A new national sex survey is out. Published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, it reveals who’s doing what, with whom, and how. It clarifies the prevalence of gay sex, teenage intercourse, and oral gratification. But the big story is the increase in anal sex reported by women—and its possible connection to female orgasms.
Let’s start with the foreplay: a few other trends worth noting.
1. What teens are doing. By ages 14-15, 10 percent of boys say they’ve had vaginal sex. By ages 16-17, the number is up to 30 percent. By ages 18-19, it’s above 60 percent. For girls, the trajectory is almost identical. Oral sex follows a similar trend. At ages 14-15, 9 percent of boys say they’ve performed cunnilingus. By ages 16-17, 20 percent say they’ve done it, and by ages 18-19, 61 percent say they’ve done it. Among girls aged 14-15, the number who say they’ve given a boy oral sex is 13 percent. By ages 16-17, it’s 29 percent. By ages 18-19, it’s 61 percent. If you’re turning 20 and you haven’t gone down on somebody, you’re in the minority.
