ABC NEWS PRIMETIME LIVE POLL: THE AMERICAN SEX SURVEY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004

The American Sex Survey:

A Peek Beneath the Sheets
Sometimes, it’s just about sex.

Usually not: The vast majority of Americans are monogamous and happy about it,
expressing satisfaction with their sex lives and a broad preference for emotional
commitment in sexual relationships. Most by far prefer marriage to the single life.

But there’s more to sex in America in 2004 than that 1950s picture suggests. A
groundbreaking ABC News Primetime Live survey finds a range of eye-popping sexual
activities, fantasies and attitudes in this country, confirming some conventional wisdom,
exploding some myths – and venturing where few scientific surveys have gone before.

Among the results: Fifty-seven percent of Americans have had sex outdoors or in a public
place. Half talk with their partners about their sexual fantasies. Forty-two percent call
themselves sexually adventurous. Twenty-nine percent have had sex on a first date, and
about as many have had an “unexpected sexual encounter with someone new.” Fifteen
percent of men – and three in 10 single men age 30 and older – have paid for sex. About
half of women say they’ve faked an orgasm.
70%
Americans' Sexual Behavior
ABC News Primetime Live poll
60% 57%

51%
50% 48%

42%
40%

29% 30%
30%

20%
15%

10%

0%
Sex Discuss Faked Sexually First-date Paid for sex Paid for sex
outdoors fantasies orgasm adventurous sex (men) (single men,
(women) 30+)
Two-thirds of sexually active Americans sometimes “wear something sexy” to enhance
their sex lives, and 30 percent say they and their partner have watched sexually explicit
videos. One in five – around 40 million people – say they’ve looked at porn Web sites.
As many, men and women about equally, have had “rebound” sex to get over a failed
relationship.

In some cases, where activity is less common, fantasy takes over. Among people who are
married or living in a committed relationship (or formerly married), 16 percent have
cheated on their partner (nearly twice as many men as women) – while more, 30 percent,
have fantasized about it. Fourteen percent of adults (and twice as many single men) have
had sex in a threesome, while an additional 21 percent have fantasized about that. Twelve
percent have had sex at their workplace, and it’s been a fantasy for one in 10 more.

60%
Fantasy and Activity
ABC News Primetime Live poll

50%

Did it
Fantasized about it
40%
16%

30%
14%

20%

30% 12%

10% 21%

10%

0%

Cheated Threesome Sex at work

There are other signs of yearning: Among the 55 percent who describe their sexual
activity as “traditional,” about three in 10 would like to be more adventurous. And more
– four in 10, especially men – would like more adventurousness in their partners.

The survey also finds huge differences in sexual attitudes between men and women. It
underscores the wages of sin: Divorced or separated men are twice as likely to have been
unfaithful in their marriage. And it demolishes the notion that singles are swinging: Even
among young singles (under 30), nearly half aren’t dating at all, and among those who
are dating, eight in 10 are dating one person exclusively. Monogamy, again, rules the
roost.

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Moreover, the survey finds that satisfaction with sex does matter. A statistical analysis
identifies some of the factors independently related to satisfaction with sex, marriage and
life more broadly. Among other findings, it shows that activities such as discussing
fantasies with a partner contribute to an exciting sex life, that an exciting sex life
contributes to a happy marriage and that a happy marriage contributes to life satisfaction.

These and other findings in this random-sample telephone poll of 1,501 adults paint a
remarkable and intimate portrait of sex in America in the 21st century. Many of the frank
and personal questions, from foreplay to fantasy, have rarely if ever been asked before in
a representative national survey. Other results comport with previous sex research.

The survey serves as the basis for an exclusive report on sexual attitudes and behavior
airing Thursday, Oct. 21 at 10 p.m. Eastern on the ABC News program Primetime Live.
A second program, based on a separate survey of sexual attitudes and behavior among
teenagers, will air at a later date.

DIFFERENT PLANETS – If women are from Venus, men are well, men. Seventy
percent of men think about sex every day – double the rate among women. Indeed 43
percent of men think about sex several times a day; just 13 percent of women do that.
Eighty-three percent of men enjoy sex “a great deal”; that falls to 59 percent of women.
Women, though, are equally likely to express satisfaction with their sex lives.

100% Sex and the Gender Gap

ABC News Primetime Live poll
90%
83%
80%
Men
70% Women
70%

59%
60%

50%

40%
34%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Think about sex every day Enjoy sex "a great deal"

Overall, women report an average of six sex partners in their lifetimes, men, 20. But a
better gauge of sexual activity for most people is the median, the midpoint between the
high and low: Women report a median of three sex partners, men, a median of eight.

3
The averages are higher because a small number of individuals – especially men – report
a very large number of partners. Five percent of the men in this sample reported having
had 99 or more sex partners, including four who reported 200, three who reported 300
and one who reported 400. Among women, one percent reported 99 or more partners; the
high was 100 (reported by two women).

30
Total Number of Sex Partners
ABC News Primetime Live poll

25
Average

20
20

15
13
Median

10
8
6
5
5
3

All Men Women All Men Women

While there are differences between the sexes, the data are internally coherent; for
example, people who report more sex partners, men and women alike, are more apt to
describe themselves as adventurous sexually and to say they enjoy sex a great deal.
--Total Number of Sex Partners--
One 2-4 5-10 11-20 21+
All 19% 25 28 12 12
Men 12 16 26 18 20
Women 25 33 29 6 4

In another difference between the sexes, 42 percent of men report having had had sex on
a first date; that drops to 17 percent of women. Again the data are coherent; women who
report having had first-date sex also are much more likely to call themselves sexually
adventurous, and they report many more sex partners across their lives – an average of
19, compared with an average of four for other women.

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A third of adults would like to have more sex than they do now – but more men, about
four in 10, than women, 28 percent. Men, as noted, are more apt to have cheated, much
more apt to fantasize about it, and more than twice as likely as women to say it’s
acceptable to have casual sex without an emotional relationship – “just doing it for the
sex.” (That’s OK with 35 percent of men, compared with 15 percent of women.)

