Editing Promiscuity (section)

==Male promiscuity==
[[File:John Wilmot.jpg|thumb|[[John Wilmot]], a notorious libertine<ref name="Freudenburg 2005 p. 261">{{cite book | last=Freudenburg | first=K. | title=The Cambridge Companion to Roman Satire | publisher=Cambridge University Press | series=Cambridge Companions to Literature | year=2005 | isbn=978-1-139-82657-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=72MgAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA261 | access-date=2023-03-14 | page=261}}</ref>]]
[[File:Alessandro Longhi presunto ritratto di Casanova (1774?).png|thumb|[[Giacomo Casanova]] was famously promiscuous.|alt=]]
=== Straight men (heterosexuals) ===
<!--READ THIS BEFORE EDITING: for purposes of accuracy, please try to cite probability sample surveys. Convenience sample surveys which are not representative of the wider population can be misleading. -->A 1994 study in the United States, which looked at the number of sexual partners in a lifetime, found 20% of heterosexual men had one partner, 55% had two to 20 partners, and 25% had more than 20 sexual partners.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Seidman|first1= S. N.|last2=Rieder|first2= R. O.|title=A review of sexual behavior in the United States|journal=Am J Psychiatry|date=1994|volume=151|issue= 3|pages=330–41|doi=10.1176/ajp.151.3.330|pmid= 7619092}}</ref> More recent studies have reported similar numbers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lehmiller|first=J. J. | date=2012| url=http://www.lehmiller.com/blog/2012/6/8/sex-question-friday-whats-your-number.html|title=What's Your Number? | work=The Psychology of Human Sexuality}}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, a nationally representative study in 2013 found that 33.9% of heterosexual men had 10 or more lifetime sexual partners. Among men between 45 and 54 years old, 43.1% reported 10 or more sexual partners.<ref>{{Cite journal|url= |title=Changes in Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in Britain Through the Life Course and Over Time: Findings From the National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal)|last1=Ch|first1=Mercer|last2=C|first2=Tanton|date=2013-11-30|journal=Lancet|page=1784|language=en|pmid=24286784|last3=P|first3=Prah|last4=B|first4=Erens|last5=P|first5=Sonnenberg|last6=S|first6=Clifton|last7=W|first7=Macdowall|last8=R|first8=Lewis|last9=N|first9=Field|volume=382|issue=9907|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62035-8|pmc=3899021}}</ref>

A 2003 representative study in Australia found that heterosexual men had a median of 8 female sexual partners in their lifetime. For lifetime sexual partners: 5.8% had 0 partners, 10.3% had 1 partner, 6.1% had 2 partners, 33% had between 3 and 9 partners, 38.3% had between 10 and 49 partners and 6.6% had more than 50 female sexual partners.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=de Visser |first1=Richard O. |last2=Smith |first2=Anthony M. A. |last3=Rissel |first3=Chris E. |last4=Richters |first4=Juliet |last5=Grulich |first5=Andrew E. |date=2003-04-01 |title=Sex in Australia: Heterosexual experience and recent heterosexual encounters among a representative sample of adults |journal=Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=146–154 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00802.x |issn=1326-0200|doi-access=free |pmid=14696705 }}</ref>

A 2014 representative study in Australia found that heterosexual men had a median of 7.8 female sexual partners in their lifetime. For lifetime sexual partners: 3.7% had 0 partners, 12.6% had 1 partner, 6.8% had 2 partners, 32.3% had between 3 and 9 partners, 36.9% had between 10 and 49 partners and 7.8% had more than 50 female sexual partners.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rissel |first1=Chris |last2=Badcock |first2=Paul B. |last3=Smith |first3=Anthony M. A. |last4=Richters |first4=Juliet |last5=de Visser |first5=Richard O. |last6=Grulich |first6=Andrew E. |last7=Simpson |first7=Judy M. |date=2014 |title=Heterosexual experience and recent heterosexual encounters among Australian adults: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25376995/ |journal=Sexual Health |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=416–426 |doi=10.1071/SH14105 |issn=1448-5028 |pmid=25376995 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Research by [[J. Michael Bailey]] found that heterosexual men had the same level of interest in casual sex as gay men. However he found straight men were limited in their ability to acquire high numbers of female partners. According to Bailey, "These facts suggest that women are responsible for the pace of sex. Gay and straight men both want casual sex, but only straight men have the brake of women’s sexually cautious nature to slow them."<ref name=":6" /> 

