Our perceptions of ‘sex’ are clearly different (Picture: Getty)
What do you consider as sex?
According to new YouGov data, we all answer this question differently.
The market research and data analytics firm surveyed 5,807 adults in the UK about what counted as ‘sex.’
The grouping included gay men, lesbians, bisexual men and women and heterosexuals from the age of 18 to over 65.
Because of the diversity of the sample pool, the answers vary widely and it makes for an interesting read.
Here are the results.
Cunnilingus and blow jobs
Of those surveyed, 45% said they don’t consider oral sex on a man or a woman as ‘having sex.’
However, a significant number think differently. 40% believe that it does count, 8% are unsure and 7% prefer not to say.
It seems sexuality influences what we deem sex to be. When it comes to gay and bisexual men, 57% believe a blow job to be sex, while 54% of lesbian and bisexual women say the same.
Age impacts views too. According to the results, over half of those over 50 consider oral sex to count as having sex, compared to 29% who don’t.
Fingering and hand jobs
The majority of people also claimed that digital stimulation (or ‘hand stuff’ if we’re being crude) doesn’t qualify as sex.
52% are of this opinion when it comes to hand jobs and 48% when it comes to fingering. Only a third of those questioned thought otherwise.
Similarly to the oral sex results, 49% of lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to see fingering as sex.
Generational differences influenced results in this category too, with more older lovers maintaining that using hands can be called sex than the 18-49 demographic.
As for the who’s right and who’s wrong, we’re afraid it isn’t that simple. Sex can be whatever you want it to be; penetration with a penis is not the only definition.
That said, you may want to check what your partner believes comes under the sexual umbrella. Miscommunications can lead to arguments, and it’s important to be on the same page when it comes to such subjective topics.
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Depending on age and sexuality, our perceptions are different.