Women also are about half as likely as men to say they’ve had sex in a threesome,
unexpectedly with someone new, or at work; and they’re less likely to fantasize about
these. A third of men have fantasized about a threesome and 20 percent have fantasized
about an unexpected encounter; it’s nine and 10 percent of women, respectively.

Women are more conservative about sex in other ways. They’re more apt than men to say
there’s too much sex on TV, 84 percent to 62 percent. They’re less likely than men to
condone sex before marriage, 54 to 68 percent. And 61 percent of sexually active women,
compared with 50 percent of men, call themselves sexually traditional, not adventurous.

In other personal predilections, men are twice as likely as women to sleep in the nude (31
percent of men, 14 percent of women), and women are much more likely to prefer to
have sex with the lights off (51 percent of women, 27 percent of men).

In the online realm, men are more than three times as likely as women to have looked at a
sexually explicit Web site, and doing so spikes among men under 30. Relatively few –
but 11 percent of young men – have participated in sex chat rooms. Women are much
more likely to regard either of these activities as “being unfaithful.”

80%
Sex and the Web 72%
ABC News Primetime Live poll
70%

Have done it Think it's cheating

60%
54%
52%
50%
Men <30
42%
Men
40%
34% Women

30%
25%

20%

10% 11%
10%
5%
2%
0%

Visited sex Web Participated in Sex Web site Sex chat room
site sex chat room

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THE “O” WORD – Three-quarters of sexually active men say they “always” have an
orgasm, while just 30 percent of women say the same. An additional 45 percent of
women say they have an orgasm “most of the time,” but not always.

80%
74% The Big "O": Men vs Women
ABC News Primetime Live poll
70%

Men
60%
Women

50%
45%

40%

30%
30%

23% 24%

20%

10%

3%
0%

Always have orgasms Usually Less often

As noted, nearly half of women report having faked an orgasm, but they aren’t the only
thespians: Eleven percent of men say they’ve done so too. Asked why they faked it, men
and women alike speak mainly about either pleasing their partner or getting done.

Faking orgasms suggests dissatisfaction for some women; it’s higher among women
who’ve cheated on a spouse, are dissatisfied with their sex lives and are less than very
satisfied with their marriages. But for others that doesn’t necessarily hold: Sexually
adventurous women are among the most likely always to have orgasms, yet also among
the most likely to have faked them.

Women who are more likely always to have an orgasm are more apt to enjoy sex a great
deal, think about it often, be satisfied with their sex lives and say their sex lives are very
exciting. Always having an orgasm is least common among women age 40 and older,
longtime marrieds, those who are less than very satisfied with their sex lives and with
their marriage, and those who don’t enjoy sex a great deal.

The orgasm gap between the sexes likely explains why men are more apt than women to
enjoy sex a great deal. Among people who always have orgasms – disproportionately

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men – nearly nine in 10 enjoy sex a great deal. Among those who don’t always or usually
have orgasms – mainly women – top-level enjoyment drops to 46 percent.

Enjoy sex
Have orgasms: “a great deal”
Always 87%
Usually 74%
Less often 46%

ACCORD – Men and women are more in sync in other areas. Eight in 10 sexually active
men and women alike say they have about “the right amount” of sexual foreplay. And
they offer identical median estimates of the amount of time they spend having sex,
including foreplay: 45 minutes.

Three-quarters of men and women alike are unworried about contracting AIDS or another
sexually transmitted disease; widespread monogamy is the likely reason.

In another area of accord, three-quarters of men and women alike say it’s more enjoyable
to be married than dating. Sexual activity is a likely reason: Just 35 percent of singles are
currently involved in a sexual relationship (rising to 51 percent of young singles),
compared with 83 percent of couples (and 91 percent of couples excluding seniors).

There is room for improvement. Among people who’ve had sex in the last year, nearly
nine in 10 describe their sex lives as exciting – but far fewer, just over a third, call it
“very exciting.” Similarly, while more than seven in 10 women and men alike say they’re
satisfied with their sex lives, fewer – about half – say they’re “very” satisfied. Still, that’s
greater than high-level satisfaction with jobs or finances, and about equal to the
satisfaction people express with their health and social lives.

Americans give higher satisfaction ratings to their family lives (68 percent “very”
satisfied), but the highest of all to their marriages or committed relationships. Indeed
nearly everyone in a married or committed relationship is satisfied with it – 97 percent –
including eight in 10 who are “very satisfied,” men and women alike.

BIG PICTURE – The big picture, sexually speaking, is as follows: Ninety-seven percent
of adult Americans have ever had sexual intercourse; three percent are virgins. Seventy-
eight percent have had sex in the last year (86 percent of men and 70 percent of women).
And 64 percent are currently involved in a sexual relationship. (Excluding senior citizens,
it’s 72 percent.)

Among those who’ve had sex in the last year, the vast majority – 86 percent – have had a
single sex partner in that time period. Far fewer adults, however, have had a single sex
partner in their entire lifetime – a quarter of women, and 12 percent of men.

Coupling is the norm: More than eight in 10 Americans are either married (52 percent),
living with a partner in a committed relationship (eight percent), widowed (eight percent),

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or gave wedlock a whirl but are now separated or divorced (15 percent). Seventeen
percent – mainly younger adults – never have married.

90%
The Sex Lives of Americans
ABC News Primetime Live poll
80%

70%
70%

60%
55%
50%
50%
42%
40% 36%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Enjoy sex a great Very satisfied Sex life very Sexually Sexually
deal with sex life exciting traditional adventurous

Americans say they first had sex at an average age of 18 (17 for men, 18 for women).
Seniors report an average first-time age of 19; for adults under 25, it’s 16. In a difference
between the sexes, half of women, compared with 37 percent of men, say that in
retrospect that was too young to start. One percent say they first had sex at age 30 or
later; one female respondent said it was at age 50, another at 42 and a man at 39.

