Book of Odds Read online

  1 in 100

  The odds a man or a woman 45–49 has sought help from a sex therapist.

  SOURCE: “Sexuality at Midlife and Beyond, 2004 Update of Attitudes and Behaviors,” AARP The Magazine, May 2005.

  For Women It Gets Better and Better…

  Up to a Point

  The odds by age a woman considers her partner to be a skillful lover:

  45–49: 1 in 2.8

  50–59: 1 in 2.6

  60–69: 1 in 2.1

  70+: 1 in 4

  SOURCE: LL Fisher, Sex, Romance, and Relationships Survey, AARP Survey of Midlife and Older Adults, American Association of Retired Persons, April 2010.

  ODDS COUPLES

  Hot and Sweaty

  The odds a sexually active adult has sex every day are 1 in 16.7.

  The odds a state has recorded a temperature of more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit in August are 1 in 16.7.

  SOURCES: “The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets,” ABC News Primetime Live Poll, October 21, 2004. http://abcnews.go.com/imagesPolitics959a1AmericanSexSurvey.pdf. Book of Odds estimate based on Temperature Extremes NCDC, http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/temperatures.html. Table Maximum Temperatures, Appendix Monthly Extremes.

  Cold and Unenjoyable

  The odds a sexually active adult will describe his or her sex life as not at all exciting are 1 in 25.

  The odds an adult considers winter weather to be the least enjoyable part of the holiday season are 1 in 25.

  SOURCES: “The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets,” ABC News Primetime Live Poll, October 21, 2004, http://abcnews.go.com/imagesPolitics959a1AmericanSexSurvey.pdf. Book of Odds estimate based on L Saad, “Americans Relish Time with Loved Ones During Holidays, Not Gifts,” Gallup News Service, December 22, 2006, http://www.gallup.com.

  No Offense Taken

  The odds a man will report he would not be offended if a woman faked an orgasm during intercourse with him are 1 in 5.

  The odds an adult is not bothered by adult language on TV shows are 1 in 4.6.

  SOURCES: AskMen.com, “Part I: Dating & Sex,” The Great Male Survey, 2010 Edition, http://www.askmen.com/specials/2010_great_male_survey. Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, Support for Tougher Indecency Measures, But Worries About Government Intrusiveness, April 19, 2005.

  GENDER WARS

  The odds a man has had revenge sex are 1 in 10.2.

  The odds a woman has had revenge sex are 1 in 11.5.

  The odds a man has had rebound sex are 1 in 4.4.

  The odds a woman has had rebound sex are 1 in 5.2.

  SOURCE: “The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets,” ABC News Primetime Live Poll, October 21, 2004, http://abcnews.go.com/imagesPolitics959a1AmericanSexSurvey.pdf.

  The odds a man 75 or older reports he is usually able to get and keep an erection: 1 in 6

  SOURCE: CG Bacon, MA Mittleman, I Kawachi, E Giovannucci, DB Glaser, EB Rimm, “Sexual Function in Men Older Than 50 Years of Age: Results from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study,” Annals of Internal Medicine 139(3), August 5, 2003: 161–169.

  Erectile Dysfunction

  The odds a man 40–49 will be diagnosed with erectile dysfunction are 1 in 80.6.

  The odds a man 50–59 will be diagnosed with erectile dysfunction are 1 in 33.6.

  The odds a man 60–69 will be diagnosed with erectile dysfunction are 1 in 21.6.

  SOURCE: CB Johannes, AB Araujo, HA Feldman, CA Derby, KP Kleinman, JB McKindlay, “Incidence of Erectile Dysfunction in Men 40 to 69 Years Old: Longitudinal Results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study,” Journal of Urology 163(2), February 2000: 460–463.

  Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction

  THE ODDS…

  a man 50–59

  has ever used a penile implant to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 1,000.

  has ever used vacuum suction to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 500.

  has ever used testosterone to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 200.

  has ever used oral medication to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 25.6.

  has ever used a urethral suppository to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 333.

  a man 60–69

  has ever used a penile implant to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 333.

  has ever used vacuum suction to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 100.

  has ever used testosterone to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 100.

  has ever used oral medication to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 13.3.

  has ever used a urethral suppository to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 111.

  a man 70–79

  has ever used a penile implant to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 125.

  has ever used vacuum suction to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 38.5.

  has ever used testosterone to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 83.3.

  has ever used oral medication to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 13.

  has ever used a urethral suppository to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 90.9.

  a man 80 or older

  has ever used a penile implant to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 111.

  has ever used vacuum suction to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 43.5.

  has ever used testosterone to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 167.

  has ever used oral medication to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 29.4.

  has ever used a urethral suppository to treat erectile dysfunction are 1 in 167.

  SOURCE: CG Bacon, MA Mittleman, I Kawachi, E Giovannucci, DB Glaser, EB Rimm, “Sexual Function in Men Older Than 50 Years of Age: Results from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study,” Annals of Internal Medicine 139(3), August 5, 2003: 161–169.

  Who’s Having More Fun?

  1 in 2.3 men thinks about sex at least once a day, and when he gets it, he likes it—1 in 1.2 men reports enjoying sex a great deal. Only 1 in 7.7 women thinks about sex on a daily basis, and 1 in 1.7 really enjoys herself when she gets it. In fact, the odds a woman doesn’t enjoy sex at all are 1 in 14.3, compared to only 1 in 50 men who feels that way.

  SOURCE: “The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets,” ABC News Primetime Live Poll, October 21, 2004, http://abcnews.go.com/imagesPolitics959a1AmericanSexSurvey.pdf.

  Numbers Tell the Story

  Oh Negative

  1 in 3.3 adults has faked an orgasm. That’s 1 in 2.1 women and 1 in 9.1 men.

  Why?

  To please a partner 1 in 3.9

  To hurry up and finish 1 in 4.6

  Tired out 1 in 11.1

  Sex was not satisfying 1 in 14.3

  Bored 1 in 33.3

  Not in the mood 1 in 50

  SOURCE: “The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets,” ABC News Primetime Live Poll, October 21, 2004, http://abcnews.go.com/imagesPolitics959a1AmericanSexSurvey.pdf.

  ODDS COUPLE

  Not Tonight, Darling, I Have to Tweet

  The odds an adult uses the Internet before going to bed: 1 in 3.6

  The odds an adult has sex before going to bed: 1 in 3.7

  SOURCE: 2009 Sleep in America Poll, Summary of Findings, National Sleep Foundation.

  The odds a woman will report she won’t have sex early in a relationship if she hasn’t shaved her legs and armpits: 1 in 1.3

  SOURCE: J Weaver, “What Are Our Dating Pet Peeves?” Elle/MSNBC.com Sex and Beauty Survey, May 5, 2005, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7736649/.

  GENDER WARS

  The odds a man has had sex in the workplace: 1 in 5.9

  The odds a woman has had sex in the workplace: 1 in 12.5

  SOURCE: “The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets,” ABC News Primetime Live Poll, October 21, 2004, http://abcnews.go.com/imagesPolitics959a1AmericanSexSurvey.pdf.

  NIGHTtime Is the RIGHT Time

  The odds a sexually active adult usually has sex in the morning are 1 in 9.1. />
  The odds a sexually active adult usually has sex in the afternoon are 1 in 33.3.

  The odds a sexually active adult usually has sex in the evening are 1 in 4.4.

  The odds a sexually active adult usually has sex late at night are 1 in 2.3.

  SOURCE: “The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets,” ABC News Primetime Live Poll, October 21, 2004, http://abcnews.go.com/imagesPolitics959a1AmericanSexSurvey.pdf.

  The odds a female 15–44 has ever had sexual contact with another female.

  The odds a male 15–44 has ever had sexual contact with another male.

  SOURCE: WD Mosher, A Chandra, J Jones, “Sexual Behavior and Selected Health Measures: Men and Women 15–44 Years of Age, United States 2002,” Advance Data from Vital and Health Statistics 362, September 15, 2005.

  The odds a man 45 or older has not had intercourse in the past 6 months are 1 in 2.7.

  The odds a woman 45 or older has not had intercourse in the past 6 months are 1 in 1.7.

  SOURCE: LL Fisher, Sex, Romance, and Relationships Survey, AARP Survey of Midlife and Older Adults, American Association of Retired Persons, April 2010.

