The NHANES program suspended field operations in March 2020 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As a result, data collection for the NHANES 2019-2020 cycle was not completed and the collected data are not nationally representative. Therefore, data collected from 2019 to March 2020 were combined with data from the NHANES 2017-2018 cycle to form a nationally representative sample of NHANES 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic data. Please refer to the Analytic Notes section for more details on the use of the data.
The Mobile Examination Center (MEC) Interview section on sexual behavior (variable name prefix SXQ) provides information on lifetime and current sexual behavior for both males and females. Items covered in this section included: age of first sexual encounter, number of sexual partners, sexual identity, circumcision status (male), and history of sexually transmitted diseases.
Survey participants aged 14-69 years in the NHANES 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic sample were eligible. Several questions in this section are age-specific, and many are gender-specific. Mentally impaired participants or participants who were unable to understand English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, or Chinese (traditional/Mandarin, simplified/Mandarin, and traditional/Cantonese) were not asked these questions. Only data from participants aged 18-69 years are included in this dataset. Data from participants 14-17 years are available in a separate dataset: Sexual Behavior - Youth (P_SXQY_R). Both datasets may be accessed through the NCHS Research Data Center (RDC).
The sexual behavior questions were self-administered in a private room at the MEC, during the MEC Interview, using the Audio Computer-Assisted Self Interview (ACASI) system. The ACASI was conducted in one of the following languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, or Chinese (traditional/Mandarin, simplified/Mandarin, and traditional/Cantonese). The ACASI enables respondents to hear questions through headphones as well as read questions on the computer screen. Respondents move at their own speed and touch the screen to indicate their responses. No proxy respondents or translators were used in situations when the respondents could not self-report. The questionnaire is located on the NHANES website at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/2019-2020/questionnaires/SXQ-ACASI-K-508.pdf.
Starting in 2017, two questions on sexual identity (one for males and one for females) were moved to the interviewer administered portion of the MEC interview, using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) system. Please refer to the “Analytic Notes” section below for more information. The questionnaire is located on the NHANES website at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/2019-2020/questionnaires/SXQ-CAPI-K-508.pdf.
Both ACASI and CAPI systems are programmed with built-in consistency checks to reduce data entry errors. The systems also use online help screens to assist respondents and interviewers in defining key terms used in the questionnaire. All data were reviewed by the NHANES staff for accuracy and completeness. For details on the QA/QC process for this component, please refer to the MEC Interviewer Procedures Manual on the NHANES website.
The variable SXD021 (Ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex) was derived from whether or not the respondent reported having any of the specific types of sex. For example, if a male answered “yes” to having had any of the following types of sex: SXQ800 (Ever had vaginal sex with a woman), SXQ803 (Ever performed oral sex on a woman), SXQ806 (Ever had anal sex with a woman), or SXQ809 (Ever had any sex with a man; anal, oral); he would be coded as a “1” or “yes” in SXD021. The value of SXD021 was set to missing if the respondent missed or responded “don’t know” or “refuse” to at least one of the questions that were part of the algorithm for deriving SXD021 and had “no” responses for the other questions in the algorithm.
In previous cycles, SXD031 (Age first had any kind of sex) was derived from SXQ618 (Age first had any kind of sex), SXD021 (Ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex), SXD633 (Age first performed oral sex on woman) for males, and SXD621 (Age first performed oral sex on man) for females. However, in 2019-2020, SXD633 and SXD621 were no longer collected. For users interested in combining the data with those collected prior to 2019, please note that, while SXD031 is labeled as “Age first had any kind of sex,” this variable differs from the SXD031 variable released in previous cycles since it does not include participants who have only had oral sex.
Edits were made, when necessary, to address data disclosure concerns, For example, responses to age first had any kind of sex that were 12 years or less were grouped and coded as “12 years or younger.” For users interested in combining the data with those collected prior to 2015, please note that in the earlier cycles, young ages reported in SXQ were grouped at “9 years or younger.”
In the SXQ section, responses to questions about the number of sexual partners (i.e., SXQ636, SXQ639, SXQ624, SXQ627, SXD171, SXD510, SXQ824, SXQ827, SXQ410, SXQ550, SXQ836, SXQ841, SXD101, SXD450, SXQ724, SXQ727, SXQ130, and SXQ490) that were 100 or greater were grouped and coded as “100 or more.” This coding is consistent with the ones reported in the 2015-2016 cycles. Higher numbers of partners, such as “1000 or more” or “2000 or more” were used to categorize these variables in data cycles prior to 2015-2016.
In general, if a respondent was not asked a question, the response to the question is shown as “missing.” It is up to the analysts to recode the response to zero as they see fit. For example, if a respondent reported that they had zero lifetime vaginal sex partners, they wouldn't be asked the number of vaginal sex partners in the past 12 months. Since the respondent does not receive the question about partners in the past 12 months, the data will be coded as missing for this variable. Analysts may want to recode this to “0” for their analyses.