First-time sex was too young:

Men 37%
Women 50%

Those who have sex do so with some regularity: Among those currently in a sexual
relationship, 85 percent have sex about once a week or more, including 41 percent several
times weekly and eight percent have sex daily. And people like it: Eighty-four percent of
all women and 95 percent of men enjoy sex, although, as noted, men are much (24
points) more apt to enjoy it “a great deal.”

The times clearly have changed in terms of sexual mores. Fifty-five percent of adults say
homosexuality is “OK for some people”; in a 1982 Gallup poll, by contrast, just 34
percent called it an acceptable lifestyle. Sixty-one percent say premarital sex is OK –
compared with just 21 percent in a Gallup poll in 1969. Seniors are the only group in

8
which a majority still says premarital sex is not acceptable; among young singles, by
contrast, 76 percent say it’s OK.

THE YOUNG AND THE SINGLE – Young singles (under age 30) are less inhibited in
some ways, but it isn’t quite “Sex and the City” out there. Indeed young singles have sex
less frequently than people in a committed relationship (naturally - they lack a ready
partner). As noted, they’re less likely to be in a sexual relationship.

Young singles are no more satisfied than couples sexually and no more likely to call their
sex lives very exciting. Instead it’s married (or living-together) young adults who are
most apt to call their sex lives very satisfying and very exciting.

Sex lives
Very satisfied Very exciting
Married/committed under 30 77% 55
Singles under 30 53 36
All 30 and older 46 33

Young singles also are no more likely than anyone else to have had sex on a first date, or
to watch sex movies. Compared to all adults, more young singles are virgins (16 percent),
particularly young single women.

Sexually active young singles don’t have more lifetime sex partners (they’re still young);
they report a median of two partners in the last year, compared with a median of one for
other adults. Forty-seven percent of young singles are concerned about contracting AIDS
or some other sexually transmitted disease, twice the level of concern among other adults.
(Concern about AIDS and other STDs peaks, at 59 percent, among anyone who’s had two
or more sex partners in the last year.)

There are other ways young singles differ: More, about four in 10, say sex without an
emotional relationship is OK. And more (especially young single men) report having had
unexpected sex and outdoor sex.

GENERATION GAP – Young adults more broadly, whether single or in a relationship,

are more progressive sexually. They’re more apt to talk with partners about their sexual
fantasies; 71 percent do, compared with 45 percent of their elders. They’re more likely to
describe themselves and their partners as sexually adventurous. They’re more apt to look
at sexually explicit Web sites (particularly young men – 53 percent have done so,
compared with 26 percent of young women).

Attitudinally, 65 percent of young adults say homosexuality is OK for some people, and
71 percent of young adults condone premarital sex (peaking, as noted, at 76 percent of
young singles). Seniors are least likely, by far, to agree.

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 Age
18-29 30-39 40-49 50-64 65+
Discuss fantasies 71% 55 49 37 22
“Adventurous” 55 46 41 29 19
Premarital sex OK 71 66 69 60 30
Homosexuality OK 65 55 55 56 40

80%
Discussing Fantasies:
71% A Thing of Youth
70% ABC News Primetime Live poll

60%
55%

49%
50%

40% 37%

30%

22%
20%

10%

0%

18-29 30-39 40-49 50-64 65+

Young adults (again, single and committed alike) also are more apt to have had rebound
sex (33 percent, compared with 19 percent of their elders). And 16 percent have had
“revenge sex,” that is, “just to get back at someone else” – double the rate among older
adults.

One thing young adults surely have is stamina: Adults 30 and older have a median
estimate of 45 minutes spent having sex, including foreplay; among those under age 30,
it’s a median of 60 minutes.

Older singles (age 30 and up), for their part, are much less likely to be involved in a
sexual relationship (29 percent) and much less satisfied with their sex lives. As noted
above, older single men are more likely to have cheated on a spouse or partner; and three
in 10 of them have paid for sex. Older single men report a lifetime median of 12 sex
partners (and an average of 34), the highest for any group; older single women, by
contrast, report a median of four partners (and an average of eight).

There’s one other notable finding about single men: Regardless of age, 28 percent of
them say they’ve had sex in a threesome, double the rate for all adults.

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There also are some ways in which late middle-agers stand out: Among adults age 50 to
64, 22 percent have cheated on their partner, more than in any other age group. Twenty-
six percent of men in this age group have paid for sex. And most of the small group of
men who report very large numbers of sex partners fall into this age category.

THE SPARK – There is clear evidence in this survey that sex loses its spark over time.
Among couples who’ve been together less than three years, 58 percent call their sex lives
very exciting. At more than 10 years, only half as many, 29 percent, say so.

Similarly, 79 percent of new couples are “very” satisfied with their sex lives, compared
with 52 percent of long-term couples. And 87 percent of new couples enjoy sex “a great
deal”; among long-term couples it’s 17 points lower.

Not surprisingly, frequency of sex drops as well – at least several times a week for 72
percent of new couples, but just for 32 percent of long-term couples.

100%
The Spark:
90% Sex Lives of Marrieds 87%
ABC News Primetime Live poll
80%
72%
Married < 3 years 70%
70%
Married > 10 years

60% 58%

50%

40%
32%
29%
30%

20%

10%

0%
Have sex at least several Sex life very exciting Enjoy sex a great deal
times a week

Adventurousness can be a firestarter. People who call themselves adventurous sexually

are 10 points more apt to be very satisfied with their sex lives, 20 points more apt to
enjoy sex a great deal and nearly 30 points more apt to call their sex lives very exciting.
They’re also much more likely to have sex at least several times a week – 62 percent of
the adventurous do so, compared with 36 percent of sexual traditionalists.

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Similarly, couples who sometimes “wear something sexy” are more likely, by 12 to 16
points, to enjoy sex a great deal, to be very satisfied with it and to call it very exciting.
Talking about fantasies and watching explicit videos are related to more excitement in
sexual relationships, but less so to satisfaction or enjoyment.

