A new research conducted by the San Diego State University (SDSU) suggests that millennials, or people born from 1981 to 1997, engage in sex with fewer partners compared to previous generations.
SDSU professor Jean Twenge and her colleagues studied data from a survey involving of more than 33,000 adult Americans in order to find out the current sexual landscape in the country. The survey was taken between 1972 and 2012.
In their study, published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, the researchers discovered that millennials registered an average of eight sexual partners.
People who belong to Generation X (1960s to early 1980s) had an average of 10 sexual partners, while baby boomers (1940s to 1950s) had 11 partners.
The lowest average was recorded by Americans born during what is called the "Greatest Generation" between the years 1901 and 1924. They only had an average of three sexual partners during adulthood.
"The changes are primarily due to generation -- suggesting people develop their sexual attitudes while young, rather than everyone of all ages changing at the same time," Twenge said.
"This has caused a large generation gap in both attitudes toward premarital sex and number of sexual partners."
The researchers also noted that acceptance of same-sex relationships significantly increased during the years 1990 to 2012. From an average of 13 percent, it grew to around 44 percent.
According to their findings, millennials have better acceptance of premarital sex compared to earlier generations. They, however, have fewer sexual partners than people born in the generation before.
Twenge said that this trait is consistent with millennial's image of being an individualistic and tolerant generation. They are also more attuned with making their own decisions and accepting others' choices.
Twenge also believes that millennial have a more practical outlook when it comes to delaying sex. People in today's generation are aware of the health risks of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
In 2013, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported [pdf] that there are more than 110 million sexually transmitted infections (STI) victimizing men and women in the country. The agency said that there are around 20 million new STIs detected each year, costing the American healthcare system almost $16 billion in medical expenses.
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