For questions that ascertain total number of partners for all types of sex (i.e., SXD171, SXD510, SXD101 and SXD450), if the respondent had reported never having any type of sex, the responses were coded as “0.”
The COVID-19 pandemic required suspension of NHANES 2019-2020 field operations in March 2020 after data were collected in 18 of the 30 survey locations in the 2019-2020 sample. Because the collected data from 18 locations were not nationally representative, these data were combined with data from the previous cycle (2017-2018) to create a 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic data file. The examination sample weights in the demographic file should be used to calculate estimates from the combined cycles. These sample weights are not appropriate for independent analyses of the 2019-2020 data and will not yield nationally representative results for either the 2017-2018 data alone or the 2019-March 2020 data alone. Please refer to the NHANES website for additional information for the NHANES 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic data, and for the previous 2017-2018 public use data file with specific weights for that 2-year cycle.
Analysts should be cautious when combining these data with other cycles since some questions found in previous cycles have been removed, and other questions may have had slight wording changes. Please see the Analytic Notes below as well as Appendix 1 (for males) and Appendix 2 (for females) for detailed information on variables included in the SXQ section since the 2003-2004 cycle. Also, only a subset of questions were asked to respondents aged 60-69 years. It is important to refer to the codebook to see the target age for each question.
In the ACASI system, if participants did not answer the question and instead pressed “next” to move forward, they get a screen asking them to indicate: “I really meant to answer,” “I’d rather not answer,” or “I don’t know the answer.” If they chose “I really meant to answer,” they were taken back to the question so they could respond. If they selected “I’d rather not answer,” their response was coded as “refuse.” The selection of “I don’t know the answer” was coded as “don’t know.”
Although the ACASI has many advantages over interviewer-administered questionnaires for sensitive information, inconsistent responses can occur. Since the questions were self-administered, unlikely answers or confusing questions generally were not clarified by the interviewer. Although the questionnaire was programmed to alert respondents of potential data entry errors or inconsistencies, not every possible consistency check was added. To minimize potential respondent frustration and confusion, the interview was not interrupted each time an inconsistent answer occurred in terms of the number of sexual partners for different periods of recall and/or for different types of sexual behavior.
Beginning in 2015-2016, modifications on question wording and response categories were made to the sexual identity questions (SXQ296 for male and SXQ295 for female) as the result of an extensive cognitive and field testing conducted by NCHS (Dahlhamer et al., 2014; Miller et al., 2011). These revised sexual identity questions are the same as the ones used in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Starting in 2017, these sexual identity questions were moved to the interviewer administered portion of the MEC interview, so the interview mode of these questions is consistent with the NHIS as well. These two questions are specifically placed at the beginning of the MEC interview to separate them from the behavioral type of questions asked later. It is to avoid the potential context effect with other behavioral questions, which may make the respondent more likely to interpret the sexual orientation question from a behavioral as opposed to a social identity perspective. During the interview, a gender-specific hand card was used with SXQ296/SXQ295 to present the response categories. Both questions have 5 response options provided to the respondent. The first two response options differ depending on the respondent’s gender; whereas, the third through fifth response options are identical for both male and female. For males, the first two options are “gay” and “straight, that is, not gay.” For females, they include “lesbian or gay” and “straight, that is, not lesbian or gay.” For both male and female, the third through fifth options are “bisexual,” “something else,” and “I don’t know the answer.” In the present dataset, the first 4 response options were coded as “1”, “2”, “3”, and “4”, respectively, in SXQ296 and SXQ295. Response “I don’t know the answer” was coded as “6” in the released variables. If the respondent refused to answer the question, the variable was coded as “7”. If the respondent expressed to the interviewer that he/she did not understand the question and/or the response options and cannot make the selection after reviewing the hand card, the variable was coded as “9” in the released file.
Analysis by subgroup characteristics should be conducted carefully. The sample size for the non-heterosexual subgroups is limited and may not meet the minimum sample size requirements for statistical reliability as noted in the NHANES analytic guidelines. Combining multiple years of data, which is often recommended to estimate rarer conditions within a subgroup, analysts will need to consider sample sizes, as well as the changes to the question and response categories made over the time period of analysis. Additionally, the high rate of selecting a non-specific answer to the questions should be considered (Miller et al., 2011). That is, selecting “don’t know,” “refused,” “not sure,” or “something else” as a response. Respondents select these answers for a variety of reasons that are well summarized in Table 2 of the NCHS report “Design, Development and Testing of the NHIS Sexual Identity Question” (Miller et al., 2011). For example, respondents from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community may select “something else” when they use a different sexual identity label than those presented in the response options. However, the same option may also be selected by others because they are not familiar with the terms presented.
