This is an exclusive study conducted by DatingAdvice.com, which surveyed respondents over the course of three weeks to reflect an accurate representation of the U.S. population.
Should you have sex on the first date? This is often a hot topic in the dating industry and opinions vary across the board.
However, some research may help us better understand who engages in this type of sexual behavior and why.
A study of more than a thousand Americans by DatingAdvice.com found women are half as likely as men to say they’ve had sex on a first date.
The findings also show gay men and women are twice as likely to have first-date sex than their straight counterparts.
Dr. Wendy Walsh, clinical psychologist and DatingAdvice.com expert, said gay men and women aren’t confined to the same male/female dynamics as straight men and women, so they may feel less judgement from others about the sexual activities they engage in.
“Being free of traditional gender roles allows individuals to express their sexuality any way they want,” she said. “Gay women are not constrained by the sexual double standard. They can write their own code, if you will.”
“Gay men and women are twice
as likely to have first-date sex.”
Perhaps one of the most surprising results was those aged 18 to 24 and those 65 and older were both among the least likely groups to acknowledge a first date sexual encounter, with one in five and one in four answering in the affirmative, respectively.
Hispanics were 18% more likely than whites and African-Americans to engage in sex with someone on a first date, while Asians were the least likely to do so at 16%.
Geographically, the highest response came from the U.S. west, where almost two out of five said they had experienced sex on a first date. The Midwest offered the smallest numbers – less than a third of all respondents.
Dr. Walsh said people are often subjected to gender pressures and try to conform to a narrow definition of sexuality, which can cause men to exaggerate their sexual experiences and women to keep quiet about theirs.
“Men are pressured to take all sex at any cost and women, because of the sexual double standard, are culturally pressured to have less commitment-oriented sex,” she said.
The study surveyed 1,080 respondents over the course of three weeks, balancing responses by age, gender, income, race, sexuality and other factors in order to accurately represent the U.S. population. The study has a margin of error of +/- 2.8%.
The Breakdown: Americans Who’ve Had Sex on the First Date
By gender:
- Male: 46%
- Female: 23%
By sexuality:
- Straight: 33%
- Gay: 61%
By marital status:
- Single, Never Married: 36%
- Married: 31%
- Divorced: 45%
By age:
- 18 to 24: 22%
- 25 to 34: 39%
- 35 to 44: 39%
- 45 to 54: 39%
- 54 to 64: 34%
- 65 and older: 25%
By race:
- White: 33%
- African-American: 33%
- Hispanic: 39%
- Asian: 16%
By income:
- Under $25,000: 30%
- $25,000 to $49,999: 35%
- $50,000 to $74,999: 33%
- $75,000 to $99,999: 40%
- $100,000 to $124,999: 34%
- $125,000 or higher: 34%
By region:
- Northeast: 37%
- Midwest: 30%
- South: 33%
- West: 38%
Visit DatingAdvice.com/Studies for more research on dating and relationship topics. Relationship expert Dr. Wendy Walsh is a frequent contributor on CNN and other major networks and is the author of the new book “The 30-Day Love Detox.”
