Oral and anal sex with opposite-sex partners is common and associated with sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission. Trends in these behaviors over the last decade, during which bacterial STI diagnoses have reached historic highs while HIV diagnoses have decreased, are not well understood. We examined recent trends in oral and anal sex and associated condom use with opposite-sex partners among females and males.
Methods
We analyzed data from 16,926 female and 13,533 male respondents aged 15 to 44 years who reported sex with an opposite-sex partner in the past 12 months from the National Survey of Family Growth, 2011–2019. We used survey-weighted linear or logistic regression to evaluate linear temporal trends in oral and anal sex behaviors.
Results
From 2011–2013 to 2017–2019, reports of oral sex and number of oral sex partners in the past 12 months increased among females (85.4% in 2011–2013 to 89.4% in 2017–2019; odds ratio [OR], 1.05 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.02–1.09], and β = 0.014 [95% CI, 0.005–0.023]; respectively) but not males (ranges, 87.9%–89.1%; 1.27–1.31). Condom use at last oral sex decreased among both females and males (6.3%–4.3%: OR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.88–0.99]; 5.9%–4.4%: OR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.91–1.00]). Anal sex (ranges, 21.0%–23.3% [females] and 23.3%–24.6% [males]), number of anal sex partners (females, 0.22–0.25; males, 0.26–0.30), and condom use at last anal sex (females, 15.3%–18.2%; males, 27.0%–28.7%) remained stable.
Conclusions
The frequency of oral and anal sex with opposite-sex partners among U.S. 15- to 44-year-olds, paired with limited and—for oral sex—decreasing condom use, demonstrates the need to understand the role of these behaviors in increasing STI diagnosis rates and the potential role of extragenital screening and condoms in reducing STI transmission.