Sex Survey

This sex survey is no casual affair; it's a serious commitment. A 15-year commitment to understand the many changes on the make in the Indian Marriage Bed...

Ranee Sahaney

Updated on: 8 February 2024 4:29 pm

Sex Survey

Sex Survey

Male

Female

Total

Nos

I Subject Profile: Study Population

Age Group

20 – 24

529

5.18

789

15.42

1318

8.60

25 – 29

1589

15.57

836

16.34

2425

15.82

30 -34

1921

18.82

1253

24.49

3174

20.71

35 – 39

1067

10.45

675

13.19

1742

11.37

40 – 44

2641

25.87

543

10.61

3184

20.78

45 – 49

1101

10.79

526

10.28

1627

10.62

50 – 54

552

5.41

389

7.60

941

6.14

55 – 59

345

3.38

104

2.03

449

2.93

60 – 64

284

2.78

0.04

286

1.87

65 – 69

0.90

0.60

70 – 74

0.55

0.37

75 – 79

0.18

0.12

80 – 84

0.06

0.04

85 – 89

0.03

0.02

90 – 91

0.03

0.02

TOTAL

10,207

66.61

5117

33.39

15324

100.00

Educational Background

Upto High School

284

2.78

323

6.31

607

3.96

Graduate

4497

44.06

2777

54.27

7274

47.47

Post Graduate

2608

25.55

834

16.30

3442

22.46

Others

2818

27.61

1183

23.12

4001

26.11

TOTAL

10,207

66.61

5117

33.39

15324

100.00

II Entry To Sexual World: Masturbation

Have you masturbated after marriage?

Yes

9250

90.62

3300

64.49

12550

81.90

957

9.38

1817

35.51

2774

18.10

At what age did you first masturbate?

10 – 14

993

9.73

243

4.75

1236

8.07

15 – 19

5751

56.34

442

8.64

6193

40.41

20 – 24

2157

21.13

1132

22.12

3289

21.46

25- 29

349

3.42

870

17.00

1219

7.95

30 – 34

409

7.99

409

2.67

35 – 39

154

3.01

154

1.01

40 - 45

0.98

0.33

Reasons for masturbation after marriage

Change

3421

36.98

Spouse not available

3731

40.34

1981

60.03

Either/both

2098

22.68

No orgasm during sex

1319

39.97

When did you first have sexual intercourse?

<20

128

1.25

115

2.25

243

1.59

20 – 24

2909

28.50

2085

40.75

4994

32.59

25 – 29

4338

42.50

1804

35.26

6142

40.08

30 – 34

1939

19.00

1077

21.04

3016

19.68

35 - 39

893

8.75

0.70

928

6.06

Trends - first sexual intercourse
	Men (%)			Women (%)
Age	'88-93	'93-98	'98-03	'88-93	'93-98	'98-03
<20	1	1	1	2	2	2
20 – 24	21	26	34	42	34	45
25 – 29	41	45	42	31	36	37
30 – 34	24	19	16	24	27	15
35 - 39	13	9	7	1	1	1

Male

Female

Total

Nos

Who was your first sexual partner?

Spouse

4730

46.36

3663

71.58

8393

54.77

Girl/Boy Friend

788

7.72

871

17.02

1659

10.83

Sex Worker

3430

33.60

3430

22.38

Blood Relatives

545

5.34

489

9.56

1034

6.75

Others

714

7.00

1.84

808

5.27


III Regular Sex : Sexual Turn Ons
Do you have exposure to explicit sexual material?
Yes	7275	71.27	2502	48.90	9777	63.80
No	2932	28.73	2615	51.10	5547	36.20

Which parts of body attract you?
Note: Answers represent more than one attribute
Face	6232	61.06	4048	79.11	-	-
Eyes	1331	13.04	1132	22.12	-	-
Breasts/Chest	5210	51.04	1727	33.75	-	-
Waist	2147	21.03	-	-	-	-
Buttocks	4457	43.67	142	2.78	-	-
Shoulders	-	-	1429	27.93	-	-
Not Sure	957	9.38	1590	31.07	-	-
How it starts
Who takes the initiative in the sexual act?
Husband	2322	22.75	1236	24.15	3558	23.22
Wife	1738	17.03	632	12.35	2370	15.47
Either/Both	6147	60.22	3249	63.50	9396	61.31

