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Arch Sex Behav (2015) 44:885894 DOI 10.1007/s10508-014-0287-1
ORIGINAL PAPER
Sexual Discordance and Sexual Partnering Among Heterosexual Women
Jennifer Nield Brianna Magnusson
Christopher Brooks Derek Chapman
Kate L. Lapane
Received: 10 May 2013 / Revised: 11 January 2014 / Accepted: 17 January 2014 / Published online: 10 April 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014
Abstract This study examined characteristics of self-identied heterosexual women who were concordant or discordant in theirsexualbehaviorandtheassociationofdiscordanceandsexual partnering among those aged 1544 years from the 2006 2010 National Survey of Family Growth (n = 7,353). Sexual concordance was dened as reporting a heterosexual identity and no female partners in the past year; discordance was report-ingaheterosexualidentityandhavingatleastonefemalepartner in the past year. Sexual partnering was dened as being concurrent, serially monogamous or monogamous with a male partner in the previous year. Polytomous logistic regression models evaluated the association between sexual discordance and sexual partnering. Among self-identied heterosexual, sexually active women, 11.2 % reported ever having had a same sex partner. Heterosexually discordant women who had both male and female partners in the previous year were 5.5 times as likely to report having a concurrent relationship (95 % CI 2.7711.09) and 2.4 times as likely to report engaging in serially monogamous relationships (95 % CI 1.194.97) with male partners.
Discordancebetweenheterosexualidentityandsamesexbehavior is a factor in risky behaviors. Women who have sex with womenandmenmayactasbridgesforthetransmissionofSTDs, particularly to their female partners. Sexual education should includeinformationinclusiveofnon-heteronormativebehaviors and identities to provide sexual minorities with the tools and information they need. Clinical guidelines should ensure that all women are offered counseling and screening for reproductive and sexual health.
Keywords Sexual orientation Same sex partners
Sexual concurrency Serial monogamy
Introduction
Discordant sexual identity and behavior occurs when a person reports one sexual identity (e.g., heterosexual) but different sexualbehaviors(e.g.,samesexorbisexualbehaviors).Peoplemay have discordant identity and behavior for many reasons, including internalized heterosexism (Szymanski, Kashubeck-West, & Meyer, 2008), homophobia (Frost & Meyer, 2009), or simply not perceiving themselves as homosexual. Societal pressures such as heteronormativity may increase discordant sexual identityandbehavior.Heteronormativityisaconstructthatendorses heterosexual partnering as the norm for society (Rich, 2004; Warner, 1991). Sexual minorities may feel discrimination, stigmatization, and intense pressure to present an outwardly heterosexual orientation (Sandfort & Dodge, 2008; Siegel & Schrimshaw, 2000) while still engaging with same sex partners. Among women, little research has been done...