Lesbians' Sexual History With Men: Implications for Taking a Sexual History
Abstract
Background Health care providers may not solicit a comprehensive sexual history from lesbian patients because of provider assumptions that lesbians have not been sexually active with men. We performed this study to assess whether women who identify themselves as lesbians have a history of sexual activities with men that have implications for receipt of preventive health screening.Objective To convey the importance for health care providers to know their patients' sexual history when making appropriate recommendations for preventive health care.Methods A survey was printed in a national news magazine aimed at homosexual men, lesbians, and bisexual men and women. The sample included 6935 self-identified lesbians from all 50 US states. The outcomes we measured were respondents' number of lifetime male sexual partners and partners during the past year, their lifetime history of specific sexual activities (e.g., vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse), their lifetime condom use, and their lifetime history of sexually transmitted diseases.Results Of respondents, 77.3% had 1 or more lifetime male sexual partners, 70.5% had a lifetime history of vaginal intercourse, 17.2% had a lifetime history of anal intercourse, and 17.2% had a lifetime history of a sexually transmitted disease. Exactly 5.7% reported having had a male sexual partner during the past year.Conclusion These findings reinforce the need for providers to know their patients' sexual history regardless of their reported sexual orientation, especially with regard to recommendations for Papanicolaou smears and screening for sexually transmitted diseases.
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The majority of WSW (53%-97%) have had sex with men in the past and continue to do so, with 5%-28% of WSW reporting male partners during the previous year.
“The majority of WSW (53%–97%) have had sex with men in the past and continue to do so, with 5%–28% of WSW reporting male partners during the previous year (292,297–300).”
From Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021 (2021) · cites this paper as [298]
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Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021
Workowski, K. A., Bachmann, L. H., Chan, P. A., Johnston, C. M., Muzny, C. A., Park, I., Reno, H., Zenilman, J. M., & Bolan, G. A. (2021) · MMWR. Recommendations and Reports · doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7004a1 · Cited by 2,759 · see citing works
(2001) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.91.6.947 · Cited by 239 · see citing works
“Perhaps of equal importance, studies have shown that most WSW (53%–99%) have had sex with men and that many (21%–30%) continue to have sex with men.(18,19) Among these women, acquisition of chronic viral sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV, genital herpes, and HIV, from male partners presumably occurs at a ra…”
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Peplau, L. A., & Garnets, L. (2000) · Journal of Social Issues · doi:10.1111/0022-4537.00169 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
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“001 No partners 99 (16) 16 (12) 42 (8) 157 (12) Men only 513 (83) 48 (35) 3 ( 1) 564 (45) Women only 18 (3) 41 (30) 446 (88) 493 (39) Men and women 36 (6) 31 (23) 14 (3) 48 (4) Sexual partners in past year (mean SD) 0.”
Prevalence and risk factors for infection with herpes simplex virus type-1 and -2 among lesbians.
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“…from this population-based study supports earlier research find- ings indicating that sexual identity and sexual behaviors are not always consistent (Diamant et al., 1999; White, 1997), and provided an opportunity to compare health and mental health risk factors based on women’s sexual behavior…”
ResultMuzny, C. A., Austin, E. L., Harbison, H. S., & Hook, E. W. (2014) · Sexually Transmitted Diseases · doi:10.1097/olq.0000000000000194 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Muzny, C. A., Harbison, H. S., Pembleton, E. S., & Austin, E. L. (2013) · Sexually Transmitted Diseases · doi:10.1097/olq.0b013e31828caf34 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“They are often not identified as such by health care providers because of lack of sexual behavior disclosure and providers’ assumptions of heterosexuality when taking sexual histories.(2) Owing, in part, to this invisibility, there continues to be confusion and incorrect assumptions regarding sexually transmitted infe…”
BackgroundHealth Care Recommendations for Lesbian Women
Roberts, S. J. (2006) · Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing · doi:10.1111/j.1552-6909.2006.00081.x · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Infectious Disease Issues in Underserved Populations
Grief, S. N., & Miller, J. P. (2017) · Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice · doi:10.1016/j.pop.2016.09.011 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
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Infectious Disease Issues in Underserved Populations
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Effects of HIV Disease on Women
Nichols, J. E., Speer, D. C., Watson, B. J., et al. (2002) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-012518051-1/50010-1
- Authors
- Diamant, A. L., Schuster, M. A., McGuigan, K., & Lever, J.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- ORCID
- Schuster, Mark A.
- Venue
- Archives of Internal Medicine
- Publisher
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- Published
- 1999-12-13
- Volume
- 159
- Issue
- 22
- Pages
- 2730
- ISSN
- 0003-9926 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W21523126
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2018: 1 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 3.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Archives of Internal Medicine (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Lesbian Health Fund
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
- Keywords
- lesbians, sexual history, men, sexual behavior, sexual partners, female sexuality
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