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 6446 | 6446 | |
2 | No | 380 | 6826 | |
7 | Refused | 4 | 6830 | |
9 | Don't know | 0 | 6830 | |
. | Missing | 642 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 3045 | 3045 | |
2 | No | 289 | 3334 | |
7 | Refused | 4 | 3338 | |
9 | Don't know | 5 | 3343 | |
. | Missing | 4129 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 2640 | 2640 | |
2 | No | 690 | 3330 | |
7 | Refused | 8 | 3338 | |
9 | Don't know | 2 | 3340 | |
. | Missing | 4132 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 1400 | 1400 | |
2 | No | 1935 | 3335 | |
7 | Refused | 4 | 3339 | |
9 | Don't know | 0 | 3339 | |
. | Missing | 4133 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 229 | 229 | |
2 | No | 3101 | 3330 | |
7 | Refused | 2 | 3332 | |
9 | Don't know | 6 | 3338 | |
. | Missing | 4134 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 3275 | 3275 | |
2 | No | 219 | 3494 | |
7 | Refused | 6 | 3500 | |
9 | Don't know | 5 | 3505 | |
. | Missing | 3967 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 2693 | 2693 | |
2 | No | 798 | 3491 | |
7 | Refused | 11 | 3502 | |
9 | Don't know | 3 | 3505 | |
. | Missing | 3967 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 1288 | 1288 | |
2 | No | 2210 | 3498 | |
7 | Refused | 4 | 3502 | |
9 | Don't know | 3 | 3505 | |
. | Missing | 3967 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 400 | 400 | |
2 | No | 3097 | 3497 | |
7 | Refused | 5 | 3502 | |
9 | Don't know | 2 | 3504 | |
. | Missing | 3968 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
13 to 62 | Range of Values | 6030 | 6030 | |
12 | 12 years or younger | 389 | 6419 | |
77 | Refused | 11 | 6430 | |
99 | Don't know | 13 | 6443 | |
. | Missing | 1029 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 99 | Range of Values | 3194 | 3194 | |
100 | 100 or more | 121 | 3315 | |
77777 | Refused | 11 | 3326 | |
99999 | Don't know | 11 | 3337 | |
. | Missing | 4135 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 75 | Range of Values | 2557 | 2557 | |
100 | 100 or more | 1 | 2558 | |
77777 | Refused | 4 | 2562 | |
99999 | Don't know | 4 | 2566 | |
. | Missing | 4906 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 99 | Range of Values | 2221 | 2221 | |
100 | 100 or more | 77 | 2298 | |
77777 | Refused | 6 | 2304 | |
99999 | Don't know | 11 | 2315 | |
. | Missing | 5157 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 90 | Range of Values | 2298 | 2298 | |
100 | 100 or more | 2 | 2300 | |
77777 | Refused | 2 | 2302 | |
99999 | Don't know | 10 | 2312 | |
. | Missing | 5160 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 99 | Range of Values | 2325 | 2325 | |
100 | 100 or more | 17 | 2342 | |
77777 | Refused | 4 | 2346 | |
99999 | Don't know | 7 | 2353 | |
. | Missing | 5119 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 38 | Range of Values | 2342 | 2342 | |
100 | 100 or more | 0 | 2342 | |
77777 | Refused | 2 | 2344 | |
99999 | Don't know | 6 | 2350 | |
. | Missing | 5122 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 80 | Range of Values | 214 | 214 | |
100 | 100 or more | 9 | 223 | |
77777 | Refused | 1 | 224 | |
99999 | Don't know | 2 | 226 | |
. | Missing | 7246 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 25 | Range of Values | 186 | 186 | |
100 | 100 or more | 0 | 186 | |
77777 | Refused | 0 | 186 | |
99999 | Don't know | 0 | 186 | |
. | Missing | 7286 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 75 | Range of Values | 217 | 217 | |
100 | 100 or more | 6 | 223 | |
77777 | Refused | 1 | 224 | |
99999 | Don't know | 2 | 226 | |
. | Missing | 7246 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 20 | Range of Values | 133 | 133 | |
100 | 100 or more | 0 | 133 | |
77777 | Refused | 0 | 133 | |
99999 | Don't know | 1 | 134 | |
. | Missing | 7338 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 164 | 164 | |
2 | No | 59 | 223 | |
7 | Refused | 2 | 225 | |
9 | Don't know | 1 | 226 | |
. | Missing | 7246 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 89 | Range of Values | 2829 | 2829 | |
100 | 100 or more | 13 | 2842 | |
77777 | Refused | 6 | 2848 | |
99999 | Don't know | 7 | 2855 | |
. | Missing | 4617 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 24 | Range of Values | 2355 | 2355 | |
100 | 100 or more | 0 | 2355 | |
77777 | Refused | 2 | 2357 | |
99999 | Don't know | 3 | 2360 | |
. | Missing | 5112 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Never | 2718 | 2718 | |
2 | Rarely | 209 | 2927 | |
3 | Usually | 120 | 3047 | |
4 | Always | 182 | 3229 | |
5 | Unsure | 52 | 3281 | |
7 | Refused | 0 | 3281 | |
9 | Don't know | 0 | 3281 | |
. | Missing | 4191 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 784 | 784 | |
2 | No | 3586 | 4370 | |
7 | Refused | 2 | 4372 | |
9 | Don't know | 1 | 4373 | |
. | Missing | 3099 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 | Never | 178 | 178 | |
1 | Once | 215 | 393 | |
2 | 2-11 times | 1120 | 1513 | |
3 | 12-51 times | 1380 | 2893 | |
4 | 52-103 times | 788 | 3681 | |
5 | 104-364 times | 557 | 4238 | |
6 | 365 times or more | 74 | 4312 | |
77 | Refused | 3 | 4315 | |
99 | Don't know | 11 | 4326 | |
. | Missing | 3146 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Never | 990 | 990 | |
2 | Less than half of the time | 530 | 1520 | |
3 | About half of the time | 279 | 1799 | |
4 | Not always, but more than half of the time | 320 | 2119 | |
5 | Always | 2023 | 4142 | |
7 | Refused | 5 | 4147 | |
9 | Don't know | 1 | 4148 | |
. | Missing | 3324 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 99 | Range of Values | 3466 | 3466 | |
100 | 100 or more | 19 | 3485 | |
77777 | Refused | 16 | 3501 | |
99999 | Don't know | 2 | 3503 | |
. | Missing | 3969 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 40 | Range of Values | 2772 | 2772 | |
100 | 100 or more | 0 | 2772 | |
77777 | Refused | 2 | 2774 | |
99999 | Don't know | 2 | 2776 | |
. | Missing | 4696 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 99 | Range of Values | 2559 | 2559 | |
100 | 100 or more | 13 | 2572 | |
77777 | Refused | 6 | 2578 | |
99999 | Don't know | 2 | 2580 | |
