By the numbers

Sex in America 2010: By the numbers

The largest survey ever on Americans' sexual habits has yielded some surprises, namely a "gap" in orgasm perception between men and women and a rise in anal sex

Indiana University's Center for Sexual Health Promotion has conducted the first comprehensive survey of American sexuality in nearly two decades, and the largest ever of its kind. Sponsored by Trojan, the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior has revealed, says Melissa Healey at the Los Angeles Times, that "Americans are mixing it up a good deal more than they have in the past." Here's a sampling of attention-getting stats from the survey:

5,686
Number of people, ages 14 to 94, who were surveyed

64
Percentage of women who reported having had an orgasm during their last sexual "event"

85
Percentage of men who reported that their partner had reached orgasm during their most recent encounter. ("We can't help but notice the gender gap between male and female orgasms, men being a little bit clueless about their partner having an orgasm or maybe they're getting bad information," said Pepper Schwartz, a sociology professor and a member of the Trojan Sexual Health Advisory Council.)

60
Approximate percentage of male respondents who reported having pleasured themselves in the past month

30
Approximate percentage of male respondents over 70 who reported to have done so

33
Highest percentage of women in any age group who reported having had anal sex for a study conducted in 1992

46
Highest percentage of women in any age group who reported having had anal sex in the new Indiana University survey

2
Percentage of 14-year-olds surveyed who said they had engaged in sexual intercourse in the past year

40
Percentage of the 17-year-olds surveyed who said the same thing

41
Number of different combinations of sexual acts Americans practice, according to the researchers' tally

15
Percentage of men in their 40s and 50 who report having received fellatio from another man at some point

13
Percentage of men in their 40s and 50s who report having given another man fellatio

1 in 5
Number of married men in their 50s who report not having had vaginal sex in the past year

Sources: Slate, ABC News, Los Angeles Times, Business Week, The Washington Post

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