Straightening out the queer? Same-sex experience and attraction among young people in Norway

Cult Health Sex. 2007 Jan-Feb;9(1):15-30. doi: 10.1080/13691050600965984.
[Article in English, French, Spanish]

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of same-sex experience, from deep kissing, through petting to genital contact, same-sex romantic attraction and reported same-sex arousal in a representative sample of young men and women aged 17-18 in Norway. While same-sex experiences were reported as being more prevalent among young women (27.4%) than among young men (6.5%), the gender difference in the case of same-sex genital experiences was smaller (F = 4.6%, M = 2.7%) than in the case of deep kissing (F = 25.7%, M = 3.9%). While same-sex romantic attraction was more prevalent among young men with same-sex experiences than young women, such attraction was confined to a minority of all young men. Results suggest that same-sex experiences among Norwegian youth are not unequivocally tied to same-sex attraction and possible homosexual self-identity. We argue that among young men, same-sex behaviour is more often associated with same-sex orientation whereas young women's same-sex relations seem to be more exploratory.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Gender Identity*
  • Homosexuality, Female / psychology
  • Homosexuality, Female / statistics & numerical data*
  • Homosexuality, Male / psychology
  • Homosexuality, Male / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Male
  • Norway / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Sex Distribution
  • Sexual Partners*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires