuous by the Free Online Dictionary". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  2. "UK's most promiscuous city in 'one night stand' poll revealed". Metro.co.uk. Associated Newspapers Limited. 2014-01-08.
  3. Marks, Michael; Fraley, R. (2005). "The Sexual Double Standard: Fact or Fiction?". Sex Roles . 52 (3–4): 175–186. doi:10.1007/s11199-005-1293-5. S2CID   13018834.
  4. 1 2 Lipton, Judith Eve; Barash, David P. (2001). The Myth of Monogamy: Fidelity and Infidelity in Animals and People. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company. ISBN   978-0-7167-4004-9.
  5. Clark, Russell D. III; Hatfield, Elaine (1989). "Gender Differences in Receptivity to Sexual Offers" (PDF). Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality. 2 (1): 39–55. doi:10.1300/J056v02n01_04. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-18.
  6. "Average man sleeps with 7 women - Health - Sexual health - NBC News". NBC News. 22 June 2007.
  7. 1 2 Wellings K, Collumbien M, Slaymaker E, et al. (2006). "Sexual behaviour in context: a global perspective" (PDF). Lancet. 368 (9548): 1706–28. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69479-8. PMID   17098090. S2CID   17649137.
  8. Garcia JR, Seibold-Simpson SM, Massey SG, Merriwether AM (2015). "Casual Sex: Integrating Social, Behavioral, and Sexual Health Research". In DeLamater J, Plante RF (eds.). Handbook of the Sociology of Sexualities. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer. p. 215. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-17341-2_12. ISBN   9783319173412.
  9. Hull, J. W.; Clarkin, J. F.; Yeomans, F. (1993). "Borderline personality disorder and impulsive sexual behavior". Psychiatric Services. 44 (10): 1000–1001. doi:10.1176/ps.44.10.1000. PMID   8225264.
  10. "Most Promiscuous Countries 2022". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  11. "Liverpool named UK's most promiscuous city". themetro.co.uk. Mark Molloy. 2014-01-08.
  12. 1 2 Waite, Roger (2008-11-30). "Britain on top in casual sex league". The Times. London. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  13. 1 2 Beckford, Martin; Jamieson, Alastair (2008-11-30). "Britain is among casual sex capitals of the Western world, research claims". The Daily Telegraph . London. Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  14. 1 2 "British top promiscuity study". UPI.
  15. "What's Your Number?". Onlinedoctor.superdrug.com.
  16. "The verdict is in: This is the ideal number of sexual partners to have in your lifetime". Mindbodygreen.com. 2 September 2017.
  17. "INFOGRAPHIC: What Turns African Americans On?". HuffPost. 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  18. 1 2 Wylie, K. (2009). "A global survey of sexual behaviours". Journal of Family and Reproductive Health. 3 (23): 39–49.
  19. New Zealand women most promiscuous, The Sydney Morning Herald
  20. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-11-29. Retrieved 2011-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. Kearney, S.L. (2017). "Durex global sex survey reveals India's changing sex lives". Desiblitz. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  22. Durex (2014). "Global sex survey" . Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  23. "Nineteen Sixty-four: Unmentionables?: Faith and Sex, Principle and Practice". 30 July 2013.
  24. David J. Ayers. "Current Sexual Practices of Evangelical Teens and Young Adults" (PDF). Ifstudies.org. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  25. Freudenburg, K. (2005). The Cambridge Companion to Roman Satire. Cambridge Companions to Literature. Cambridge University Press. p. 261. ISBN   978-1-139-82657-0 . Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  26. Seidman, S. N.; Rieder, R. O. (1994). "A review of sexual behavior in the United States". Am J Psychiatry. 151 (3): 330–41. doi:10.1176/ajp.151.3.330. PMID   7619092.
  27. Lehmiller, J. J. (2012). "What's Your Number?". The Psychology of Human Sexuality.
  28. Ch, Mercer; C, Tanton; P, Prah; B, Erens; P, Sonnenberg; S, Clifton; W, Macdowall; R, Lewis; N, Field (2013-11-30). "Changes in Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in Britain Through the Life Course and Over Time: Findings From the National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal)". Lancet. 382 (9907): 1784. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62035-8. PMC   3899021 . PMID   24286784.
  29. de Visser, Richard O.; Smith, Anthony M. A.; Rissel, Chris E.; Richters, Juliet; Grulich, Andrew E. (2003-04-01). "Sex in Australia: Heterosexual experience and recent heterosexual encounters among a representative sample of adults". Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 27 (2): 146–154. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00802.x . ISSN   1326-0200. PMID   14696705.
