Sexual Behavior among Adults in the U.S..: A Couples-Based Approach

John O.G. Billy, Battelle- Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation
William R. Grady, Battelle- Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation
Daniel H. Klepinger, Battelle- Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation
Morgan Sill, Battelle- Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation

We adopt a couple’s perspective to gain a better understanding of factors that affect the sexual behaviors of adult couples in the U.S. Specifically, we use personal and relationship characteristics as reported by each partner in marital, cohabiting, and dating relationships to examine how the female and male partner reports are related to reports of their sexual behaviors and whether the female or male’s reports are more influential. We take relationship power explicitly into account and examine its main and interactive effects on the couple’s behaviors. We also examine whether the effects of male and female characteristics differ by relationship type. Data used for this study come from the recently completed National Couples Survey, in which completed interviews were obtained from both partners of 1,009 adult couples.