The sexual behavior of US adults: results from a national survey

One consequence of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic has been to highlight the need for population-based estimates of the number of individuals engaging in sexual behaviors that place them at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This paper describes the prevalence of various sexual behaviors in a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States.

Data were collected as part of a household probability survey of adults (n = 2058) in the United States. Data collected on sexual behavior included sexual orientation, frequency of intercourse, condom use, and number of sexual partners.

Nearly all respondents were sexually experienced. Of those who were currently sexually active, 13% (1% of married respondents) had had sex with more than one partner in the previous year. Of those reporting having intercourse with more than one partner in the previous year, 7% used condoms consistently and 23% used condoms consistently with their casual partners.

A significant proportion of individuals were found to have intercourse with multiple partners without using condoms. A minority of these respondents acknowledged that their behavior may place them at risk for HIV transmission.