. | Missing | 4892 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 20 | Range of Values | 2578 | 2578 | |
100 | 100 or more | 0 | 2578 | |
77777 | Refused | 1 | 2579 | |
99999 | Don't know | 1 | 2580 | |
. | Missing | 4892 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 25 | Range of Values | 359 | 359 | |
100 | 100 or more | 0 | 359 | |
77777 | Refused | 0 | 359 | |
99999 | Don't know | 0 | 359 | |
. | Missing | 7113 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 6 | Range of Values | 358 | 358 | |
100 | 100 or more | 0 | 358 | |
77777 | Refused | 0 | 358 | |
99999 | Don't know | 1 | 359 | |
. | Missing | 7113 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 296 | 296 | |
2 | No | 63 | 359 | |
7 | Refused | 0 | 359 | |
9 | Don't know | 0 | 359 | |
. | Missing | 7113 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 266 | 266 | |
2 | No | 2367 | 2633 | |
7 | Refused | 3 | 2636 | |
9 | Don't know | 0 | 2636 | |
. | Missing | 4836 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 222 | 222 | |
2 | No | 4782 | 5004 | |
7 | Refused | 3 | 5007 | |
9 | Don't know | 1 | 5008 | |
. | Missing | 2464 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 190 | 190 | |
2 | No | 4810 | 5000 | SXD005B |
7 | Refused | 4 | 5004 | SXD005B |
9 | Don't know | 3 | 5007 | SXD005B |
. | Missing | 2465 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 to 58 | Range of Values | 187 | 187 | |
12 | 12 years or younger | 3 | 190 | |
77 | Refused | 0 | 190 | |
99 | Don't know | 0 | 190 | |
. | Missing | 7282 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Circumcised | 1681 | 1681 | SXQ296 |
2 | Uncircumcised | 678 | 2359 | SXQ296 |
7 | Refused | 4 | 2363 | SXQ296 |
9 | Don't know | 7 | 2370 | SXQ296 |
. | Missing | 5102 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lesbian or Gay | 65 | 65 | |
2 | Straight, that is, not lesbian or gay | 2477 | 2542 | |
3 | Bisexual | 136 | 2678 | |
4 | Something else | 44 | 2722 | |
6 | I don't know the answer | 93 | 2815 | |
7 | Refused | 2 | 2817 | |
9 | Don't know | 17 | 2834 | |
. | Missing | 4638 | 7472 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gay | 61 | 61 | |
2 | Straight that is not gay | 2389 | 2450 | |
3 | Bisexual | 47 | 2497 | |
4 | Something else | 23 | 2520 | |
6 | I don't know the answer | 70 | 2590 | |
7 | Refused | 0 | 2590 | |
9 | Don't know | 5 | 2595 | |
. | Missing | 4877 | 7472 |
2003-2004 Variable name/Question |
2005-2006 Variable name/Question |
2007-2008a Variable name/Question |
2009-2018 Variable name/Question |
2017-2020 Variable name/Question |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Target age | 14-59 years | 14-59 years | 14-69 years | 14-69 years | 14-69 years |
Ever had any type of sex | SXQ020 The next set of questions is about your sexual behavior. By sex, we mean vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Please remember that your answers are strictly confidential. Have you ever had sex? |
SXQ021 The next set of questions is about your sexual behavior. By sex, we mean vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Please remember that your answers are strictly confidential. Have you ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXQ021 The next set of questions is about your sexual behavior. By sex, we mean vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Please remember that your answers are strictly confidential. Have you ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXD021 Ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Derived from: SXQ800 SXQ803 SXQ806 SXQ809 SXQ615b |
SXD021 Ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Derived from: SXQ800 SXQ803 SXQ806 SXQ809 SXQ615b |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ800 Have you ever had vaginal sex, also called sexual intercourse, with a woman? This means your penis in a woman’s vagina. |
SXQ800 Have you ever had vaginal sex, also called sexual intercourse, with a woman? This means your penis in a woman’s vagina. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ803 Have you ever performed oral sex on a woman? This means putting your mouth on a woman’s vagina or genitals. |
SXQ803 Have you ever performed oral sex on a woman? This means putting your mouth on a woman’s vagina or genitals. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ806 Have you ever had anal sex with a woman? Anal sex means contact between your penis and a woman’s anus or butt. |
SXQ806 Have you ever had anal sex with a woman? Anal sex means contact between your penis and a woman’s anus or butt. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ809 Have you ever had any kind of sex with a man, including oral or anal? |
SXQ809 Have you ever had any kind of sex with a man, including oral or anal? |
|
Age of having sex for the first time | SXD030 How old were you when you had sex for the first time? |
SXD031 When you first had vaginal, anal, or oral sex, how old were you? |
SXD031 When you first had vaginal, anal, or oral sex, how old were you? |
SXD031e How old were you the first time you had any kind of sex, including {vaginal, anal, or oral/vaginal or anal/vaginal or oral/anal or oral/vaginal/anal/oral}? |
SXD031e,i How old were you the first time you had any kind of sex, including {vaginal, anal, or oral/vaginal or anal/vaginal or oral/anal or oral/vaginal/anal/oral}? |
Life time female sex partner(s) | SXQ170 In your lifetime, with how many women have you had sex? |
SXD171 In your lifetime, with how many females have you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXD171 In your lifetime, with how many females have you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXD171 In your lifetime, with how many women have you had any kind of sex? |
SXD171 In your lifetime, with how many women have you had any kind of sex? |
Not included | SXQ400 With how many of these females have you had only oral sex? |
SXQ400c With how many of these females have you had only oral sex? |
Not included | Not included | |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ824c In your lifetime, with how many women have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means your penis in a woman’s vagina. |