What is the duration of foreplay?
(in minutes)
< 5	2875	28.17	1590	31.07	4465	29.14
5 – 10	4284	41.97	2242	43.81	6526	42.59
10 - 15	1915	18.76	1014	19.82	2929	19.11
15 – 30	707	6.93	201	3.93	908	5.93
>30	426	4.17	70	1.37	496	3.24

What type of foreplay?
Hugging	2467	24.17	1398	27.32	3865	25.22
Kissing	2726	26.71	1329	25.97	4055	26.46
Caressing	1462	14.32	722	14.11	2184	14.25
Combination	1630	15.97	788	15.40	2418	15.78
Others	1922	18.83	880	17.20	2802	18.26

Do you undress for sex?
Partially	2160	21.16	1247	24.37	3407	22.23
Nude	4841	47.43	2295	44.85	7136	46.57
Either way	3206	34.41	1575	30.78	4781	31.20

Do you keep the lights on or off during sex?
On	4812	47.14	2102	41.08	6914	45.12
Off	1813	17.76	979	19.13	2792	18.22
Either way	3582	35.10	2036	39.79	5618	36.66

When do you have sex?
Day	155	1.52	34	0.66	189	1.23
Night	9581	93.87	4881	95.39	14462	94.37
Anytime	471	4.61	202	3.95	673	4.39

How and How much

How often do you have sex?
Number of times of sexual intercourse in a month
Years of marriage	Male	Female
0 – 1	18	20
1 – 5	15	15
5 – 10	9	10
10 – 15	6	7
15 +	2	2

Male

Female

Total

Nos

Favourite coital position

Male on top

3337

32.69

1903

37.19

5240

34.20

Female on top

2232

21.87

1047

20.46

3279

21.38

Rear Entry

677

6.63

254

4.96

931

6.08

Others

349

3.42

159

3.11

508

3.32

Combination

3612

35.39

1754

34.28

5366

35.02

How does your spouse participate?

Actively

8080

79.16

4604

89.97

12684

82.77

Passively

2127

20.84

573

10.03

2640

17.23

IV ADD ONs:

Have you had pre-marital sex?

Yes

5477

53.66

1454

28.42

6931

45.23

4730

46.34

3663

71.58

8393

54.77

Have you had extra-marital sex?

Yes

3686

36.11

929

18.16

4615

30.12

6521

63.89

4188

81.84

10709

69.88

Reasons for extra-marital sex?

Opportunity

682

18.50

Variety

1171

31.77

Wife unresponsive
to needs

897

24.34

Peer influence

936

25.39

To get even

217

23.36

Sexual satisfaction

306

32.94

Others

406

43.70

V Extras

Have you had oral sex?

Yes

4917

48.17

2348

45.89

7265

47.41

5290

51.83

2769

54.11

8059

52.59

Trends: oral sex

'88-93	'93-98	'98-03
4%	18%	24%

Male

Female

Total

Nos

What is the frequency of oral sex?

Occasional

3138

63.82

1395

59.41

4533

62.40

Often

1779

36.18

953

40.59

2732

37.60

Types of oral sex

Cunnilingus

490

9.97

183

7.79

673

9.26

Fellatio

3420

69.55

1863

79.35

5283

72.72

Both/Mutual

1007

20.48

302

12.86

1309

18.02

Have you had anal sex?

Yes

1995

19.55

123

2.40

2118

13.82

8212

80.45

4994

97.60

13206

86.18

Trends: anal sex

'88-93	'93-98	'98-03
1%	3%	10%

Male

Female

Total

Nos

How often do you have anal sex?

Occaasional

1754

87.92

59.35

1827

86.26

Often

241

12.08

40.65

291

13.74

Methodology

The authors interviewed 15, 324 people (10,207 men, 5,117 women) over the fifteen-year period between 1988 and 2003. They comprised people attending Chennai’s Apollo Hospitals and Dega Institute, as well as individuals known to the researchers.

The study covered people from 15 Indian states. Their ages at the time they were interviewed ranged from 20 to 91. More than half (53 per cent) were from the 30-44 age group. Most (70 per cent of the men, 71 per cent of the women) had had a college education (they had either a graduate or a post-graduate qualification). The authors do comment that their study population belonged predominantly to the middle and upper socio-economic strata of society, and that a significant number were quite proficient in English. Each respondent was spoken with one-on-one, on the condition of anonymity, by interviewers trained in human sexuality. Typically interviewees needed three or four sessions to feel comfortable and confident enough to answer the questionnaire. Questions were asked in English and in regional languages to make sure the subjects understood them properly