Satisfaction, in particular, matters: People who are satisfied with their sex lives are
considerably more likely in turn to be satisfied with their overall relationship.

Specifically, among those who are very satisfied with the sex, 90 percent are also very
satisfied with their marriage or committed relationship overall. Among those who are just
somewhat satisfied with their sex lives, fewer, 71 percent, are very satisfied with their
relationship. And among those who aren’t satisfied with the sex, fewer still – 53 percent –
are very satisfied with their marriage or partnership.

Moreover, people who aren’t satisfied with their sexual relationship are by far the most
likely to cheat on their spouse or partner. Thirty-six percent have done so.

CHEATERS – All told, 16 percent of adults say they’ve strayed from a committed
relationship, including 14 percent who’ve had sex outside of that relationship, and two
percent who’ve had sexual activity but not intercourse. Twenty-one percent of men say
they’ve cheated, as have 11 percent of women.

As noted, people who are not satisfied with their sex lives are most likely to have strayed,
as are single men over 30 (that includes divorced, separated and widowed men, as well as
never-marrieds). People 50 and older in general are more likely than younger adults to
have cheated.

Age
18-29 30-39 40-49 50+
Cheated 8% 11 15 21

There’s a division in motivation among cheaters: Forty-five percent (mostly men) say it
was mainly to fulfill a physical desire, while 33 percent (more apt to be women) say it
was mainly to fulfill an emotional need.

Nearly seven in 10 cheaters say they stepped out with a friend; 39 percent with someone
they just met, 37 percent with a co-worker and 15 percent with a neighbor (multiple
answers were accepted). Men and women have cheated with a friend about equally; men
are more apt to have cheated with a co-worker or someone they’d just met.

Cheaters are busy: They’ve had an average of 29 sex partners in their lifetimes (and a
median of 12). They’re more uninhibited and more permissive – more likely to have
watched sexually explicit videos, to have paid for sex, and to have had revenge or
rebound sex; and more apt to approve of premarital sex and to say it’s OK to have sex
without an emotional relationship (45 percent of cheaters say so, compared with 19
percent of others).

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 50%
Cheating: Who's Done it
ABC News Primetime Live poll
45%
42%
40%

35% 34%

30%

25%
21%
20% 19%
16%
15%
11%
10%

5%

0%

All Men Women No children Dissatisfied Single men

under 18 w/sex life 30+

In terms of their sexual adventurousness, more than two-thirds of cheaters have had sex
outdoors, three in 10 have had sex at work (more than double the overall rate), three in 10
report having had sex in a threesome (twice the rate for all adults) and another quarter
have fantasized about it. Also, half of cheaters say they’ve had “an unexpected sexual
encounter with someone new,” double the rate among all adults – suggesting that some
cheating may be spontaneous rather than planned.

FANTASY TIME – As the results suggest, fantasy plays a role in many Americans’ sex
lives. Among sexually active adults, 51 percent (men and women alike) say they talk with
their partner about their fantasies in order to enhance their sex lives. And as noted, men
are more likely to fantasize about threesomes, an unexpected sexual encounter with
someone new, or cheating on their spouses.

Looking at pornographic Web sites likewise attracts more men. Fewer men or women
fantasize about sex outdoors (likely because so many have done it), or sex at work.

Fantasized about… All Men Women

A threesome 21% 33 9
Unexpected sex 15 20 10
Workplace sex 10 12 7

The role of fantasy in a happy sex life is not clear cut. Discussing fantasies does lend
itself to excitement: Forty-four percent of couples who talk about their fantasies call their

13
sex lives very exciting, compared with 28 percent of those who don’t. People who discuss
their fantasies with their partner are also 10 points more apt to enjoy sex a great deal. But
they’re just six points more apt to be very satisfied with their sex life, and no more likely
to be satisfied with their marriage or committed relationship.

INTERPLAY– A regression analysis (measuring the effect of one factor by controlling

for the influence of others) finds that factors related to Americans’ satisfaction with their
sex lives include how exciting they rate their sex lives, their frequency of sex (especially
for married men), how regularly they experience orgasms, whether they're married or in a
committed relationship and, only for people in a relationship, their lifetime number of sex
partners (more partners is related to less satisfaction).

Positive contributors to an “exciting” sex life include wearing something sexy, discussing
fantasies, age (excitement diminishes with age), being married or in a committed
relationship, and frequency of orgasms.

On the negative side, sexual excitement declines with the duration of a marriage or
committed relationship – losing the spark. Nonetheless, people who are married or in a
committed relationship still are more likely to be satisfied with their sex lives than those
who are not in such a relationship, controlling for other factors such as age and frequency
of sex.

Items missing from the list of contributors to a satisfying (rather than exciting) sex life
also are notable; age, for example, is not a significant predictor. (That's limited of course
to people who are active sexually, which excludes most senior citizens.)

Another regression analysis finds that Americans’ satisfaction with their sex lives is a
significant predictor of their satisfaction with their marriages or committed relationships.
Satisfaction with family lives, and to a lesser degree with finances and social lives, also
predict satisfaction with marriage, while satisfaction with health and work do not.

While directionality is hard to establish, it seems more plausible that satisfaction with sex
fuels satisfaction with marriage than the reverse. That's because more people are very
satisfied with their marriages than are very satisfied with their sex lives. If satisfaction
with marriage drove satisfaction with sex, this gap would not exist.

A third regression finds that satisfaction with marriage is a predictor of satisfaction with
life overall, along with satisfaction with finances (the strongest predictor) and with
health, family life and social life and work. Satisfaction with sex does not directly predict
satisfaction with life overall, but it does so indirectly through its positive influence on
satisfaction with marriage.

CHURCHGOERS – Religiosity guides sexual attitudes and behavior, with stark contrasts
particularly between weekly churchgoers (a third of adults) and those who attend church
infrequently or not at all (the “unchurched,” about half).

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Attitudinally, most weekly churchgoers say premarital sex and homosexuality are not
acceptable; most infrequent attenders hold the opposite view. Ten percent of weekly
churchgoers say sex without an emotional attachment is acceptable; it's 36 percent among
the unchurched.

