The social organization of sexuality

Abstract

To the Editor. —The National Health and Social Life Survey on adult sexual behavior in the United States was released recently. 1-3 The report is based on interviews of 3432 men and women aged 18 to 59 years residing in randomly selected households across the country. The goals of the survey were to present a comprehensive and scientific picture of sexual behavior, guide further research, and target health and social services. However, the potential for misinterpretation of this information is great, particularly in planning and allocating resources related to sexually transmitted diseases such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). One prominent finding of the survey was that approximately 80% of adults reported no or one sexual partner in the year before the interview, and approximately 3% of men and 2% of women reported any homosexual or bisexual activity during the same period. From these data,