A growing number of young people today identify as “nonbinary,” but that identity has been little examined by researchers. Popular opinion tends to see “nonbinary” merely as a more tentative version of “trans.” However, it is quite distinct. A team of researchers from Bristol, UK, has undertaken qualitative interviews with 105 self-identified nonbinary persons recruited […]
Data on the Sex Recession
While some young people find it insufferable to read nostalgic articles by older people who complain that the youngsters aren’t fucking enough, this new article in The Guardian does highlight some hard data: the number of high school students who have had sex declined from 47% in 2013 to 32% in 2023, although this could […]
Meeting Partners Online Yields Poor Results
An international study of over 6000 partnered individuals from 50 countries shows that 21% of those initiating their relationship since 2010 met their partner online, and that those relationships tended to be less satisfactory and involve lower intensity of experienced love. An article in The Guardian discusses how the new rules and terminology for online […]
Sexual Inactivity in Japan
A newly published review in the Journal of Sex Research synthesizes the results of 43 surveys conducted over the last 50 years concerning sexual inactivity, inexperience, and lack of desire among Japanese youth, which is increasingly recognized as a serious social problem in a country worried about population decline. Today, about half the Japanese population […]
Decline in Youth Trans and Queer Identification?
A study published by the Centre for Heterodox Social Science at the University of Buckingham uses three surveys to suggest a substantial drop (about 50%) in non-binary self-identification among American students since 2023, and a smaller but not insignificant drop (about 10%) in “queer” self-identification; however, the rate of identification with traditional labels like gay […]
Is Non-Affirming Counseling for Gender Dysphoria “Conversion Therapy”?
On October 7, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Chiles v. Salazar, the case challenging Colorado’s ban on counseling for gender dysphoria that does not seek to affirm gender transition as the best path forward for the patient. Much of the legal debate concerns whether psychotherapy is medical treatment (conduct that can be […]
Adolescent Sexual Fluidity
A study of 1,513 Swedish adolescents from age 14 to 17 reveals a surprising degree of variation in sexual orientation during this developmental phase. Most striking is the fluidity of those who at some point in their trajectory identify as lesbian or gay: only 17.6% of girls and 29.4% of boys who so identify did […]
Heteronormative Family Expectations
Heteronormativity is a cultural, social, and political framework that institutionalizes heterosexuality as the standard and preferred sexual orientation. Heteronormative familial discourses play a significant role in socializing children, and what makes them so influential is their ability to naturalize certain behaviors and desires. Children are taught that “this is how things are” or “how things should […]
Childhood “Nerds” Likely to be Lifelong Virgins?
A study of approximately 400,000 UK and Australian adults, mostly middle-aged and older, reveals that about 1% of the population goes through life without ever having experienced any form of sexual intercourse. The study found sexlessness is associated with a range of genetic, environmental, physical and mental factors – but much still remains unclear. Among […]
Sexual Violence On the Rise According to the UN
Sexual violence has long been used as a tactic of war in conflicts across the globe, disproportionately affecting women and girls. The United Nation’s annual Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence reveals a grim development: sexual violence increased by 25% in conflict zones in 2024. A glaring example is the eastern Democratic Republic […]