===Gay men (homosexuals)===<!--READ THIS BEFORE EDITING: for purposes of accuracy, please try to cite probability sample surveys. Convenience sample surveys which are not representative of the wider population can be misleading. -->

A 1989 study found having over 100 partners to be present though rare among homosexual males.<ref name="nejm">{{cite journal |doi = 10.1056/NEJM199410063311407 |last1 = Friedman |first1 = Richard C. |last2 = Downey |first2 = Jennifer I. |date =October 6, 1994 |title = Homosexuality |journal = New England Journal of Medicine |volume = 331 |issue = 14 |pages = 923–30 |pmid = 8078554 |doi-access = free }}</ref> An extensive 1994 study found that difference in the mean number of sexual partners between gay and straight men "did not appear very large".<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last1=Wardle|first1=Lynn D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HYfdMZEKIp4C&q=edward+laumann+1994+mean+42+partners&pg=PA113|title=Marriage and Same-sex Unions: A Debate|last2=Duncan|first2=William C.|last3=Strasser|first3=Mark|last4=Coolidge|first4=David Orgon|date=2003|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-97653-8|page=113|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Soble|first=Alan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HdpN1xnl5EC&q=Homosexuality:+The+Nature+and+Harm+Arguments+corvino+Bell+&pg=PA135|title=The Philosophy of Sex: Contemporary Readings|date=2002|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7425-1346-4|page=145|language=en}}</ref>

A 2007 study reported that two large population surveys found "the majority of [[gay men]] had similar numbers of unprotected sexual partners annually as straight men and women."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/82330.php|title=Sexual Behavior Does Not Explain Varying HIV Rates Among Gay And Straight Men|work=Medical News Today|date=13 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Goodreau SM, Golden MR |title=Biological and demographic causes of high HIV and sexually transmitted disease prevalence in men who have sex with men |journal=Sex Transm Infect |volume=83 |issue=6 |pages=458–62 |date=October 2007  |pmid=17855487 |doi=10.1136/sti.2007.025627 |pmc=2598698}}</ref>

The 2013 British [[National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles|NATSAL]] study found that gay men typically had 19 sexual partners in a lifetime (median).<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last1=Mercer|first1=Catherine H.|last2=Prah|first2=Philip|last3=Field|first3=Nigel|last4=Tanton|first4=Clare|last5=Macdowall|first5=Wendy|last6=Clifton|first6=Soazig|last7=Hughes|first7=Gwenda|last8=Nardone|first8=Anthony|last9=Wellings|first9=Kaye|last10=Johnson|first10=Anne M.|last11=Sonnenberg|first11=Pam|date=July 2016|title=The health and well-being of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Britain: Evidence from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3)|journal=BMC Public Health|language=en|volume=16|issue=1|page=525|doi=10.1186/s12889-016-3149-z|pmid=27386950|pmc=4936006|issn=1471-2458|doi-access=free}}</ref> In the previous year, 51.8% reported having either 0 or 1 sexual partner. A further 21.3% reported having between 2 and 4 sexual partners, 7.3% reported having between 5 and 9, and 19.6% reported having 10 or more sexual partners.<ref name=":4" />

A 2014 study in Australia found gay men had a median of 22 sexual partners in a lifetime (''sexual partner'' was defined as kissing, touching or intercourse).<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last1=Grulich|first1=Andrew|last2=de Visser|first2=Richard|last3=Badcock|first3=Paul|last4=Smith|first4=Anthony|last5=Heywood|first5=Wendy|last6=Richters|first6=Juliet|last7=Rissel|first7=Chris|last8=Simpson|first8=Judy|date=2014-11-01|title=Homosexual experience and recent homosexual encounters: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267929896|journal=Sexual Health|publisher=CSIRO|volume=11|issue=5|pages=439–50|doi=10.1071/SH14122|pmid=25376997}}</ref> 50.1% of gay men reported having either 0 or 1 partner in the previous year, while 25.6% reported 10 or more partners in the previous year.<ref name=":5" />