SXQ824c In your lifetime, with how many women have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means your penis in a woman’s vagina. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ636c In your lifetime, on how many women have you performed oral sex? |
SXQ636c In your lifetime, on how many women have you performed oral sex? |
|
Female sex partner(s) in the last 12 months | SXQ190 In the past 12 months, with how many women have you had sex? |
SXQ510 In the past 12 months, with how many females have you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXQ510c In the past 12 months, with how many females have you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXD510c In the past 12 months, with how many women have you had any kind of sex? |
SXD510c In the past 12 months, with how many women have you had any kind of sex? |
Not included | SXQ530 With how many of these females have you had only oral sex? |
SXQ530c With how many of these females have you had only oral sex? |
Not included | Not included | |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ827c In the past 12 months, with how many women have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means your penis in a woman’s vagina. |
SXQ827c In the past 12 months, with how many women have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means your penis in a woman’s vagina. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ639c In the past 12 months, on how many women have you performed oral sex? |
SXQ639c In the past 12 months, on how many women have you performed oral sex? |
|
Oral sex with female partner | Not included | Not included | Not included | SXD633c How old were you when you first performed oral sex on a woman? Performing oral sex means your mouth on a woman’s vagina or genitals. |
Not included |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXD642c How long has it been since the last time you performed oral sex on a new female partner? A new sexual partner is someone that you had never had sex with before. |
Not included | |
Life time male sex partner(s) | SXQ200 In your lifetime, with how many men have you had sex? |
SXQ410 In your lifetime, with how many males have you had anal or oral sex? |
SXQ410 In your lifetime, with how many males have you had anal or oral sex? |
SXQ410 In your lifetime, with how many men have you had anal or oral sex? |
SXQ410 In your lifetime, with how many men have you had anal or oral sex? |
Not included | SXQ430 With how many of these males have you had only oral sex? |
SXQ430 With how many of these males have you had only oral sex? |
Not included | Not included | |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ836 In your lifetime, with how many men have you had anal sex? |
SXQ836 In your lifetime, with how many men have you had anal sex? |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ624 In your lifetime, on how many men have you performed oral sex? |
SXQ624 In your lifetime, on how many men have you performed oral sex? |
|
Male sex partner(s) in the last 12 months Oral sex with male partner |
SXQ220 In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had sex? |
SXQ550 In the past 12 months, with how many males have you had anal or oral sex? |
SXQ550c In the past 12 months, with how many males have you had anal or oral sex? |
SXQ550c In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had anal or oral sex? |
SXQ550c In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had anal or oral sex? |
Not included | SXQ570 With how many of these males have you had only oral sex? |
SXQ570c With how many of these males have you had only oral sex? |
Not included | Not included | |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ841c In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had anal sex? |
SXQ841c In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had anal sex? |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ627c In the past 12 months, on how many men have you performed oral sex? |
SXQ627c In the past 12 months, on how many men have you performed oral sex? |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ853 Have you ever performed oral sex on a man? Performing oral sex means your mouth on a man’s penis or genitals. |
SXQ853 Have you ever performed oral sex on a man? Performing oral sex means your mouth on a man’s penis or genitals. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXD621 How old were you when you first performed oral sex on a man? Performing oral sex means your mouth on a man’s penis or genitals. |
Not included | |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXD630c How long has it been since the last time you performed oral sex on a new male partner? A new sexual partner is someone that you had never had sex with before. |
Not included | |
Sex in the past 12 months | SXQ241 In the past 30 days, with how many people have you had sex? |
SXQ610 In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had vaginal or anal sex? |
SXQ610c In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had vaginal or anal sex? |
SXQ610c,e In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had {vaginal or anal/vaginal/anal} sex? |
SXQ610c,e In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had {vaginal or anal/vaginal/anal} sex? |
Not included | SXQ590 Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years older than you? |
SXQ590c Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years older than you? |
SXQ590d Of the persons you had any kind of sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years older than you? |
Not included | |
Not included | SXQ600 Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years younger than you? |
SXQ600c Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years younger than you? |
SXQ600d Of the persons you had any kind of sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years younger than you? |
Not included | |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ648c In the past 12 months, did you have any kind of sex with a person that you never had sex with before? |
