Review of methodology
Intimate orientation could be defined by intimate identification, intimate attraction, or intimate behavior. 13 These definitions are certainly not congruent, and therefore are expected to vary in degree and as time passes. We selected topics on such basis as both intimate identification and intimate behavior. We utilized convenience sampling (chosen by virtue of attendance at lesbian clinics or through lesbian and bisexual women’s community teams) since lesbian and bisexual intimate orientation is stigmatised and topics difficult to take research. 14 The clinics had been advertised as lesbian intimate wellness clinics, plus the study called a study of lesbian intimate wellness, therefore bisexual women can be probably be under-represented. The results presented may not be directly generalisable to lesbians and bisexual women in other settings while the community sample was purposively selected to reflect demographic diversity. These information aren’t designed to express all lesbians and bisexual females, but alternatively to spell it out variety of intimate history and training in a big test of females who’ve intercourse with females.
Studies of intimate health are inevitably at risk of inaccuracies such as for instance recall bias and desirability bias that is social. 15, 16 additionally, questions regarding intimate behaviour are prone to be interpreted in subtly different means by participants dependant on what exactly is considered “sex” or perhaps a “partner” by respondents. For instance, while 85% reported past intercourse with males, 82% reported having had more than one male partner that is sexual.
The study utilized a framework with primarily shut questions and predetermined response groups. The real variety of intimate history and training is consequently apt to be under-represented by these results. We now have noted differing reaction prices to various individual concerns; the response rates that are poorest had been for questions regarding anal intercourse and also this may introduce reaction bias.
Discussion of outcomes
This study comprises the data set that is largest of lesbian and bisexual women’s sexual behavior in the uk. Direct evaluations of other surveys to our results are hard as a result of differences in sampling practices, definitions of intimate orientation, formula of concerns, or descriptive statistics. Evaluations could be created using six studies of intimate behavior that have been performed throughout the 1990s. Two are Uk: (a) the Pride Survey, 17 a convenience test of 278 lesbians at London’s annual Pride event, and (b) the nationwide Survey of Sexual Attitudes and cam chat Lifestyles 1990–1 (NATSAL), 18 a likelihood sample of 18 876 of which 178 ladies reported sex genital contact that is same. Three surveys are US: (c) a nationwide survey that is postal when you look at the mag The Advocate, which recruited 6935 lesbians, 19 (d) the Boston Lesbian wellness venture, a nationwide study of 1633 lesbians recruited by snowballed sampling, 20 and ( ag ag e) the National health insurance and Social Life Survey (NHSLS), 2 a likelihood test of 3432, of which 140 ladies reported exact same intercourse lovers. The very last is Australian: (f) a survey of 1408 women that have sexual intercourse with ladies going to a genitourinary hospital in Sydney. 21
The evaluations outlined below indicate a level that is relatively high of between study outcomes.
Within our study, genital stimulation through dental sex or penetration with hands ended up being very nearly universally reported in intercourse between females. The employment of adult toys and stimulation that is anal less commonly reported. Comparable choices had been recorded within the Pride Survey and also the Boston Lesbian wellness venture. The 2 nationwide likelihood studies (NATSAL in britain, NHSLS in america) give details no more than passive or active dental intercourse between females.
Distinctions in sampling methods are going to account fully for differing proportions of topics reporting sexual intercourse with males. Subjects within the Advocate, Boston Lesbian wellness, and Pride studies had been defined by lesbian or bisexual identities; 77%, 77%, and 87% of participants reported sexual intercourse with guys. NATSAL and NHSLS were random populace examples and the Sydney STI survey had been a hospital populace which included 22% have been intercourse employees; 96%, 98.8%, and 93percent of the participants reported intercourse with males. Information various other studies are in line with our discovering that lesbian and bisexual women’s very very very first intimate experience is commonly heterosexual, observed many years later on by very first same intercourse experience that is sexual.
Lesbians and bisexual ladies could have reproductive health requirements 22 ; within our study 13.8% had offered delivery and 5.8% reported miscarriage. an appreciable percentage had undergone termination (13.5%); this is certainly like the reported price in NATSAL of 15.1% for several ladies aged 25–44. Lesbians and bisexual females may look for advice about conception by donor insemination. 23 It is really not known exactly just just what percentage of our test are non-biological moms and dads.
Situation studies and center based studies indicate that woman to girl transmission of illness is achievable for trichomoniasis, 24 genital herpes, 25 vulval and cervical papillomavirus that is human 26 hepatitis the, 27 syphilis, 28 and HIV, 29 also microbial vaginosis. 30 girl to girl transmission of gonorrhoea or chlamydia is not documented. The general rarity of all of the STI diagnoses in lesbians or clinic that is bisexual ensures that analysis of dangers of specific intimate methods is hard. Our information indicate a selection of intimate practice in intercourse between ladies, and counter assumptions that the lesbian orientation that is intimate sexual task with guys; these details is supposed to steer appropriate assessment, diagnosis, therapy, and prevention advice for STIs in lesbians and bisexual ladies.
A sizeable percentage of lesbians and bisexual ladies in a history to our survey of sexual intercourse with males had never utilized condoms for vaginal or anal penetrative intercourse (even though figures in this subgroup had been tiny). a proportion that is large of whom shared adult toys didn’t clean them or utilize condoms on toys before use on an other woman. Dental dams had been hardly ever utilized in intercourse between females. These information on utilization of obstacles in intimate activity appear to mean that lesbians are in danger of STI transmission from women or men, although safer intercourse could be negotiated in many ways aside from by using condoms or dental dams. Lesbians into the Pride survey negotiated risk that is reduced of illness between ladies by avoiding specific functions (38%) and washing fingers and adult sex toys (17%) along with making use of latex gloves (17%) or dental dams (15%).