Research on gay sexual behavior may overrepresent promiscuous respondents.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Bancroft|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CpMYXcxIEbQC&pg=PR14|title=Researching Sexual Behavior: Methodological Issues|date=1997|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-33339-1|pages=xiv, 270|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Prah|first1=Philip|last2=Hickson|first2=Ford|last3=Bonell|first3=Chris|last4=Mcdaid|first4=Lisa|last5=Erens|first5=Bob|last6=Riddell|first6=Julie|last7=Wayal|first7=Sonali|last8=Nardone|first8=A|last9=Sonnenberg|first9=Pam|last10=Johnson|first10=Anne|last11=Mercer|first11=Catherine|date=2015-09-01|title=P11.02 Representing men who have sex with men (msm) in britain: evidence from comparative analyses of the latest convenience and probability surveys|url=https://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/id/eprint/2535237/1/Men-who-have-sex-with-men-in-Great-Britain.pdf|journal=Sexually Transmitted Infections|volume=91|pages=A174.1–A174|doi=10.1136/sextrans-2015-052270.452|doi-access=free}}</ref> This is because gay men are a small portion of the male population, and thus many researchers have relied on [[Convenience sampling|convenience surveys]] to research behavior of gay men. Examples of this type of sampling includes surveying men on dating apps such as [[Grindr]], or finding volunteers at gay bars, clubs and saunas. Convenience surveys often exclude gay men who are in a relationship, and gay men who do not use dating apps or attend gay venues.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Dodds|first1=J P|last2=Mercer|first2=C H|last3=Mercey|first3=D E|last4=Copas|first4=A J|last5=Johnson|first5=A M|date=2006|title=Men who have sex with men: a comparison of a probability sample survey and a community based study|journal=Sexually Transmitted Infections|volume=82|issue=1|pages=86–87|doi=10.1136/sti.2005.015248|issn=1368-4973|pmc=2563827|pmid=16461615}}</ref> For example, the British and European convenience surveys included approximately five times as many gay men who reported "5 or more sexual partners" than the nationally representative NATSAL study did.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://na.eventscloud.com/file_uploads/fec7af64dc4c887d918bdc0c78671614_PhilipPrah_124.pdf|title=Representing men who have sex with men (MSM) in Britain: Evidence from comparative analyses of the latest convenience & probability surveys|last=Prah|first=Philip|date=September 2015|website=natsal.ac.uk}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> [[Sampling (statistics)|Probability sample]] surveys are more useful in this regard, because they seek to accurately reflect the characteristics of the gay male population. Examples include the [[National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles|NATSAL]] in the United Kingdom and the [[General Social Survey]] in the United States.

According to [[John Corvino]], opponents of gay rights often use convenience sample statistics to support their belief that gay men are promiscuous, but that larger representative samples show that the difference is not so large, and that extreme promiscuity occurs in a minority of gay men.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Soble|first=Alan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HdpN1xnl5EC&q=weinberg&pg=PA139|title=The Philosophy of Sex: Contemporary Readings|date=2002|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7425-1346-4|pages=139, 145|language=en}}</ref> Psychologist [[J. Michael Bailey]] has stated that social conservatives use promiscuity among gay men as evidence of a "decadent" nature of gay men, but says "I think they're wrong. Promiscuous gay men are expressing an essentially masculine trait. They are doing what most heterosexual men would do if they could. They are in this way just like heterosexual men, except that they don't have women to constrain them."<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Bailey |first=J. Michael |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281747420 |title=The Man Who Would Be Queen |publisher=Joseph Henry Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-309-08418-5 |pages=87 |format=PDF}}</ref>

Regarding [[sexually transmitted infection]]s (STIs), some researchers have said that the number of sexual partners had by gay men cannot fully explain rates of HIV infection in this population. Most gay men report having similar numbers of unprotected sexual partners as straight men on an annual basis. Unprotected receptive anal sex, which holds a much higher risk of HIV transmission, appears to be the major factor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nordqvist |first=Christian |date=2007-09-13 |title=Sexual Behavior Does Not Explain Varying HIV Rates Among Gay And Straight Men |url=https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/82330 |access-date=2020-07-08 |website=www.medicalnewstoday.com |language=en}}</ref>