Patterns and Predictors of Same-Sex Sexual Contact among Teens and Young Adults in the United States.

This study uses data from Cycle 6 of the National Survey of Family Growth to describe patterns and predictors of same-sex sexual contact among a sample of never-married youth between the ages of 15 and 21 years. Results indicate that approximately 10 percent of young women and 4 percent of young men have experienced some form of same-sex sexual contact. Surprisingly, almost none of the socio-demographic factors that are predictive of heterosexual behaviors are predictive of same-sex behavior. While sexual attraction is the most powerful predictor of same-sex contact, we find that engagement in same-sex activity is not confined to youth who report same-sex attractions or to youth who report a homosexual/bisexual orientation. For the majority of youth, who indicate only opposite-sex attractions, the factors most strongly associated with same-sex contact are experience with heterosexual vaginal intercourse and religious background. For youth who acknowledge same-sex attractions, same-sex contact appears to be more closely tied to the development of a non-heterosexual identity than to experience with other forms of sexuality. For these young people, a homosexual/bisexual identity and age are associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in same-sex activity. The influence of religion on the sexual behavior of young men and women who have same-sex attractions remains somewhat unclear. For these men, growing up in a family that identifies as Christian fundamentalist reduces the likelihood of same-sex activity. For these women, however, a Christian fundamentalist background increases the likelihood of same-sex activity. Further examination of these issues is clearly warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]