Skip to main content
Log in

Homosexuality and bisexuality in different populations

  • Published:
Archives of Sexual Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The general public as well as the scientific community have use for accurate data on the size(s) of the heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual populations. Uses include political, legal, medical, and social. The data upon which the typically used figures are dependent have come under scrutiny. This review of studies from the U.S. and elsewhere indicate that it is unreasonable to consider the often-used figure of 10% of the male population as more or less regularly engaging in same-sex activities. The figure is closer to half that. And the figure for the lesbian population is even smaller. Further, routinely exclusive or predominantly exclusive homosexual activities are more common than bisexual activities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aldhous, P. (1992). French venture where U.S. fears to tread.Science 257: 25.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Asayama, S. (1976). Sexual behavior in Japanese students: Comparisons for 1974, 1960, and 1952.Arch. Sex. Behav. 5: 371–390.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, J. M., and Pillard, R. C. (1991). A genetic study of male sexual orientation.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 48 (December): 1089–1096.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bell, A. P., and Weinberg, M. S. (1978).Homosexualities—A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women. Simon and Schuster, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, A. P., Weinberg, M. S., and Hammersmith, S. K. (1981).Sexual Preference—Its Development in Men and Women. Alfred C. Kinsey Institute of Sex Research, Bloomington, IN.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billy, J. O. G., Tanfer, K., Grady, W. R., and Klepinger, D. H. (1993). The sexual behavior of men in the United States.Fam. Plan. Perspectives. 25: 52–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Booth, W. (1989). U.S. probe meets resistance.Science 244: 419.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, P. J. (1990). Sex, lies and Dr. Kinsey.San Francisco Examiner, October 23.

  • Catania, J. A., Gibson, D. R., Chitwood, D. D., and Coates, T. J. (1990). Methodological problems in AIDS behavioral research: influences on measurement error and participation bias in studies of sexual behavior.Psychol. Bull. 108: 339–362.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control. (1993).HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, February 9.

  • Cochran, W. G., Mosteller, F., and Tukey, J. W. (1964).Statistical Problems of the Kinsey Report on Sexual Behavior in the Human Male American Statistical Association, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coolfont Report. (1986). A PHS plan for prevention and control of AIDS and the AIDS virus.Public Health Rep. 101: 341–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, J. A., and Smith, T. W. (1988). NORC's 1988 General Social Survey.General Social Surveys, 1972–1988: Cumulative Code Book. National Opinion Research Center, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, J. A., and Smith, T. W. (1990).General Social Surveys. 1972–1990: Cumulative Code Book National Opinion Research Center, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deisher, R. W. (1989). Adolescent homosexuality: Preface. In Herdt, G. (ed.),Gay and Lesbian Youth, Haworth, New York, pp. xiii–xv.

  • Diamond, M. (1992).Sexwatching: Looking at the World of Sexual Behavior London, Prion Press Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, M. (1993). In E. Haeberle (ed.), Bisexuality: Biological Aspects.Bisexualities, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, M., and Dannemiller, J. E. (1989). Pornography and community standards in Hawaii: Comparison with other states.Arch. Sex. Behav. 18: 475–495.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, M., Ohye, R., and Wells, J. (In preparation). Population survey of Hawaii: Relation to AIDS. AIDS:Educ. & Prevention.

  • Diamond, M., Steinhoff, P. G., Palmore, J. A., and Smith, R. G. (1973). Sexuality, birth control and abortion.J. Biosoc. Sci. 5: 347–361.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz, K. (1988).Statistical Analysis and Mathematical Modeling of AIDS Oxford Medical Publications, Oxford, U.K.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, B. W., Streiff, E. J., and Brunwasser, A. H. (1991). Pilot study of a household survey to determine HIV seroprevalence.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 40: 1–5.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fay, R. E., Turner, C. F., Klassen, A. D., and Gagnon, J. H. (1989). Prevalence and patterns of same-gender sexual contact among men.Science 243: 343–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gargon, E. A. (1991). Coming out in India, with a nod from the gods.New York Times (International ed.), August 15.

  • Gebhard, P. H. (1972). Incidence of overt homosexuality in the United States and Western Europe.NIMH Task Force on Homosexuality: Final Report and Background Papers National Institute of Mental Health. Rockville, MD, pp. 22–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, R. (1987).The “Sissy Boy Syndrome” and the Development of Homosexuality Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guthrie, G. M., and Jacobs, P. J. (1966).Child Rearing and Personality Development in the Philippines Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haeberle, E. J. (1978).The Sex Atlas: A New Illustrated Guide Seabury Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris Poll (1988). Survey for Project Hope. Louis Harris & Associates, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, D. V. (1968). Homosexuality and transvestism in the Philippines.Behav. Sci. Notes 3: 211–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Higa, D. (1988).The psychosocial functioning of individuals at risk for AIDS. Master's thesis, University of Hawaii, School of Social Work.

