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Sex, Love, and Health in America
Private Choices and Public Policies
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Edited by Edward O. Laumann and Robert T. Michael
University of Chicago Press
Due/Published
December 2000, 535 pages,
cloth
ISBN
0226469670
In 1994, the University of Chicago Press published the landmark study "The Social Organization of Sexuality, "the most important survey since the Kinsey report," according to "Time magazine. Based on data collected from the National Health and Social Life Survey, this heralded book answered hundreds of questions about the state of sex in America: how widespread is extramarital sex? how do women's sexual lives differ from men's? how do social factors such as education, race, and religion affect sexual conduct? While amazingly comprehensive, this earlier volume was devoted primarily to establishing baseline statistics and information. Two authors of that study, Edward O. Laumann and Robert T. Michael, now bring together the result of deeper research into and analysis of the information presented in the 1994 volume. The result, "Sex, Love, and Health in America, is a companion to "The Social Organization of Sexuality and furthers our understanding of Americans' sexual practices.
Sixteen researchers have contributed essays to this collection that explore controversial topics, including teenage sexuality, sexual contact between children and adults, abortion, the role of cohabitation in the sexual satisfaction of couples, and how sexual behavior has changed in response to AIDS, as well as a widely heralded examination of circumcision, reported in the "New York Times, which discusses the effects of the procedure on disease transmission and the preference for certain sexual practices. In its analysis, policy recommendations, and revelations about private practices, "Sex, Love, and Health in America will, like the earlier volume, have a major role in shaping the discussion about Americansexual behavior.
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Review
From Sex, Love & Health in America:
Satisfaction with Sex Life
among Americans:
Extremely or Very Happy 57.7%
Generally Satisfied 29.2%
Unhappy 13.1%
Median Number of Sex Partners Since Age 18:
All 3
Women 2
Men 6
This new collection of essays is the long-awaited follow-up to the landmark study done in 1994, The Social Organization of Sexuality. This new volume includes several essays that provide further analysis of the data collected concerning the sexual habits, practices, and attitudes of Americans. The report reveals that the sexual behavior of most adults is remarkably conventional: generally one partner and a very limited repertoire of sexual practices. Additionally, it turns out that most Americans are basically happy with their sex lives. Other major conclusions from the report include the importance of our social class in determining sexual partners (Americans are far more likely to be with those from a similar background and meet through mutual friends), and the high incidence of sexually transmitted disease. Sixteen researchers build upon these findings and explore a range of controversial topics including teenage sexuality, how sexual behavior has changed in response to AIDS, the preference for certain sexual practices, and more. This is a definitive and important work that shatters many misconceptions about American sexuality and is a vital tool for the policy decisions the nation makes regarding sex and health.
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