Trends in Same-gender Sexual Partnering, 1988-1998.

Nationally representative data from the General Social Surveys indicate that from 1988 to 1998 there was an increasing likelihood than American men and women had had a same-gender sexual partner during the previous year. Increases in same-gender sexual partnering and decreases in exclusively opposite-gender sexual partnering during the previous 5 years were also evident among women over the 1988-1998 period. Same-gender sexual partnering was found to be associated with age, birth cohort, race, size of hometown at age 16, and mothers' education. The increase in same-gender sexual partnering over the 1988-1998 period persisted after controlling for these factors. Several possible explanations for the trend are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]