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A Twin Study of Sexual Behavior in Men

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Abstract

The role of genetic and environmental influences on age of initiation of first sexual relations and engaging in sexual activity with multiple partners (10 or more partners in 1 year) was investigated in male twins (N = 6,744) from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. Individual differences in both types of sexual behaviors were heritable, but only age of onset of sexual relations was significantly influenced by the environment shared by the twins. There was a moderate negative correlation between age of initiation of sexual relations and the multiple partners variable; initiating sexual relations earlier was associated with a higher probability of having multiple partners. The additive genetic influence on age of initiation also influenced the multiple partners variable. The substantial unique environmental influences on each variable were uncorrelated with each other. The data suggest that the observed association between age of initiation of sexual relations and having multiple partners is due to genetic influences common to both behaviors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

    Michael J. Lyons, Francisco Buchting, Rosemary Toomey, Rachel J. Ban & Beth A. Jerskey

  2. Department of Psychiatry at the Brockton/West Roxbury VA, Harvard Medical School, Brockton, Massachusetts

    Michael J. Lyons, Rosemary Toomey, Stephen V. Faraone & Ming T. Tsuang

  3. Institute of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

    Michael J. Lyons, Rosemary Toomey, Stephen V. Faraone & Ming T. Tsuang

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

    Karestan C. Koenen

  5. Department of Human Genetics, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

    Joanne M. Meyer & Lindon Eaves

  6. Research and Medical Service, St. Louis VA, St. Louis, Missouri

    Seth A. Eisen

  7. Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri

    Seth A. Eisen

  8. Department of Epidemiology, University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois

    Jack Goldberg

  9. Hines VA Cooperative Studies Coordinating Center, Hines, Illinois

    Jack Goldberg

  10. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts

    Ming T. Tsuang

  11. Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

    Ming T. Tsuang

Authors
  1. Michael J. Lyons
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  2. Karestan C. Koenen
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  3. Francisco Buchting
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  4. Joanne M. Meyer
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  5. Lindon Eaves
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  6. Rosemary Toomey
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  7. Seth A. Eisen
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  8. Jack Goldberg
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  9. Stephen V. Faraone
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  10. Rachel J. Ban
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  11. Beth A. Jerskey
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  12. Ming T. Tsuang
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Correspondence to Michael J. Lyons.

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Lyons, M.J., Koenen, K.C., Buchting, F. et al. A Twin Study of Sexual Behavior in Men. Arch Sex Behav 33, 129–136 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ASEB.0000014327.11433.66

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ASEB.0000014327.11433.66

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