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Same-Sex Sexual Behavior

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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science
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Synonyms

Bisexual behavior; Homosexual behavior

Definition

Sexual behavior between individuals of the same sex.

Introduction

An estimated 3.5 % of adults in the United States (US) identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB), which amounts to more than 8 million people (Gates 2011). An even larger percentage reports that they have engaged in same-sex sexual behavior (8.2 %) or acknowledges at least some same-sex attraction (11 %) (Gates 2011). Further, studies have demonstrated that sexual attractions, behaviors, and identities can change over time and across situations, especially for women (e.g., Diamond 2008). This indicates that same-sex sexual behavior transcends self-identification as LGB, and it underscores the widespread relevance of same-sex sexual behavior. This entry describes sexual behavior between individuals of the same sex, including the specific sexual behaviors that they engage in, the prevalence rates of these behaviors, and their relative risks for HIV. Given the...

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References

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Correspondence to Brian Feinstein .

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

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Feinstein, B., Dellucci, T. (2016). Same-Sex Sexual Behavior. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3367-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3367-1

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