  • Kinsey, A., Pomeroy, W., and Martin, C. (1948).Sexual Behavior in the Human Male W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinsey, A., Pomeroy, W., Martin, C., and Gebhard, P. (1953).Sexual Behavior in the Human Female W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, D. L., Ng, M. L. and Chou, L. P. (1992).Sexual Behaviour in Modern China: A report on the nation-wide “sex civilisation” survey on 20,000 subjects in China. Shanghai, San Lian Bookstore Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, R. (1991). A blow below the belt.Newsweek, July 1, p. 39.

  • McWhirter, D. P., and Mattison, A. M. (1984).The Male Couple: How Relationships Develop. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michael, R. T., Laumann, E. O., Gagnon, J. H., and Smith, T. W. (1988). Number of sex partners and potential risk of sexual exposure to human immunodeficiency virus.Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report 37: 565–567.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morens, D. M., and Polloi, H. (in preparation). Sexual experience and health risk in the Republic of Palau.

  • Reisman, J., and Eichel, E. W. (1990).Kinsey, Sex and Fraud: The Indoctrination of a People Lochinvar-Huntington House, Lafayette, LA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Research Triangle Institute. (1990).National Household Seroprevalence Survey: Feasibility Study Final Report Research Triangle Park, NC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S. M., and Turner, C. F. (1991). Male-male sexual contact in the U.S.A.: Findings from five sample surveys, 1970–1990.J. Sex. Res. 28: 491–519.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schover, L. R., and Jensen, S. B. (1988).Sexuality and Chronic Illness: A Comprehensive Approach, Guilford, New York.

  • Schreiner, J. (1986).Measuring the Gay and Lesbian Population, National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals. Report. P.O. Box 14138, Chicago.

  • Schwager, S. J., Castillo-Chavez, C., and Hethcote, H. (1989). Mathematical statistical and mathematical approaches in HIV/AIDS modeling: A Review. In Castillo-Chavez, C. (ed.),Statistical Approaches to AIDS Epidemiology Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sittitrai, W., Brown, T., and Virulrak, S. (1992). Patterns of bisexuality in Thailand.Bisexuality and HIV/AIDS. In Tielman, R., Carballo, M., and Hendricks, A. (eds.), Prometheus Books, Buffalo, pp. 97–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. W. (1988). A methodological review of the sexual behavior questions in the [NORC] 1988General Social Survey. GSS Methodological Report No. 58, NORC, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. W. (1991). Adult sexual behavior in 1989: Number of Partners, Frequency of intercourse and risk of AIDS.Fam. Plann. Perspect. 23: 102–107.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steinhoff, P. G., and Diamond, M. (1977).Abortion Politics University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, H. (1993). Number of gay men more than 4 times higher than the 1 percent reported in a recent survey.The Harris Poll #20: 1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terman, L. M. (1948). Sexual behavior in the human male: Some comments and criticisms.Psychol. Bull. 45: 443–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voeller, B. (1990). Some uses and abuses of the Kinsey scale. In McWhirter, D. P., Saunders, S. A., and Reinisch, J. M. (eds.),Heterosexuality/Homosexuality: Concepts of Sexual Orientation Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 32–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallis, W. A. (1948). Statistics of the Kinsey Report.J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 44: 463-.484.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinberg, M., and Williams, C. (1974).Male Homosexuals—Their Problems and Adaptations Oxford University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wellings, K., Field, J., Wadsworth, A. M., Johnson, A. M., Anderson, R. M., and Bradshaw, S. A. (1990). Sexual lifestyles under scrutiny.Nature 348: 276–278.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whitam, F. L., Diamond, M., and Martin, J. (1993). Homosexual orientation in twins: A report on 61 pairs and three triplet sets.Arch. Sex. Behav. 22: 187–206.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whitam, F. L., and Mathy, R. M. (1986).Male Homosexuality in Four Societies: Brazil, Guatemala, the Philippines, and the United States Praeger, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi, M. (1991). Gay Japanese Cautiously Come Out of Closet.New York Native 6.

  • Zessen, G. van, and Sandfort, T. (1991).Seksualiteit in Nederland, (Sex in the Netherlands.), Swets & Zeitlinger, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Diamond, M. Homosexuality and bisexuality in different populations. Arch Sex Behav 22, 291–310 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01542119

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01542119

Key words

Navigation