Same-Sex Sexual Behaviors

Gay and lesbian young people have an increased risk of school problems, social isolation, substance abuse, and suicide. There tends to be a more hostile environment with more bullying, hostile behavior toward them, and verbal or physical abuse experienced by gay and lesbian youth. They also are at an increased risk for sexual abuse, sex with multiple partners, and running away from home. Depression and STDs are more common in LGBT youth.

Gay people in general face a wide range of legal repercussions, depending on where they live in the world. There are parts of the world where being gay is not illegal and gay marriage is accepted as being legal. There are other parts of the world where homosexual activities are not only illegal but such activities are punishable with the death penalty. In parts of the world where homosexual activity is illegal, these laws are not always enforced. The illegality of homosexual behavior is the greatest in Islamic countries, particularly in the Middle East.

SAME-SEX SEXUAL BEHAVIORS

Gay sexual practices involve any sexual activity in which a man has sex with another man. As you have learned, such practices can occur with any type of self-proclaimed sexual identity or sexual orientation. In the Kinsey Reports, which were published in 1948, about 37 percent of men indicated they’d had at least one sexual encounter with another man. Even so, this number may have been underreported because there is social bias against these types of behaviors.

As mentioned, while anal sex is most associated with MSM or men having sex with men, most do not engage in this sexual activity. Oral sex, frottage or rubbing penises together, and mutual masturbation are more popular than anal sex in this population. Oral sex is the most popular behavior in men who have sex with men. Recent self-report surveys indicate about five to nine separate sexual behaviors practiced by men who have sex with men.

The insertive partner in anal sex is often called the top, while the receptive partner is called the bottom. Men who are versatile are comfortable with either position. Pain and pleasure together are often a part of anal sex. Receptive men who have an orgasm often

get it through prostate stimulation. Receptive males are just as likely to achieve an orgasm as the insertive males. Pain, however, is a factor in about 14 percent of receptive anal sex situations.

Frottage is a non-penetrative form of sex in MSM behavior. It involves stimulating the frenulum nerve bundle located on the underside of the penile shaft through mutual penis-to-penis contact. Docking involves the insertion of a man’s penis into the foreskin of another man; this is another practiced behavior in MSM.

Sex positions used by men who have sex with men include doggy style, the missionary position, and the sixty-nine position. These men also participate in BDSM and sometimes use sex toys. About 25 percent of gay and bisexual males indicate that spanking is part of their sexual practices. Vibrators are used by about half of gay men at some point.

Men who have sex with men are more likely to have an orgasm if the sex happens within the context of a stable or loving relationship. This happens at the same rate as heterosexual men. Trans men who retain their vagina will sometimes have sex with a cisgender man; such sexual activity can include vaginal penetration.

Men who have sex with men have the same numbers of sexual encounters involving unprotected sex as heterosexual men and heterosexual women. HIV disease is an issue with MSM behavior with about 5 to 10 percent of HIV infections caused by this kind of sex. About 55 percent of new HIV cases happen in gay or bisexual men because of MSM behavior. Syphilis and anal warts also connected to MSM behavior and unprotected sex. Other STDs, such as herpes, gonorrhea, and chlamydia are not increased with this type of behavior.

Lesbian sexual practices or WMW behaviors involve any kind of sexual behavior practiced between two women, regardless of their self-identified sexual orientation. Women in these types of sexual encounters will engage in sexual affection, including touch, hugging, or kissing. There are many forms of lesbian sexual behaviors that women can engage in.

Things like erogenous touch and disrobing in front of the other women can both indicate the desire for sex. Foreplay often involves stimulation of the sexual partner’s

breasts or nipples or other forms of oral to skin connection, particularly of the erogenous zones. Nipple stimulation is, in fact, a common way for lesbian women to indicate the desire for sexual activity. This behavior releases prolactin and oxytocin, which are important bonding hormones.

Among lesbian sexual practices, the attainment of an orgasm can be gotten through stimulation of the nipples or the clitoris. There will be orgasmic muscle contractions and vocalizations that lead to further release of hormones that lead to relaxation during a refractory period. Women are more likely than men to have the ability to have more than one orgasm during a short period of time.

Common lesbian sexual practices include oral stimulation of the nipples and clitoris, called cunnilingus. Anilingus is less commonly practiced. Fingering or manual stimulation of the clitoris or other genital organs is also common. Some women have sexual stimulation with manipulation of the G spot. Sex toys or a strap-on dildo can also be used.

Tribadism is a common practice in lesbian women. This is also referred to as frottage and involves stimulation of the vulva against the other woman’s stomach, thigh, or other body part. It is sometimes referred to as the scissoring position or as dry humping. Several different sex positions can be used.

As with heterosexuals or gay men, the practices of dominance, submission, or BDSM can be used in lesbian couples. In such cases, there would be an active partner and a submissive partner, with the active member engaging in the use of sex toys, spanking, or various types of sexual stimulation. Bondage or handcuffs can be used. Both the active and submissive sex partner can derive sexual satisfaction from this type of behavior.

According to Alfred Kinsey’s work on sexual behavior among females, more women report having an orgasm when having lesbian sex than women who have heterosexual sex. Masters and Johnson reported essentially the same thing and indicated that emotional as well as full-body sexual contact is seen in lesbian contacts. On the other hand, lesbian couples tend to have less sex over time in their sexual relationship when compared to straight couples. What has been discovered, however, is that the sexual

frequency decreases in lesbian couples but the time spent per encounter is higher than is seen in heterosexual couples.

Many people associate lesbian sexual encounters with cunnilingus, which may or may not be a part of these types of encounters. Some women like to participate in that, while others do not, for various reasons. Among sexual encounters in lesbian relationships, 80 percent report tribadism, while more than 90 percent engage in fingering or other forms of oral sex. About 7 percent engage in anal sex at least some of the time.

The most common sexual practice among lesbians is oral sex, followed by digital penetration, mutual masturbation, and tribadism. The use of sex toys is less frequent.

Lesbian sexual practices can cause sexually transmitted diseases, although this is less possible with non-penetrative sex. HIV can be passed through menstrual blood, breast milk, or vaginal fluids. Things like trichomoniasis, human papillomavirus, and syphilis can be passed through lesbian sex. For this reason, some doctors suggest covering sex toys with condoms, using dental dams, and using lubricated gloves in order to decrease the risk of STDs. In actual practice, however, these practices are rarely done because of the perception of less vulnerability to getting a sexually transmitted infection.