A study revealed that unlike men, women are more flexible about their sexual identities. Romantic opportunities seem to sway the sexual identities of women and not for men.
Women are three times more likely to change their sexual identities when they move into young adulthood
Dr. Elizabeth Aura McClintock, a professor of sociology in the University of Notre Dame conducted this study by looking at data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). She tracked 5018 women and 4191 men throughout their adolescent-to-adulthood phase. This traced a time period from 1994-1995 to 2007-2008, with their average ages being 16 and 28 at the start and end of the survey. Confirming a well-known finding, the survey revealed that women are more likely than men to report bisexuality; they are also more likely to change their sexual identities in adulthood. The widely popular male eroticization of same-sex attraction between females could have contributed to the flexibility in female sexual identity. On the other hand, men are more likely to report that they’re either 100% heterosexual or 100% homosexual.
Physically attractive women are more likely to call themselves “100% heterosexual”
Women with higher education and perceived to be attractive (according to the Add Health ratings) are more likely to stick to the hetero-conformist behavior because they have favorable options in the heterosexual partner market. On the other hand, women with same proclivities towards men and women, but faced with fewer favorable heterosexual partners may steer towards homosexuality more. This romantic opportunity-based labeling of sexual identity is found more in women. Men with higher education are surprisingly less likely to call themselves “100% heterosexual”. Physical attractiveness does not have any association with male sexual identity and romantic opportunity has no influence on it.
Sexual identity is a lot more complex than we think
Often social dictates control what we “call” ourselves in the society. This study was meant to tease out self-reported sexual identities of women and men from adolescence to adulthood. The study does not purport that sexual identities can be chosen at will, but merely that social ethos may influence how people perceive their own sexuality.
Did you know sex can also affect friendships?
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Women More Flexible In Their Sexual Identities
