Abstract
Introduction: There is a growing appreciation that sexual attraction can vary across the life course, but little information on this from longitudinal studies based on general population samples past adolescence.
Aims: To measure sexual attraction at ages 21, 26 and 32 years, and determine changes between these ages, among nearly 1000 men and women enrolled in the New Zealand Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, one of the longest comprehensive cohort studies of sexual behaviour worldwide.
Methods: Self-completed computer-presented questions on same sex attraction (similar to those used in the British NATSAL studies) with 6 Kinsey-style options were presented at age 21, 26 and 32.
Results: A significantly greater proportion of women than men reported same sex attraction at each age, and experienced a much greater change in attraction between assessments. Some same sex attraction was reported by 8.8, 16.6 and 14.7% of women and 4.2, 5.8 and 4.8% of men at ages 21, 26 and 32 respectively. Between 21 and 26, 15.9% of all women and 4.1% of men changed their level of attraction, as did 16.3% of all women and 3.3% of men between 26 and 32 years.
Conclusions: The public and clinicians need to be aware that in early adulthood any same sex attraction is relatively commonly experienced, especially by women, and changes in attraction frequently persist through early adulthood.