  Teeing Off?

  The odds a married retired adult 55–75 will have sex more often after retirement: 1 in 16.7

  SOURCE: J Koppen, G Anderson, “Retired Spouses, a National Survey of Adults,” AARP The Magazine, November 2008.

  How Does Your Sex Life Stack Up?

  The odds a person 18–59 will not have sex in a year are 1 in 8.4.

  The odds a person 18–59 will have sex a few times a year are 1 in 6.

  The odds a person 18–59 will have sex a few times a month are 1 in 2.7.

  The odds a person 18–59 will have sex 2–3 times a week are 1 in 3.6.

  The odds a person 18–59 will have sex 4 or more times a week are 1 in 14.

  SOURCE: EO Laumann, JH Gagnon, RT Michael, S Michaels, The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994.

  GENDER WARS

  The odds a man with a sexually traditional partner would like more adventure in the bedroom: 1 in 2.1. For women: 1 in 3.

  SOURCE: “The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets,” ABC News Primetime Live Poll, October 21, 2004, http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/959a1AmericanSexSurvey.pdf.

  But Male Satisfaction Gets Harder to Come By

  The odds a man 45 or older who is less sexually satisfied than he was 10 years ago will report it’s because:

  Too stressed 1 in 3

  Worsening health 1 in 3.1

  Worsening health of a partner 1 in 3.2

  Weight gain 1 in 4.6

  Worse financial situation 1 in 4.6

  Retirement 1 in 7.7

  Divorce or separation 1 in 7.7

  Death of partner 1 in 8.3

  Change in partners 1 in 9.1

  Too much free time 1 in 11.1

  Children moving back home 1 in 16.7

  Change in sexual orientation 1 in 33.3

  Loss of interest 1 in 50

  More medications 1 in 50

  SOURCE: LL Fisher, Sex, Romance, and Relationships Survey, AARP Survey of Midlife and Older Adults, American Association of Retired Persons, April 2010.

  Numbers Tell the Story

  A Very Bad Night on the Town

  Go to a bar, looking to meet someone:

  The odds an adult will go to a bar or nightclub in a year are 1 in 5.

  Drink a little too much:

  The odds a person 18–25 will binge drink alcohol in a month are 1 in 2.4.

  Start to dance:

  The odds an adult will go dancing in a year are 1 in 9.9.

  One thing leads to another:

  The odds an adult has had an unexpected sexual encounter with someone new are 1 in 3.8.

  No condom:

  The odds a never-married and noncohabitating male 15–44 didn’t use a condom during his last sexual encounter are 1 in 2.9.

  Start to feel weird:

  Only 1 in 7 people 14–49 who have genital herpes know they have it.

  Get tested:

  The odds a female 15–44 has been tested for HIV and other STDs in the past year are 1 in 10.5.

  The odds a male 15–44 has been tested for HIV and other STDs in the past year are 1 in 14.1.

  The results:

  The odds a female 14–49 has genital herpes are 1 in 4.3.

  The odds a male 14–49 has genital herpes are 1 in 8.9.

  SOURCES: US Census Bureau, “Adult Participation in Selected Leisure Activities by Frequency, 2009,” Statistical Abstract of the United States 2011, January 2011. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Volume I: Summary of National Findings, Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-38A, HHS Publication No. SMA 10-4586 Findings, 2010. http://www.oas.samhsa.gov. “The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets,” ABC News Primetime Live Poll, October 21, 2004, http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/959a1AmericanSexSurvey. WD Mosher, A Chandra, J Jones, “Sexual Behavior and Selected Health Measures: Men and Women 15–44 Years of Age, United States 2002,” Advance Data from Vital and Health Statistics 362, September 15, 2005. DK Carlson, “Over Half of Americans Believe in Love at First Sight,” Gallup News Service, February 14, 2001. SM Berman, BJ Kottiri, K Lee, et al., “Trends in Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and Type 2 Seroprevalence in the United States,” JAMA, 296(8), August 23, 2006: 964–973.

