Attractive and educated women may be more likely to report being “100 per cent heterosexual”, a new study has suggested.
According to new research presented to the American Sociological Association this week, female sexuality is more likely to be influenced by a woman’s surroundings and romantic opportunities than is the case with men.
The study’s author, Elizabeth Aura McClintock, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, said "This indicates that women's sexuality may be more flexible and adaptive than men's".
The study tracked 5,018 women and 4,191 men as they progressed from adolescence to young adulthood and asked them to identify as 100 per cent heterosexual, mostly heterosexual, bisexual, mostly homosexual, or 100 percent homosexual at four different stages of their life.
Dr McClintock insists she does not believe same sex relationships are considered 'less than' heterosexual ones- just that sexual identity is not fixed
Dr McClintock said certain factors such as greater education, physical attractiveness and delaying childbirth until later in life made women more likely to report being completely heterosexual because they received more romantic attention from men.
It builds on previous research that suggested women are more likely to report being bisexual and were more likely to change their sexual identity in later life. Inspirational quotes about LGBT rights
Dr McClintock said: "Women who are initially successful in partnering with men, as is more traditionally expected, may never explore their attraction to other women. However, women with the same sexual attractions, but less favorable heterosexual options might have greater opportunity to experiment with same-sex partners.”
In contrast, men were more likely to say they were “100 per cent heterosexual” or “100 per cent homosexual” regardless of their perceived physical attractiveness.
Highly educated men were slightly more likely to report bisexuallity reports Dr McClintock.
“Men are less often attracted to both sexes. Men's sexuality is, in this sense, less flexible. If a man is only attracted to one sex, romantic opportunity would little alter his sexual identity", she added.
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Dr McClintock said this meant sexual identity was a social construct but stressed that she didn’t believe this meant she “was suggesting that same-sex unions are a second-best option to heterosexual unions."
She explained: “I do not think that women are strategically selecting an advantageous sexual identity or that they can 'choose' whether they find men, women, or both sexually attractive. Rather, social context and romantic experience might influence how they perceive and label their sexual identity.” Landmark LGBT TV moments