  30. Rissel, Chris; Badcock, Paul B.; Smith, Anthony M. A.; Richters, Juliet; de Visser, Richard O.; Grulich, Andrew E.; Simpson, Judy M. (2014). "Heterosexual experience and recent heterosexual encounters among Australian adults: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships" . Sexual Health. 11 (5): 416–426. doi:10.1071/SH14105. ISSN   1448-5028. PMID   25376995.
  31. 1 2 Bailey, J. Michael (2003). The Man Who Would Be Queen (PDF). Joseph Henry Press. p. 89. ISBN   978-0-309-08418-5.
  32. 1 2 Friedman, Richard C.; Downey, Jennifer I. (October 6, 1994). "Homosexuality". New England Journal of Medicine. 331 (14): 923–30. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199410063311407 . PMID   8078554.
  33. 1 2 Wardle, Lynn D.; Duncan, William C.; Strasser, Mark; Coolidge, David Orgon (2003). Marriage and Same-sex Unions: A Debate. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 113. ISBN   978-0-275-97653-8.
  34. Soble, Alan (2002). The Philosophy of Sex: Contemporary Readings. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 145. ISBN   978-0-7425-1346-4.
  35. "Sexual Behavior Does Not Explain Varying HIV Rates Among Gay And Straight Men". Medical News Today. 13 September 2007.
  36. Goodreau SM, Golden MR (October 2007). "Biological and demographic causes of high HIV and sexually transmitted disease prevalence in men who have sex with men". Sex Transm Infect. 83 (6): 458–62. doi:10.1136/sti.2007.025627. PMC   2598698 . PMID   17855487.
  37. 1 2 Mercer, Catherine H.; Prah, Philip; Field, Nigel; Tanton, Clare; Macdowall, Wendy; Clifton, Soazig; Hughes, Gwenda; Nardone, Anthony; Wellings, Kaye; Johnson, Anne M.; Sonnenberg, Pam (July 2016). "The health and well-being of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Britain: Evidence from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3)". BMC Public Health. 16 (1): 525. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-3149-z . ISSN   1471-2458. PMC   4936006 . PMID   27386950.
  38. 1 2 Grulich, Andrew; de Visser, Richard; Badcock, Paul; Smith, Anthony; Heywood, Wendy; Richters, Juliet; Rissel, Chris; Simpson, Judy (2014-11-01). "Homosexual experience and recent homosexual encounters: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships". Sexual Health. 11 (5). CSIRO: 439–50. doi:10.1071/SH14122. PMID   25376997.
  39. 1 2 Bancroft, John (1997). Researching Sexual Behavior: Methodological Issues. Indiana University Press. pp. xiv, 270. ISBN   978-0-253-33339-1.
  40. 1 2 Prah, Philip; Hickson, Ford; Bonell, Chris; Mcdaid, Lisa; Erens, Bob; Riddell, Julie; Wayal, Sonali; Nardone, A; Sonnenberg, Pam; Johnson, Anne; Mercer, Catherine (2015-09-01). "P11.02 Representing men who have sex with men (msm) in britain: evidence from comparative analyses of the latest convenience and probability surveys" (PDF). Sexually Transmitted Infections. 91: A174.1–A174. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2015-052270.452 .
  41. Dodds, J P; Mercer, C H; Mercey, D E; Copas, A J; Johnson, A M (2006). "Men who have sex with men: a comparison of a probability sample survey and a community based study". Sexually Transmitted Infections. 82 (1): 86–87. doi:10.1136/sti.2005.015248. ISSN   1368-4973. PMC   2563827 . PMID   16461615.
  42. Prah, Philip (September 2015). "Representing men who have sex with men (MSM) in Britain: Evidence from comparative analyses of the latest convenience & probability surveys" (PDF). natsal.ac.uk.
  43. Soble, Alan (2002). The Philosophy of Sex: Contemporary Readings. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 139, 145. ISBN   978-0-7425-1346-4.
  44. Nordqvist, Christian (2007-09-13). "Sexual Behavior Does Not Explain Varying HIV Rates Among Gay And Straight Men". www.medicalnewstoday.com. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  45. 1 2 Atwood, Joan D.; Limor Schwartz (2002). "Cyber-Sex: The New Affair Treatment Considerations". Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy. 1 (3): 37–56. doi:10.1300/J398v01n03_03. S2CID   147203411.
  46. Rodriguez-srednicki, Ofelia (2002-04-23). "Childhood Sexual Abuse, Dissociation, and Adult Self-Destructive Behavior". Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. 10 (3): 75–89. doi: 10.1300/j070v10n03_05 . ISSN   1053-8712. PMID   17522001. S2CID   30198394.