Behaviorally, weekly churchgoers are less likely than the unchurched to watch sexually
explicit movies, to have had sex on a first date, to have looked at a pornographic Web
site, had rebound sex, had a threesome or had sex outdoors. They’re less likely to say
they’ve cheated on a spouse. And weekly churchgoers have had half as many lifetime sex
partners (an average of eight, median three) as have the unchurched (average of 16,
median seven).

At the same time, more than four in 10 weekly churchgoers discuss their sexual fantasies
with their partners to enhance their sex lives, think about sex daily, and have had sex
outdoors; and just over a third describe themselves as sexually adventurous. Weekly
churchgoers are as satisfied as the unchurched with their sex lives, and 10 points more
likely to be very satisfied with their marriage or relationship.

80%
Churchgoers vs Others
70% ABC News Primetime Live poll
70%

60% 57% Attend church weekly 58%

Few times/month 52%
50%
Less often/never
45%

40% 37%
35%
31%
29%
30%

19%
20%
14%
10%
10%

0%

Homosexuality is OK Visited porn site First-date sex Discuss fantasies

REGION – There are some differences by region, largely informed by religiosity –

Southerners are more apt to be weekly churchgoers. Seventy-one percent in the Northeast
and two-thirds in the West say sex before marriage is OK; fewer Southerners, 54 percent,
agree. Northeasterners and Westerners are more apt to call themselves adventurous

15
sexually and to say homosexuality is OK. And when it comes to being very satisfied with
their sex lives, only in the Midwest does a majority give the thumbs up.

IDEOLOGY/POLITICS – Political ideology follows a similar pattern as religious

observance – like weekly churchgoers, conservatives are more conservative sexually,
liberals less so. That makes sense, not least because conservatives are more frequent
churchgoers.

Conservatives are far less likely to accept premarital sex or homosexuality, and half as
likely as liberals to say sex without an emotional attachment is OK. They're less apt to
have had rebound sex, to call themselves sexually adventurous, to watch sexually explicit
movies, to discuss their fantasies, to have had sex outdoors, to have had sex on a first date
or to have visited a porn site. At the same time, conservatives are slightly more likely
than others to be very satisfied with their relationship and sex lives. Liberals, for their
part, are more apt to be sexually adventurous.

In a presidential election year, it’s tough not to look at political groups, even though
differences here likely are standing in for other factors, such as sex, age, marital status
and religiosity. With that proviso, Republicans are around 10 points more likely than
Democrats to think about sex daily, to be very satisfied with their marriages and sex lives
and to wear something sexy to spice things up; and less likely to say they’ve cheated.

In a more directly political context, Republicans are less apt to say premarital sex is OK,
and 20 points less likely to say homosexuality is OK for some people.

OTHERS – There’s a trove of other data in this survey. One result debunks the notion
that parents of young children have sex less often; in fact the opposite is so, probably
because parents of young kids are themselves young, and sexually active young adults
have sex more often.

“Blondes have more fun” also goes the way of myth, at least sexually speaking: Blondes
are no more apt than others to express satisfaction or excitement with their sex lives.
Indeed blondes are a little less likely than other women to always have an orgasm, and a
little more likely to have faked it.

Americans say they’re more likely to have sex late at night (44 percent) than any other
time of day. Three-quarters have no preference as to weekend or weekday sex, while 22
percent do say they’re more apt to have sex on weekends. (“Twice on Sundays,” one
respondent quipped.)

About a fifth of adults, 22 percent, sleep in the nude. As noted, men are more than twice
as apt as women to do so. People who are less inhibited generally also are more apt to
sleep in the buff, including those (disproportionately men) who describe themselves as
sexually adventurous, who’ve had more than 10 sex partners in their lives, who’ve had
sex on a first date, who fantasize and who call their sex lives very exciting.

16
Asked their sexual orientation, five percent describe themselves as either homosexual or
bisexual. As noted, there’s a broad difference among groups on whether homosexuality is
“OK for some people.” Overall 55 percent say it is, including 65 percent of young adults
(and 70 percent of young singles), compared with 40 percent of seniors.

Finally, a sex survey can’t be complete without a mention of Viagra and similar drugs.
Six percent of sexually active Americans say they or their partner take such medications,
with its use rising sharply after age 50. Among men 50 and over, 17 percent – one in six
– get a little help.

METHODOLOGY – This ABC News Primetime Live survey was conducted by

telephone, by female interviewers only, Aug. 2-9, 2004, among a random national sample
of 1,501 adults. The results have a 2.5-point error margin for all respondents; as in any
poll, sampling error is higher for subgroups. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by
TNS of Horsham, Pa.

This survey was conducted in one-on-one telephone interviews with a representative

sample of adult Americans who agreed to participate in a study of sexual attitudes and
behavior. From the point initial respondents were informed of the subject matter, 92
percent went on to complete the entire questionnaire. The demographic composition of
the sample closely matches that of ABC News surveys on other subjects, and the data
reflect a high level of consistency across questions, and also with previous research.

The poll was conducted after a review of previous surveys, scientific and non-scientific,
on sexual attitudes and behaviors. Many of the questions cover areas rarely if ever
examined in national random-sample survey research. Some of the best-known surveys
on sex – the Kinsey (1948 and 1953), Masters & Johnson (1966) and Hite (1976) reports
– were not based on representative, random samples of the adult population.

Analysis by Gary Langer, with Cheryl Arnedt and Dalia Sussman.

ABC News polls can be found at ABCNEWS.com at http://abcnews.com/pollvault.html.

Media contact: Adam Pockriss, (212) 456-7243.

Full results follow (*= less than 0.5 percent).

1. How satisfied would you say you are with your life overall at the present time –
very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied?

------Satisfied------ -----Dissatisfied---- No
NET Very Somewhat NET Somewhat Very op.
8/9/04 All 88 55 33 11 6 5 1
Men 89 54 36 9 6 4 1
Women 87 57 30 13 7 5 1

2. How about when it comes to (ITEM), how satisfied do you feel at the present time –
very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied?

