Patterns of sexuality in a high-risk sample : results from a survey of new intakes at a county jail

Described the sexual habits and behaviors in a sample of individuals thought to be at high risk for infection with the AIDS virus. The sample is drawn from new arrestees at a county jail in the San Francisco Bay Area. Results indicate that the individuals in this sample are very sexually active: The majority began their sexual activities at a young age; most are currently in a primary relationship; and a large proportion report having had two or more sexual partners in the last 12 months. Furthermore, for the most part, the patterns of sexual behavior reported by respondents did not differ on the basis of gender. Although it was true that men tended to initiate intercourse at an earlier age than women, men and women did not differ with respect to the numbers of sexual partners reported in the last year, frequency of vaginal intercourse, frequency of anal intercourse, or in the distribution of sexual risk-taking. Overall, women in this sample are very much like men in terms of their sexual behavior.