  47. Schloredt, Kelly A.; Heiman, Julia R. (June 2003). "Perceptions of sexuality as related to sexual functioning and sexual risk in women with different types of childhood abuse histories". Journal of Traumatic Stress. 16 (3): 275–84. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.572.1113 . doi:10.1023/a:1023752225535. ISSN   0894-9867. PMID   12816341. S2CID   9603046.
  48. Noell, John; Rohde, Paul; Seeley, John; Ochs, Linda (January 2001). "Childhood sexual abuse, adolescent sexual coercion and sexually transmitted infection acquisition among homeless female adolescents☆, ☆☆". Child Abuse & Neglect. 25 (1): 137–48. doi:10.1016/s0145-2134(00)00223-4. ISSN   0145-2134. PMID   11214808.
  49. Harper, Douglas. "slut". Online Etymology Dictionary .
  50. Thornhill, Randy; Gangestad, Steven W. (2008). The evolutionary biology of human female sexuality . New York: Oxford University Press. pp.  244–45. ISBN   978-0-19-534098-3.
  51. Thornhill, Randy; Gangestad, Steven W. (2008). The evolutionary biology of human female sexuality . New York: Oxford University Press. p.  245. ISBN   978-0-19-534098-3.
  52. Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, Andrew G. Thomas, David M. Buss ja Mons Bendixen (27 March 2023). "Examining the Sexual Double Standards and Hypocrisy in Partner Suitability Appraisals Within a Norwegian Sample". Evolutionary Psychology. 21 (1). doi: 10.1177/14747049231165687 . PMC   10303487 . PMID   36972495. S2CID   257772494.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  53. Anthony Browne Women are promiscuous, naturally. Some Scientists now believe infidelity is a genetic mechanism for creation of healthy children. The Observer, September 3, 2000.
  54. Westermarck, chap. 3 pp. 103–04
  55. Bachofen, Das Mutterrecht, pp. xix–xx, 10
  56. Bachofen, Antiquarische Briefe pp. 20–
  57. McLennan, Morgan, Lord Avebury, Giraud-Teulon, Lippert, Kohler, Post, Wilken, Kropotkin, Wilutzky
  58. Bloch, Iwan Sexual Life of Our Time, pp. 188–94
  59. "A Society Without Marriage? | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  60. "Frederick Engels: Origins of the Family, Private Property, and the State, II. "The Family"" (PDF). Marxists.org. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  61. Iso tietosanakirja, 1. part, columns 1054 ja 1055
  62. fi:Otavan iso tietosanakirja
  63. "The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Races of Man, by J. Deniker". Gutenberg.org. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  64. Don S. Browning, M. Christian Green, John Witte Jr.: Sex, Marriage, and Family in World Religions
  65. Moretta, John Anthony (26 January 2017). The Hippies: A 1960s History. McFarland. ISBN   9781476627397 . Retrieved 4 March 2022 via Google Books.
  66. Carnot, Sadi (2017). "Joseph Unwin". www.eoht.info. Hmolpedia. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  67. Unwin, Joseph D. (1934). Sex and Culture. Oxford University Press. p. 412. ISBN   1979867046.
  68. Szykman, M.; Van Horn, R. C.; Engh, A.L.; Boydston, E. E.; Holekamp, K. E. (2007). "Courtship and mating in free-living spotted hyenas" (PDF). Behaviour. 144 (7): 815–846. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.630.5755 . doi:10.1163/156853907781476418. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  69. de Waal, Frans B. M. (March 1995). "Bonobo Sex and Society" (PDF). Scientific American . 272 (3): 58–64. Bibcode:1995SciAm.272c..82W. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0395-82. PMID   7871411. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  70. Reichard, U.H. (2002). "Monogamy—A variable relationship" (PDF). Max Planck Research. 3: 62–7. Archived from the original on March 11, 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2013.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  71. Research conducted by Patricia Adair Gowaty. Reported by Morell, V. (1998). "Evolution of sex: A new look at monogamy". Science. 281 (5385): 1982–1983. doi:10.1126/science.281.5385.1982. PMID   9767050. S2CID   31391458.
  72. Chuang, H.C.; Webster, M.S.; Holmes, R.T. (1999). "Extrapair Paternity and Local Synchrony in the Black-Throated Blue Warbler". The Auk. 3. 116 (3): 726–736. doi:10.2307/4089333. JSTOR   4089333.
  73. Janicke, Tim; Häderer, Ines K.; Lajeunesse, Marc J.; Anthes, Nils (1 February 2016). "Darwinian sex roles confirmed across the animal kingdom". Science Advances. 2 (2): e1500983. Bibcode:2016SciA....2E0983J. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500983. PMC   4758741 . PMID   26933680.

Bibliography