8/9/04 – Summary Table

------Satisfied------ -----Dissatisfied---- None No

17
 NET Very Somewhat NET Somewhat Very (vol.) op.
a. Your job, if you work 61 36 26 10 7 4 28 1
b. Your health 87 53 34 12 7 5 NA *
c. Your social life 87 52 36 13 8 5 NA *
d. Your finances 72 27 45 27 16 11 NA 1
e. Your family life 92 68 24 8 5 3 NA 1
f. Your sex life All 76 50 26 14 7 7 9 1
Men 79 48 31 17 9 8 3 1
Women 73 51 21 11 5 6 15 1

3. Overall would you describe yourself more as (a fun-loving person) or more as a

(serious type)?

Fun-loving Serious Both Depends No

person type (vol.) (vol.) op.
8/9/04 All 54 33 11 1 *
Men 54 34 10 2 *
Women 55 31 12 1 *

4. Where did you get most of your information about sex when you were a teen-ager?
(Teachers at school), (Parents), (Other relatives), (Friends), (Movies and
television), (Books and magazines), or some other source?

Other Movies/ Books/ No

Teachers Parents relatives Friends TV mags. Other opin.
8/9/04 All 12 20 5 39 6 9 8 2
Men 11 12 4 44 7 9 10 2
Women 13 27 6 35 4 9 5 2

5-8 See teen survey.

9. Do you think it’s OK or not OK for consenting adults to have sex before they’re
married?

OK Not OK Depends (vol.) No opin.

8/9/04 All 61 33 5 1
Men 68 26 5 1
Women 54 40 6 *

10. Do you think it’s OK or not OK for teen-agers to engage in intimate sexual
activity?

OK Not OK Depends (vol.) No opin.

8/9/04 All 16 76 8 *
Men 23 67 10 0
Women 10 84 6 *

11. In general, do you feel that homosexuality is OK for some people, or not OK?

OK Not OK No opin.
8/9/04 All 55 42 3
Men 51 48 2
Women 59 37 3

12. Thinking of the sexual content you see on television and in movies, do you feel
there is too much, not enough, or about the right amount?

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 Too much Not enough Right amount No opinion
8/9/04 All 73 3 22 2
Men 62 5 31 2
Women 84 * 14 2

13. How concerned are you personally that you might contract AIDS or some other
sexually transmitted disease – very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned
or not concerned at all?

-------Concerned------- -----Not concerned------ No

NET Very Somewhat NET Not too At all op.
8/9/04 All 26 16 10 74 17 57 *
Men 27 17 9 73 17 56 0
Women 25 15 10 75 17 58 *

14. Are you yourself married and living with your spouse, not married but living with
a partner in a committed relationship, separated, divorced, widowed, or never married?

Not married, Never No

Married committed Separated Divorced Widowed married op.
8/9/04 52 8 3 12 8 17 2

15. (IF MARRIED/LIVING TOGETHER) How long have you been (married to your spouse/living
together)?
<1 1-2 3-5 6-10 11+ No
year years years years years opin.
8/9/04 5 10 13 16 56 0

16. (IF MARRIED/LIVING TOGETHER) How satisfied are you in your

(marriage/relationship): very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or
very dissatisfied?

------Satisfied------ -----Dissatisfied---- No
NET Very Somewhat NET Somewhat Very op.
8/9/04 All 97 81 16 3 3 * *
Men 98 83 15 2 2 0 *
Women 96 79 17 4 4 * 0

17. (IF UNMARRIED OR NOT LIVING TOGETHER) Are you currently dating, or not?

Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 36 64 0
Young singles 54 46 0
Older singles 29 71 0

18. (IF DATING) Are you dating one person exclusively, or are you dating more than one
person?

One person More than No

exclusively one person opin.
8/9/04 All 80 19 1

19. (IF DATING) How satisfied are you in your dating relationship(s): very satisfied,
somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied?

19
 ------Satisfied------ -----Dissatisfied---- No
NET Very Somewhat NET Somewhat Very op.
8/9/04 All 88 57 31 12 7 5 *
Men 85 50 35 14 7 7 1
Women 90 63 27 10 7 3 0

20. Overall, what do you personally think is more enjoyable: (to be married), or (to
be single and dating?)
Single Single and not No
Married and dating dating (vol.) opin.
8/9/04 All 75 18 2 5
Men 73 20 2 5
Women 77 16 2 5

21. Confidentially and for statistical purposes only, are you currently involved in a
sexual relationship, or not?

Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 64 36 *
Men 69 31 *
Women 60 40 *

22. (IF SEXUALLY ACTIVE) In terms of sexual activity would you describe yourself more
as (traditional), or more as (adventurous)?

Traditional Adventurous No opin.

8/9/04 All 55 42 3
Men 50 46 4
Women 61 36 3

23. (IF SEXUALLY ACTIVE AND TRADITIONAL) Would you like to be more adventurous, or
not?

Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 29 68 3
Men 30 67 3
Women 29 69 3

24. (IF SEXUALLY ACTIVE) In terms of sexual activity would you describe (your
spouse/your partner/the person you date) more as (traditional), or more as
(adventurous)?

Traditional Adventurous No opin.

8/9/04 All 58 41 1
Men 61 37 1
Women 54 45 1

25. (IF SEXUALLY ACTIVE AND PARTNER TRADITIONAL) Would you like (your spouse/your
partner/the person you date) to be more adventurous, or not?

Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 41 57 2
Men 48 51 1
Women 33 64 3

20
26. On average, how often do you think about sex – a few times a day, about once a
day, once every few days, around once a week, or less often than that?