  Birth Control

  Over Time

  1982

  The odds a female 15–44 uses any form of contraception 1 in 1.8

  The odds a female 15–44 is on the pill 1 in 6.4

  The odds a female 15–44 is surgically sterile for contraceptive reasons 1 in 7.8

  The odds a female 15–44 uses condoms for contraceptive purposes 1 in 14.9

  The odds a female 15–44 uses an intrauterine device for contraceptive purposes 1 in 25

  The odds a female 15–44 uses a calendar rhythm for contraceptive purposes 1 in 55.6

  The odds a female 15–44 uses withdrawal for contraceptive purposes 1 in 90.9

  The odds a female 15–44 uses natural family planning for contraceptive purposes 1 in 333

  2008

  The odds a female 15–44 uses any form of contraception 1 in 1.6

  The odds a female 15–44 is on the pill 1 in 5.8

  The odds a female 15–44 is surgically sterile for contraceptive reasons 1 in 6

  The odds a female 15–44 uses condoms for contraceptive purposes 1 in 10

  The odds a female 15–44 uses an intrauterine device for contraceptive purposes 1 in 29.4

  The odds a female 15–44 uses withdrawal for contraceptive purposes 1 in 31.3

  The odds a female 15–44 uses a contraceptive ring 1 in 66.7

  The odds a female 15–44 uses a calendar rhythm for contraceptive purposes 1 in 200

  The odds a female 15–44 uses natural family planning for contraceptive purposes 1 in 1,000

  SOURCE: WD Mosher, J Jones, “Use of Contraception in the United States: 1982–2008,” Vital and Health Statistics 23(29), 2010.

  Popping Pills

  Birth control pills are often called campus candy. The odds a woman in her early 20s is on the pill are 1 in 3.8.

  But it’s not just young, single women who punch a pill through the foil casing each day. The odds any sexually active female between the ages of 15 and 44 has ever taken the pill for contraceptive reasons are 1 in 1.2. Condom use declines as women get older, and 1 in 6.1 married women uses birth control pills to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

  SOURCE: WD Mosher, J Jones, “Use of Contraception in the United States: 1982–2008,” Vital and Health Statistics 23(29), 2010.

  How’s That Fit?

  The odds a never-married and noncohabitating male put on a condom during his last sexual encounter are 1 in 1.5. But did he leave it on? According to the February 2010 issue
of Sexually Transmitted Infections, men saddled with an ill-fitting condom are twice as likely to yank it off in the middle of having sex as men who have the right fit. That can have unfortunate consequences, but sometimes it’s hard to recall them during the act. An insightful study, titled “Bikinis Instigate Generalized Impatience in Intertemporal Choice,” set out to determine if men “exposed to sexual cues” make choices based on immediate gratification, rather than longer-term reward. Turns out they do.

  SOURCES: WD Mosher, A Chandra, J Jones, “Sexual Behavior and Selected Health Measures: Men and Women 15–44 Years of Age, United States 2002,” Advance Data from Vital and Health Statistics 362, September 15, 2005. RA Crosby, WL Yarber, CA Graham, SA Sanders, et al., “Does It Fit Okay? Problems with Condom Use as a Function of Self-Reported Poor Fit,” Sexually Transmitted Infections 86, 2010: 36–39. B Van den Bergh, S Dewitte, L Warlop, “Bikinis Instigate Generalized Impatience in Intertemporal Choice,” Journal of Consumer Research, June 2008.

  “Pick Up Prescription”

  The odds a man will report that he would take a male birth control pill if it were available: 1 in 1.4

  SOURCE: AskMen.com, “Part I: Dating & Sex,” The Great Male Survey, 2011 Edition, http://www.askmen.com/specials/2011_great_male_survey.

  The odds a female 15–44 has had sex using condoms as contraception but discontinued because she got pregnant: 1 in 222

  SOURCE: WD Mosher, J Jones, “Use of Contraception in the United States: 1982–2008.” Vital and Health Statistics 23(29), 2010.

  The Odds of Internet Porn

  The odds a website will contain pornography are 1 in 8.3.

  The odds a visitor to a pornographic website is male are 1 in 1.4.

  The odds a visitor to a pornographic website is female are 1 in 3.6.

  The odds an Internet search request for “sex” will be made by a male are 1 in 2.