Italian women who have sex with women: prevalence and co-occurrence of sexual practices

Abstract Background Sexuality research on the sexual practices of women who have sex with women (WSW) has thus far mostly centered on risk factors and addressed a limited number of practices, with a focus on oral sex and insertive vaginal sex. Aim This study arises from the need to fill such a significant gap, which prevents researchers, clinicians, and policy makers from being adequately up-to-date on the sexual habits and tendencies of this population. Methods A multiple-choice questionnaire was completed by 723 WSW with a mean (SD) age of 29.14 (6.94) years. Outcomes The survey included closed questions on sexual practices, including genital and oral sex, but also nongenital sexual contact (petting and intercrural sex), anal sex, and kinky practices. Results The most common sexual practices were self-masturbation (99.03%), oral sex (performed or received, 98.20%), and insertive genital sex (performed or received, 89.07%). Half of our sample had tried kinky practices at least once in a lifetime (51.31%). Respondents tended to experiment sexually more with stable partners rather than with casual ones. Comparisons among practices in the lesbian and bisexual population are presented. Clinical Implications Providers should be aware that sexual orientations have their own specificities, including sexuality and practices, which should increase their knowledge and comfort in working with sexual minorities. Strengths and Limitations The novel topic of the study addresses the gap in sexuality research among WSW. Strengths include the sex-positive approach, the inclusion of an array of sexual practices, and the consideration of the specificities of the group. Limitations in the generalization of the results are the cross-sectional design and the explicit topic, which may have kept some persons from responding. Conclusion We propose the framing of sex as going beyond genital contact, and we invite clinicians and researchers who come into contact with WSW to be aware that sexual orientation can be associated with specificities regarding sexuality and sexual practices.