------Daily------- -------Weekly------- -----Less/Never-----

Few Every Once Less Never No
NET times Once NET few a week NET often (vol.) op.
8/9/04 All 51 27 24 29 17 12 18 16 2 1
Men 70 43 27 22 13 9 7 6 1 1
Women 34 13 22 35 22 14 28 25 3 2

27. Overall, how much do you enjoy sex: a great deal, somewhat, not too much or not at
all?

-Great deal/Somewhat- ----Not too/At all---- Never had No

NET Grt. deal Smwt. NET Not too At all sex (vol.) op.
8/9/04 All 89 70 19 8 4 5 1 1
Men 95 83 12 5 3 2 * *
Women 84 59 25 12 5 7 1 2

28. Have you ever had sexual intercourse, or not?

Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 97 3 *
Men 98 2 0
Women 97 3 *

29. (IF EVER HAD SEX) Have you had sexual intercourse in the last 12 months, or not?

NET table:

---------Ever had sex--------

-------Last 12------- Never No
NET Yes No No op. had sex opin.
8/9/04 All 97 78 19 * 3 *
Men 98 86 12 * 2 0
Women 97 70 26 1 3 *

30. (IF EVER HAD SEX) How old were you when you first had sexual intercourse?

13 or No
less 14-15 16-17 18-19 20+ op. Avg.
8/9/04 All 8 15 29 26 20 2 18
Men 13 16 27 23 17 3 17
Women 4 13 31 28 23 2 18

31. (IF EVER HAD SEX) Do you think that was too young, too old, or about the right
age?

Too Too About the No

young old right age opin.
8/9/04 All 44 3 53 *
Men 37 6 57 *
Women 50 1 49 *

32. (IF EVER HAD SEX) Have you ever had sex on a first date, or not?

21
 Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 29 70 1
Men 42 57 1
Women 17 83 *

33. (IF HAD SEX IN THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS) On average how often do you have sex –
every day, several times a week, about once a week, closer to once a month, or less
often than that?

-Every day/several times- --Once a month/less--

Every Several Once Once a Less No
NET day times/week a week NET month often op.
8/9/04 All 41 6 35 34 24 13 11 1
Men 43 8 35 35 21 13 8 1
Women 39 4 35 33 27 13 14 1

34. (IF EVER HAD SEX) Would you like to have sex more often than you do now, less
often, or is it about right?

More often Less often About right No opin.

8/9/04 All 34 2 61 2
Men 41 * 58 1
Women 28 4 64 4

35. (IF HAD SEX IN THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS) How many sex partners have you had in the
last 12 months?

One 2-4 5+ No opin. Avg. Median

8/9/04 All 86 11 3 0 1 1
Men 82 14 5 0 2 1
Women 90 8 2 0 1 1

36. (IF EVER HAD SEX) Thinking back to when you first became sexually active, how many
sex partners have you had altogether?

One 2-4 5-10 11-20 21+ No opin. Avg. Median

8/9/04 All 19 25 28 12 12 6 13 5
Men 12 16 26 18 20 8 20 8
Women 25 33 29 6 4 3 6 3

37. (IF HAD SEX IN LAST 12 MONTHS) Would you describe your sex life as – just say the
number – 1) very exciting, 2) somewhat exciting, 3) not too exciting, or 4) not
exciting at all?

-------Exciting-------- ------Not exciting------ No

NET Very Somewhat NET Not too At all op.
8/9/04 All 87 36 50 13 10 4 *
Men 90 39 51 10 7 3 0
Women 83 33 50 17 12 5 *

38. (IF HAD SEX IN LAST 12 MONTHS) To enhance your sex life, do you and your partner
ever (ITEM), or not?

8/9/04 – Summary Table

Yes No No opin.
a. Watch sexually explicit movies All 30 70 *

22
 Men 31 69 *
Women 30 70 0

b. Wear something sexy All 66 34 *

Men 61 38 *
Women 71 29 0

c. Talk about your fantasies All 51 49 *

Men 51 49 *
Women 51 49 *

39. Within the last few years, have you (ITEM), or not?

8/9/04 – Summary Table

Yes No No opin.
a. looked at a sexually explicit Web
site on the Internet All 21 79 0
Men 34 66 0
Women 10 90 0

b. had sex talk in an Internet chat room All 4 96 0

Men 5 95 0
Women 2 98 0

c. Had an emotionally close but not

physical relationship with a co-worker,
friend or neighbor of the opposite sex All 24 76 *
Men 27 73 0
Women 21 79 *

40. If a person who’s married or in a committed relationship (ITEM), would you

consider that being unfaithful, or not?

8/9/04 – Summary Table

Yes No No opin.
a. looks at a sexually explicit Web
site on the Internet All 34 63 3
Men 25 71 4
Women 42 55 3

b. has sex talk in an Internet chat room All 64 33 4

Men 54 42 3
Women 72 24 4

c. Has an emotionally close but not

physical relationship with a co-worker,
friend or neighbor of the opposite sex All 46 50 4
Men 43 53 4
Women 49 47 4

41. (and 45) (IF EVER MARRIED OR LIVING TOGETHER) Have you ever had sex with someone
other than your (spouse/partner) while you were (married/in this relationship)? (IF
NEVER CHEATED) Have you ever had any sexual activity short of intercourse with someone
other than your (spouse/partner) while you were (married/in this relationship)?

Q41/45 NET Table:

23
 Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 16 84 *
Men 21 78 1
Women 11 88 *

Yes No No opin.
Q41, sex 14 86 *
Q45, sexual activity 2 97 *

42. (IF NEVER CHEATED) Have you ever fantasized about doing that, or not?

Q41/42 NET Table:

Yes No Cheated in Q41 No opin.

8/9/04 All 30 55 14 *
Men 39 42 17 *
Women 23 66 10 *

43. (IF CHEATED) Did you do this mainly to fulfill (an emotional need) or (a physical
desire)?

Emotional Physical Both Neither No

need desire (vol.) (vol.) opin.
8/9/04 33 45 12 3 8

44. (IF CHEATED) Did you ever do this with (ITEM)?

