MetaChat - CDC: Men have 3 times more sex partners

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23 June 2007

CDC: Men have 3 times more sex partners Now let's consider the pure mathematical absurdity of that claim.→[More:]
Considering the usual one-to-one relationship of male-to-female sex partners, this can only be achieved with a combination of the following factors...
(1) There are way more Gay and Bi guys than anyone suspected
(2) There are a small number of Super Sluts who are taking up the slack for the rest of the female population
(3) There are a lot of 3-on-1 group things with the man describing them differently than the 3 women
(4) Somebody (a LOT of somebodys, in fact) is lying!!!

post by: wendell at: 15:09 | 20 comments

Prostitution and the sex discrepancy in reported number of sexual partners:

One of the most reliable and perplexing findings from surveys of sexual behavior is that men report substantially more sexual partners than women do. We use data from national sex surveys and studies of prostitutes and their clients in the United States to examine sampling bias as an explanation for this disparity. We find that prostitute women are underrepresented in the national surveys. Once their undersampling and very high numbers of sexual partners are factored in, the discrepancy disappears. Prostitution's role in the discrepancy is not readily apparent because men are reluctant to acknowledge that their reported partners include prostitutes.

posted by TheophileEscargot 23 June | 15:32

This kind of surprises me, when you consider that women can have all the sex they want, if they just make it known tht they want it, but then again the male sex drive is very different from the female ex drive and I'm really hammmered, disregard anything I say....

posted by jonmc 23 June | 15:35

ok.

posted by trondant 23 June | 15:41

I suspect that some women are underreporting numbers of sexual partners and some men are overreporting numbers, in accordance with the gender-based prejudices many people have about promiscuity. More simply stated: as you say, lots of lying.

As opposed to lots of laying.

*rimshot*

[As opposed to rimjob.]

I'm leaving now.

posted by Elsa 23 June | 15:45

women can have all the sex they want

The hot women, you mean?

posted by chrismear 23 June | 16:23

Does this line up with Kinsey's findings?

posted by chuckdarwin 23 June | 16:28

The hot women, you mean?

nah, all of 'em. we men will have sex with anything if we're horny enough. women, not so much.

posted by jonmc 23 June | 16:34

Well, quite often when women feel like they're surrounded by men who only want to get into their pants, it makes them less attracted to men & less trusting. Because women are funny that way sometimes. Especially hot ones.

All I know is that my male friends have always been far sluttier than my female friends, hands down. Although that said, there was one girl I knew in college who definitely screwed enough guys to make up for the rest of her gender. Her name was Dawn but I called her Spawn. She was a hot mess. Didn't age well, that Spawn.

posted by miss lynnster 23 June | 17:17

I'm sorry, that's probably me who's messing up the female statistics. Just remove my data and it will all balance out.

posted by casarkos 23 June | 19:33

Note that the study specified heterosexual partners, except for the questions about "age of first sexual experience".

posted by muddgirl 23 June | 20:34

I think it all works out if you count the women in various hair color phases. As in 3 redheads + 3 blondes + 3 brunnettes = 3 women + considerable imagination + a whole lotta Clairol. I mean, really, it's no coincidence that the women's hair color section in any supermarket is 20 feet long, and the men's is, uh, 6 inches.

posted by paulsc 23 June | 21:06

I'd venture that option 1 is correct. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

posted by treepour 23 June | 21:51

Perhaps many men are simply not very good at convincing people to have sex with them more than once.

posted by occhiblu 23 June | 22:30

If they reported the standard deviation on the averages probably it would make more sense.

And, who the hell enters a van (*shudders*) to be surveyed on a sexual matter? I say, just because of that the results are skewed towards the overly promiscuous.

Or what occhiblu said. I always agree with her! :)

posted by carmina 23 June | 22:55

Yikes. Carmina, I never noticed the part where respondents enter a van to complete the survey.

Are they also offered candy? By friends they haven;t met?

posted by Elsa 23 June | 23:17

eek! Elsa, eek!

posted by carmina 23 June | 23:32

Um, I'll cop to number 2. *blush*

posted by TrishaLynn 24 June | 05:46

#2, yes, "super-sluts" = prostitutes, and "sex partners" includes encounters limited to just hand- or blowjobs.

The trick now is to get those men to admit that they pay for sex.

posted by mischief 24 June | 10:49

This kind of surprises me, when you consider that women can have all the sex they want, if they just make it known tht they want it

...and if said women can find men they want to sleep with. It's pretty easy to just have sex, yes. Finding someone you are honestly drawn to and who will call you again and treat you properly is another matter.

posted by Orange Swan 24 June | 17:57

... the men's is, uh, 6 inches.
Speak for yourself.
</jealous>

...women can have all the sex they want, if they just make it known tht they want it

...and if said women can find men they want to sleep with. It's pretty easy to just have sex, yes. Finding someone you are honestly drawn to and who will call you again and treat you properly is another matter.
Now you're being picky! I think that, often (based on my observations), the ones who will treat you right are the opposite to the ones you want to sleep with.

But let's not start this argument again ;-)

posted by dg 24 June | 22:49

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