SXQ648c In the past 12 months, did you have any kind of sex with a person that you never had sex with before? |
|
SXQ250 In the past 30 days, how many times have you had sex without using a condom? |
SXQ251 In the past 12 months, about how often have you had vaginal or anal sex without using a condom? |
SXQ251c In the past 12 months, about how often have you had vaginal or anal sex without using a condom? |
SXQ251c,e In the past 12 months, about how often have you had {vaginal or anal/vaginal/anal} sex without using a condom? |
SXQ251c,e In the past 12 months, about how often have you had {vaginal or anal/vaginal/anal} sex without using a condom? |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ645c When you performed oral sex in the past 12 months, how often would you use protection, like a condom or dental dam? |
SXQ645c When you performed oral sex in the past 12 months, how often would you use protection, like a condom or dental dam? |
|
History of sexually transmitted diseases | SXQ260 Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had genital herpes? |
SXQ260 Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had genital herpes? |
SXQ260c Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had genital herpes? |
SXQ260c Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had genital herpes? |
SXQ260c Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had genital herpes? |
SXQ265 Has a doctor or health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts? |
SXQ265 Has a doctor or health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts? |
SXQ265c Has a doctor or health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts? |
SXQ265c Has a doctor or health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts? |
SXQ265c Has a doctor or health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts? |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ267c,g How old were you when you were first told that you had genital warts? |
SXQ267c,g How old were you when you were first told that you had genital warts? |
|
SXQ270 In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had gonorrhea, sometimes called GC or clap? |
SXQ270 In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had gonorrhea, sometimes called GC or clap? |
SXQ270c In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had gonorrhea, sometimes called GC or clap? |
SXQ270c In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had gonorrhea, sometimes called GC or clap? |
Not included | |
SXQ272 In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had Chlamydia? |
SXQ272 In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had Chlamydia? |
SXQ272c In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had Chlamydia? |
SXQ272c In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had Chlamydia? |
Not included | |
Circumcision status | SXQ280 Are you circumcised or uncircumcised? |
SXQ280 Are you circumcised or uncircumcised? |
SXQ280c Are you circumcised or uncircumcised? |
SXQ280c,j Are you circumcised or uncircumcised? |
SXQ280c,j Are you circumcised or uncircumcised? |
Sexual identity/ attraction | SXQ292f Do you think of yourself as… |
SXQ292f Do you think of yourself as… |
SXQ292f Do you think of yourself as… |
SXQ292f Do you think of yourself as… SXQ296f,h Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself? |
SXQ296f,h Do you think of yourself as gay; straight, that is, not gay; bisexual; something else; or you don’t know the answer? |
Interview status | Not included | SXAISC Interview status code |
SXAISC Interview status code |
Not included | Not included |
a | Questions were changed during data collection: “vaginal, anal, and oral” qualifiers were removed. See documentation accompanied 2007-2008 data file (available at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/2007-2008/SXQ_E.htm) for more details. |
b | Target age: 14-17 years. |
c | Target age: 14-59 years. |
d | Target age changed from 14-59 years to 14-29 years in 2009-2010. |
e | Question was edited to include "fills". For example, depending on what types of sex respondents indicated having determines the fills in the question. |
f | Target age: 18-59 years. |
g | Question was added in 2013-2014. |
h | Wording and response categories for question modified in 2015-2016. Moved to interviewer-administered MEC CAPI interview in 2017-2020. |
i | Does not include persons who only had oral sex. |
j | In 2013-2020, the circumcision question was not asked to men who answered “No” (code=2) to all of the type-specific sex questions (i.e., SXQ800, SXQ803, SXQ806, and SXQ809). However, the question was asked to youth 14-17 years who answered “No” to SXQ615 during the same data collection cycles. |
2003-2004 Variable name/Question |
2005-2006 Variable name/Question |
2007-2008a Variable name/Question |
2009-2018 Variable name/Question |
2017-2020 Variable name/Question |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Target age | 14-59 years | 14-59 years | 14-69 years | 14-69 years | 14-69 years |
Ever had any type of sex | SXQ020 The next set of questions is about your sexual behavior. By sex, we mean vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Please remember that your answers are strictly confidential. Have you ever had sex? |
SXQ021 The next set of questions is about your sexual behavior. By sex, we mean vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Please remember that your answers are strictly confidential. Have you ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXQ021 The next set of questions is about your sexual behavior. By sex, we mean vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Please remember that your answers are strictly confidential. Have you ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXD021 Ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Derived from: SXQ700 SXQ703 SXQ706 SXQ709 SXQ615b |
SXD021 Ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Derived from: SXQ700 SXQ703 SXQ706 SXQ709 SXQ615b |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ700 Have you ever had vaginal sex, also called sexual intercourse, with a man? This means a man’s penis in your vagina. |