8/9/04 – Summary Table

Yes No No opin.
a. a co-worker 37 63 0
b. a friend 69 31 0
c. a neighbor 15 85 0
d. Someone you just met 39 61 0

45. See 41

46. (IF NEVER CHEATED) If you knew you’d never be caught, would that make you more
likely to have sex with someone other than your (spouse/(partner), or wouldn’t it make
much difference?

More Wouldn’t make No

likely much difference opin.
8/9/04 All 3 95 2
Men 4 94 2
Women 2 96 1

47. (IF SEXUALLY ACTIVE) Are you or is your partner taking Viagra or a similar
medication, or not? (IF YES) Would you say it’s made your sex life better, worse, or
had no effect? (IF BETTER) Is that much better, or only somewhat better?*

Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 6 94 *

*Insufficent N for followup data

24
48. (IF EVER HAD SEX) Thinking about the time since your 18th birthday, have you ever
had sex with a person you paid for sex?

Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 8 92 0
Men 15 85 0
Women 1 99 0

49. (IF EVER HAD SEX) Have you ever had sex with someone just to get back at someone
else – something some people call “revenge sex” - or not?

Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 9 90 *
Men 10 90 *
Women 9 91 0

51. (IF EVER HAD SEX) Have you ever had sex with someone just to help you get over a
failed relationship – something some people call “rebound sex” – or not?

Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 21 78 *
Men 23 76 1
Women 20 80 0

52. Comparing (oral sex) to (sexual intercourse), which do you think is a MORE
intimate activity: (oral sex), (sexual intercourse), or are they both equally
intimate?

Oral Sexual Both No

sex intercourse equally opin.
8/9/04 All 7 39 50 4
Men 6 39 52 3
Women 7 39 48 5

53. Do you think it's OK or not OK for a person to have oral sex with someone they
don't have an emotional relationship with - I mean, just doing it for the sex?

OK Not OK No opin.
8/9/04 All 24 73 3
Men 34 62 4
Women 14 84 2

54. How about intercourse - do you think it's OK or not OK for a person to have sexual
intercourse with someone they don't have an emotional relationship with?

OK Not OK No opin.
8/9/04 All 25 73 2
Men 35 63 2
Women 15 83 1

55. (IF EVER HAD SEX) Do you prefer to have sex with some lights on, or with the
lights off?

Lights Lights No preference No

on off (vol.) opin.
8/9/04 All 21 39 38 2

25
 Men 29 27 42 1
Women 14 51 33 2

56. What do you usually wear when you are sleeping at night?

Nothing/ Under- Nightgown/ Shorts/ Sweatshirt/ Something No

nude wear Pajamas t-shirt sweatpants else op.
8/9/04 All 22 16 34 23 1 2 1
Men 31 31 13 21 1 3 1
Women 14 2 55 25 2 1 1

57. (IF HAD SEX IN LAST TWELVE MONTHS) What time of day do you usually have sex – in
the morning, afternoon, evening or late at night?

Late Anytime No
Morning Afternoon Evening at night (vol.) opin.
8/9/04 All 11 3 23 44 19 *
Men 10 2 25 41 22 1
Women 12 3 21 47 17 *

58. (IF HAD SEX IN LAST TWELVE MONTHS) Are you more likely to have sex (on weekends),
(during the week), or is there no difference?

No No
Weekdays Weekends difference opin.
8/9/04 All 1 22 77 *
Men 2 21 77 *
Women 1 23 76 *

59. and 60 (IF EVER HAD SEX) For each item I name, please tell me whether that’s
something you’ve done, or not. (IF NO TO ITEM ABOVE) Is that something you’ve ever
fantasized about, or not?

Q59/60 NET:

8/9/04 – Summary Table --Have not done--

Have Never No
done NET Fant. fant. op.
a. Had sex in a threesome All 14 86 21 65 *
Men 19 80 33 47 1
Women 8 91 9 82 *

b. Had sex outdoors or in a

public place All 57 43 6 37 *
Men 62 37 7 30 0
Women 51 48 4 44 *

c. Had sex at your workplace,

if you work All 12 87 10 77 *
Men 17 83 12 70 *
Women 8 90 7 83 0

d. Had an unexpected sexual

encounter with someone new All 27 73 15 57 *
Men 35 64 20 44 *
Women 19 79 10 70 *

26
61. (IF HAD SEX IN LAST 12 MONTHS) Including foreplay, on average how long do you
spend having sex?

-----More than 30 minutes------

--30 minutes or less- --One hour or more- No
NET 15/less 16-30 NET 31-59 NET 1 hr. 2+ hrs. op. Avg. Med.
8/9/04 All 39 9 30 53 11 41 28 14 9 65 45
Men 36 8 28 55 11 43 28 16 9 73 45
Women 41 10 31 50 11 39 27 12 9 56 45

62. (IF HAD SEX IN LAST 12 MONTHS) Would you like to have sexual foreplay last longer
than it usually does, shorter, or is it about right?

Longer Shorter About right No opin.

8/9/04 All 17 2 80 1
Men 16 2 81 1
Women 18 2 79 *

63. (IF HAD SEX IN LAST 12 MONTHS) How often do you have an orgasm when you have sex:
always, most of the time, only some of the time, or hardly ever?

-------Always/Most------- -------Some/Hardly/Never-----
Most of Some of Hardly ever/ No
NET Always the time NET the time Never(vol.) op.
8/9/04 All 87 54 33 13 9 4 *
Men 97 74 23 3 3 * *
Women 75 30 45 24 16 7 1

64. (IF EVER HAD SEX) Have you ever faked an orgasm, or not?

Yes No No opin.
8/9/04 All 30 70 *
Men 11 89 *
Women 48 51 *

65. (ASK IF EVER FAKED ORGASM) What’s the main reason you did that?

8/9/04
To please partner 26
To hurry up/get done 22
To not hurt partner’s feelings 10
Was tired 9
Sex was not satisfying 7
Boredom 3
Not in the mood 2
Too young/inexperienced 2
Just wanted to 1
Sick/on medication *
Other 4
No opinion 12

(Verbatims available)

***END***

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