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. 2018 Dec;6(4):282-290.
doi: 10.1016/j.esxm.2018.08.001. Epub 2018 Sep 28.

Concordance and Discordance of Sexual Identity, Sexual Experience, and Current Sexual Behavior in 45-Year-Old Men: Results From the German Male Sex-Study

Veronika E Goethe  1 , Hannes Angerer  1 , Andreas Dinkel  2 , Christian Arsov  3 , Boris Hadaschik  4 , Florian Imkamp  5 , Jürgen E Gschwend  1 , Kathleen Herkommer  6
Affiliations

Concordance and Discordance of Sexual Identity, Sexual Experience, and Current Sexual Behavior in 45-Year-Old Men: Results From the German Male Sex-Study

Veronika E Goethe et al. Sex Med. 2018 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: Discordance of various aspects of sexual orientation has been mostly studied in young adults or in small samples of heterosexual men. Studies focusing on concordance and discordance of aspects of sexual orientation in representative samples of middle-aged men including homosexual men are scarce.

Aim: To investigate concordant and discordant sexual behavior in 45-year-old German men with a special focus on homosexual identified men.

Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study were collected within the German Male Sex-Study. Participants were 45-year-old Caucasian males from the general population. Men self-reported on sexual identity, sexual experience, and current sexual behavior. Associations between sexual identity, experience, and behavior were analyzed using the chi-square test.

Main outcome measure: Associations of sexual identity with sexual experience and behavior in a community-based sample of men, and discordance of sexual identity and behavior especially in the subgroup of homosexual men.

Results: 12,354 men were included in the study. 95.1% (n = 11.749) self-identified as heterosexual, 3.8% (n = 471) as homosexual, and 1.1% (n = 134) as bisexual. Sexual identity was significantly associated with sexual experience and behavior. 85.5% of all men had recently been sexually active, but prevalence of sexual practices varied. In hetero- and bisexuals, vaginal intercourse was the most common sexual practice, whereas oral sex was the most common in homosexuals. A discordance of sexual identity was especially found in homosexual men: 5.5% of homosexuals only had sexual experiences with women, and 10.3% of homosexuals recently had vaginal intercourse. In this latter subgroup, only one-quarter ever had sexual experience with a man, and three-quarters had only engaged in sexual activity with a woman.

Conclusion: Sexual identity is associated with differences in sexual experience and behavior in German middle-aged men. A considerable proportion of homosexual identified men live a heterosexual life. Goethe VE, Angerer H, Dinkel A, et al. Concordance and Discordance of Sexual Identity, Sexual Experience, and Current Sexual Behavior in 45-Year-Old-Men: Results From the German Male Sex-Study. Sex Med 201;6:282-290.

Keywords: German Male Sex-Study; Homosexual; Intercourse; Sexual Activity; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Experience; Sexual Identity.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A, Proportion of men with sexual experience with a woman/a man in association with sexual identity (P < .001). B, Proportion of men with sexual experience in association with sexual identity (P < .001). *n = 1.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proportion of men with 0, 1, 2–10, 11–30 or >30 lifetime sexual partners in association with sexual identity (P < .001).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Proportion of men with solo-masturbation and vaginal, oral, and anal sex in the past 3 months in association with sexual identity (P for all variables <.001).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Proportion of homosexual men with concordant or discordant sexual behavior in the past 3 months and in lifetime.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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