SXQ700 Have you ever had vaginal sex, also called sexual intercourse, with a man? This means a man’s penis in your vagina. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ703 Have you ever performed oral sex on a man? This means putting your mouth on a man’s penis or genitals. |
SXQ703 Have you ever performed oral sex on a man? This means putting your mouth on a man’s penis or genitals. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ706 Have you ever had anal sex? This means contact between a man’s penis and your anus or butt. |
SXQ706 Have you ever had anal sex? This means contact between a man’s penis and your anus or butt. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ709 Have you ever had any kind of sex with a woman? By sex, we mean sexual contact with another woman’s vagina or genitals. |
SXQ709 Have you ever had any kind of sex with a woman? By sex, we mean sexual contact with another woman’s vagina or genitals. |
|
Age of having sex for the first time | SXD030 How old were you when you had sex for the first time? |
SXD031 When you first had vaginal, anal, or oral sex, how old were you? |
SXD031 When you first had vaginal, anal, or oral sex, how old were you? |
SXD031e How old were you the first time you had any kind of sex, including {vaginal, anal, or oral/vaginal or anal/vaginal or oral/anal or oral/vaginal/anal/oral}? |
SXD031e,i How old were you the first time you had any kind of sex, including {vaginal, anal, or oral/vaginal or anal/vaginal or oral/anal or oral/vaginal/anal/oral}? |
Life time male sex partner(s) | SXQ100 In your lifetime, with how many men have you had sex? |
SXQ101 In your lifetime, with how many males have you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXQ101 In your lifetime, with how many males have you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXD101 In your lifetime, with how many men have you had any kind of sex? |
SXD101 In your lifetime, with how many men have you had any kind of sex? |
Not included | SXQ350 With how many of these males have you had only oral sex? |
SXQ350c With how many of these males have you had only oral sex? |
Not included | Not included | |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ724c In your lifetime, with how many men have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means a man’s penis in your vagina. |
SXQ724c In your lifetime, with how many men have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means a man’s penis in your vagina. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ624c In your lifetime, on how many men have you performed oral sex? |
SXQ624c In your lifetime, on how many men have you performed oral sex? |
|
Male sex partner(s) in the last 12 months | SXQ120 In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had sex? |
SXQ450 In the past 12 months, with how many males have you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXQ450c In the past 12 months, with how many males have you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex? |
SXD450c In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had any kind of sex? |
SXD450c In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had any kind of sex? |
Not included | SXQ470 With how many of these males have you had only oral sex? |
SXQ470c With how many of these males have you had only oral sex? |
Not included | Not included | |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ727c In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means a man’s penis in your vagina. |
SXQ727c In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means a man’s penis in your vagina. |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ627c In the past 12 months, on how many men have you performed oral sex? |
SXQ627c In the past 12 months, on how many men have you performed oral sex? |
|
Oral sex with male partner | Not included | Not included | Not included | SXD621c How old were you when you first performed oral sex on a man? Performing oral sex means your mouth on a man’s penis or genitals. |
Not included |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXD630c How long has it been since the last time you performed oral sex on a new male partner? A new sexual partner is someone that you had never had sex with before. |
Not included | |
Life time female sex partner(s) | SXQ130 In your lifetime, with how many women have you had sex? |
SXQ130 In your lifetime, with how many women have you had sex? |
SXQ130 In your lifetime, with how many women have you had sex? |
SXQ130c In your lifetime with how many women have you had sex? By sex, we mean sexual contact with another woman’s vagina or genitals. |
SXQ130c In your lifetime with how many women have you had sex? By sex, we mean sexual contact with another woman’s vagina or genitals. |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ636c In your lifetime, on how many women have you performed oral sex? |
SXQ636c In your lifetime, on how many women have you performed oral sex? |
|
Female sex partner(s) in the last 12 months | SXQ150 In the past 12 months, with how many women have you had sex? |
SXQ490 In the past 12 months, with how many females have you had sex? |
SXQ490c In the past 12 months, with how many females have you had sex? |
SXQ490c In the past 12 months, with how many women have you had sex? By sex, we mean sexual contact with another woman’s vagina or genitals. |
SXQ490c In the past 12 months, with how many women have you had sex? By sex, we mean sexual contact with another woman’s vagina or genitals. |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ639c In the past 12 months, on how many women have you performed oral sex? |
SXQ639c In the past 12 months, on how many women have you performed oral sex? |
|
Oral sex with female partner | Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ741c Have you ever performed oral sex on a woman? Performing oral sex means your mouth on a woman’s vagina or genitals. |
SXQ741c Have you ever performed oral sex on a woman? Performing oral sex means your mouth on a woman’s vagina or genitals. |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXD633c How old were you when you first performed oral sex on a woman? Performing oral sex means your mouth on a woman’s vagina or genitals. |
