What Does Heterosexuality Mean? Same-Sex Attraction, Behaviors, and Discomfort Among Self-identified Heterosexual Young Adults from Spain

Abstract

Sexuality has been censored by Spanish culture, where legal progress in the form of new policies about sexual diversity rights has not been followed by lower levels of social discrimination. This has affected sexual development across the lifespan for both sexual minorities and heterosexual people who experience their sexuality outside of heteronormativity. However, the literature has regularly excluded the possible consequences of the experience of sexuality within prescriptive categories, particularly in heterosexual people. This study delves deeper into the same-sex experiences of heterosexual women and men and the discomfort they may feel toward such experiences in Spain. A total of 2900 young Spanish people who self-identified as heterosexual completed a questionnaire on sexual diversity and experiences related to sexual orientation. The mean age was 24.22 years (SD = 5.71), 71.1% were women, and 28.9% were men. More heterosexual women than heterosexual men reported having had same-sex attraction, fantasies, desires, and behavioral intentions. However, these men and women reported having similar levels of same-sex sexual intercourse. The discomfort level experienced was higher among heterosexual men and younger people, suggesting the possibility that traditional norms restrict behavioral expression of sexuality among these individuals. At least in the Spanish context, these gender differences should be taken into account to adjust all psychological and educational interventions in the future to improve inclusive sexual attitudes and the treatment of discomfort with sexual orientation. Following these results, research on sexual diversity should focus on young heterosexual people who have different same-sex experiences according to gender differences.

Estrés de las minorías sexuales y su impacto en la salud mental de las personas LGB+

“…Es decir, las mujeres heterosexuales sintieron mayor malestar al excitarse con la pornografía lésbica, las mujeres lesbianas con la pornografía gay, y las mujeres bisexuales con el material lésbico y el gay. Un tiempo más tarde, se realizó otra investigación con hombres y mujeres heterosexuales (Nebot-Garcia et al, 2022) en la que se comprobó que, pese a identificarse como heterosexuales, algunas personas habían tenido sueños, fantasías y deseos sexuales con personas de su mismo sexo, e incluso algunas habían mantenido relaciones sexuales con ellas. Estas experiencias con el mismo sexo provocaron que las personas heterosexuales sintieran un gran malestar con su propia orientación sexual, sobre todo entre los hombres.…”

“…That is, heterosexual women felt greater discomfort when aroused by lesbian pornography, lesbian women by gay pornography, and bisexual women by lesbian and gay material. Later, another investigation was carried out with heterosexual men and women (Nebot-Garcia et al, 2022) in which it was found that, despite identifying themselves as heterosexual, some people had had dreams, fantasies and sexual desires with people of the same sex, and some had even had sexual relations with them. These experiences with the same sex caused heterosexual people to feel great discomfort with their sexual orientation, especially men.…”