The survey data reveal a coherent picture of the way sexual behavior is organized, indicating not just what Americans do sexually, but why. In particular, the study finds that Americans have less sex, fewer partners and less exotic sex than other, less reliable studies have indicated. The median number of sexual partners over a lifetime for American men is six. For women, the median number is two. More than 80 percent of Americans had only one partner or no partner in the past year and just 3 percent of women and men had five or more partners in the past year.
Marriage is alive and well.
Almost all Americans marry, and 75 percent of married men and 85 percent of married women say they have remained faithful. The people who have the most sex and are happiest with their sex lives are monogamous couples. Of all the items on a long list of sexual practices, only three were considered appealing by more than a tiny fraction of heterosexual Americans, and of those three, only one stood out. Heterosexuals overwhelmingly find vaginal intercourse appealing, and they include it in almost every sexual encounter. But no other practice is almost universally desired.