Not included | |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXD642c How long has it been since the last time you performed oral sex on a new female partner? A new sexual partner is someone that you had never had sex with before. |
Not included | |
Sex in the past 12 months | SXQ241 In the past 30 days, with how many people have you had sex? |
SXQ610 In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had vaginal or anal sex? |
SXQ610c In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had vaginal or anal sex? |
SXQ610c,e In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had {vaginal or anal/vaginal/anal} sex? |
SXQ610c,e In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had {vaginal or anal/vaginal/anal} sex? |
Not included | SXQ590 Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years older than you? |
SXQ590c Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years older than you? |
SXQ590d Of the persons you had any kind of sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years older than you? |
Not included | |
Not included | SXQ600 Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years younger than you? |
SXQ600c Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years younger than you? |
SXQ600d Of the persons you had any kind of sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years younger than you? |
Not included | |
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ648c In the past 12 months, did you have any kind of sex with a person that you never had sex with before? |
SXQ648c In the past 12 months, did you have any kind of sex with a person that you never had sex with before? |
|
SXQ250 In the past 30 days, how many times have you had sex without using a condom? |
SXQ251 In the past 12 months, about how often have you had vaginal or anal sex without using a condom? |
SXQ251c In the past 12 months, about how often have you had vaginal or anal sex without using a condom? |
SXQ251c,e In the past 12 months, about how often have you had {vaginal or anal/vaginal/anal} sex without using a condom? |
SXQ251c,e In the past 12 months, about how often have you had {vaginal or anal/vaginal/anal} sex without using a condom? |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ645c When you performed oral sex in the past 12 months, how often would you use protection, like a condom or dental dam? |
SXQ645c When you performed oral sex in the past 12 months, how often would you use protection, like a condom or dental dam? |
|
History of sexually transmitted diseases | SXQ260 Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had genital herpes? |
SXQ260 Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had genital herpes? |
SXQ260c Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had genital herpes? |
SXQ260c Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had genital herpes? |
SXQ260c Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had genital herpes? |
SXQ265 Has a doctor or health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts? |
SXQ265 Has a doctor or health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts? |
SXQ265c Has a doctor or health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts? |
SXQ265c Has a doctor or health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts? |
SXQ265c Has a doctor or health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts? |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ267c,g How old were you when you were first told that you had genital warts? |
SXQ267c,g How old were you when you were first told that you had genital warts? |
|
Not included | Not included | Not included | SXQ753c Has a doctor or other health care professional ever told you that you had human papillomavirus or HPV? |
SXQ753c Has a doctor or other health care professional ever told you that you had human papillomavirus or HPV? |
|
SXQ270 In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had gonorrhea, sometimes called GC or clap? |
SXQ270 In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had gonorrhea, sometimes called GC or clap? |
SXQ270c In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had gonorrhea, sometimes called GC or clap? |
SXQ270c In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had gonorrhea, sometimes called GC or clap? |
Not included | |
SXQ272 In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had Chlamydia? |
SXQ272 In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had Chlamydia? |
SXQ272c In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had Chlamydia? |
SXQ272c In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had Chlamydia? |
Not included | |
Sexual identity/ attraction | SXQ294f Do you think of yourself as… |
SXQ294f Do you think of yourself as… |
SXQ294f Do you think of yourself as… |
SXQ294f Do you think of yourself as... SXQ295f,h Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself? |
SXQ295f,h Do you think of yourself as lesbian or gay; straight, that is, not lesbian or gay; bisexual; something else; or you don’t know the answer? |
Interview status | Not included | SXAISC Interview status code |
SXAISC Interview status code |
Not included | Not included |
a | Questions were changed during data collection: “vaginal, anal, and oral” qualifiers were removed. See documentation accompanied 2007-2008 data file (available at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/2007-2008/SXQ_E.htm) for more details. |
b | Target age: 14-17 years. |
c | Target age: 14-59 years. |
d | Target age changed from 14-59 years to 14-29 years in 2009-2010. |
e | Question was edited to include "fills". For example, depending on what types of sex respondents indicated having determines the fills in the question. |
f | Target age: 18-59 years. |
g | Question was added in 2013-2014. |
h | Wording and response categories for question modified in 2015-2016. Moved to interviewer-administered MEC CAPI interview in 2017-2020. |
i | Not include persons who only had oral sex. |