Table of Contents

Component Description

The ACASI section on sexual behavior (variable name prefix SXQ) provides information on lifetime and current sexual behavior for both men and women. Major items in this section include age at first sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, circumcision status (men) and history of sexually transmitted diseases.

Eligible Sample

Survey participants aged 14-69 years were eligible. Several questions in this section are age and gender-specific. Mentally impaired individuals, or participants who were unable to understand English or Spanish were not asked these questions. Only data from participants aged 14-17 years old are included in this Research Data Center (RDC) file. The data files for participants 18-69 years old are publicly available through the NHANES website.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The sexual behavior questionnaire was self-administered in a private room at the examination center, using the Audio Computer Assisted Self Interview (ACASI) system. The ACASI was conducted in either English or Spanish. The ACASI enables respondents to hear questions through earphones as well as read questions on the computer screen. Respondents move at their own speed and touch the screen to indicate their response. 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/2013-2014/questionnaires/sxq_acasi_h.pdf

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

For details on the QA/QC process for this component, please refer to the MEC Interview Manual on the NHANES website.

Data Processing and Editing

Please see Appendix 1 (for male) and Appendix 2 (for female) for detailed information on variables included in the SXQ section in the latest six release cycles.

The sexual behavior questionnaire in 2013-2014 is the same as in 2011-2012 and 2009-2010. However, analyst should be cautious when combining data with cycles prior to the NHANES 2009-2010 SXQ data, since some questions have been removed or added, and some questions have had slight wording changes.

The variable SXD021 (Ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex) was derived from whether or not the respondent had 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.

Responses to SXD031 (age of first sexual intercourse), SXD633 (age of first performed oral sex on a woman), and SXD621 (age of first had oral sex) that were 9 years or less were grouped and coded as “9 years or younger.”

Information was collected using two-part (number and unit) questions for both SXD630 (last performed oral sex on a new male partner) and SXD642 (last performed oral sex on a new female partner). This is to allow participants to report how long ago they had performed oral sex either in days, weeks, months, or years. The released variables were edited to standardize the reported length of time to number of days, using the following conversion factors: 7 days per week, 30.4 days per month, and 365.25 days per year.

In general, if a person wasn't 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 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.”

Analytic Notes

Beginning in 2013, NHANES started asking participants who answered yes to having been told by a doctor or other health care professional that they had genital warts, how old they were when they were first told that they had genital warts.

Although the ACASI has many advantages over interviewer-administered questionnaires for sensitive information, inconsistent responses can occur. Since the questionnaire is self-administered, unlikely answers or confusing questions cannot be 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 for different types of sexual behavior.

Analysts should be aware that the 2013-2014 sexual behavior data has some inconsistencies in terms of number of partners reported for each type of sex. For example, about 0.30% of males and 0.29% of females reported a greater number of vaginal sex partners in the past 12 months compared with number of “total” sex partners in the past 12 months.

Exam sample weights should be used for analyses. Please refer to the NHANES Analytic Guidelines and the on-line NHANES Tutorial for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues.

Codebook and Frequencies

SEQN - Respondent sequence number

Variable Name:
SEQN
SAS Label:
Respondent sequence number
English Text:
Respondent sequence number.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS

SXD021 - Ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex

Variable Name:
SXD021
SAS Label:
Ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex
English Text:
Ever had vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
English Instructions:
Derived variable based on several questions.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 196 196
2 No 478 674
7 Refused 0 674
9 Don't know 0 674
. Missing 34 708

SXQ800 - Ever had vaginal sex with a woman

Variable Name:
SXQ800
SAS Label:
Ever had vaginal sex with a woman
English Text:
Have you ever had vaginal sex, also called sexual intercourse, with a woman? This means your penis in a woman's vagina.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select...
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 94 94
2 No 25 119
7 Refused 0 119
9 Don't know 0 119
. Missing 589 708

SXQ803 - Ever performed oral sex on a woman

Variable Name:
SXQ803
SAS Label:
Ever performed oral sex on a woman
English Text:
Have you ever performed oral sex on a woman? This means putting your mouth on a woman's vagina or genitals.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 51 51
2 No 68 119
7 Refused 0 119
9 Don't know 0 119
. Missing 589 708

SXQ806 - Ever had anal sex with a woman

Variable Name:
SXQ806
SAS Label:
Ever had anal sex with a woman
English Text:
Have you ever had anal sex with a woman? Anal sex means contact between your penis and a woman's anus or butt.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 17 17
2 No 102 119
7 Refused 0 119
9 Don't know 0 119
. Missing 589 708

SXQ809 - Ever had any sex with a man: anal, oral

Variable Name:
SXQ809
SAS Label:
Ever had any sex with a man: anal, oral
English Text:
Have you ever had any kind of sex with a man, including oral or anal?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 3 3
2 No 116 119
7 Refused 0 119
9 Don't know 0 119
. Missing 589 708

SXQ700 - Ever had vaginal sex with a man

Variable Name:
SXQ700
SAS Label:
Ever had vaginal sex with a man
English Text:
Have you ever had vaginal sex, also called sexual intercourse, with a man? This means a man's penis in your vagina.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 77 77
2 No 13 90
7 Refused 1 91
9 Don't know 0 91
. Missing 617 708

SXQ703 - Ever performed oral sex on a man

Variable Name:
SXQ703
SAS Label:
Ever performed oral sex on a man
English Text:
Have you ever performed oral sex on a man? This means putting your mouth on a man's penis or genitals.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 45 45
2 No 45 90
7 Refused 1 91
9 Don't know 0 91
. Missing 617 708

SXQ706 - Ever had anal sex with a man

Variable Name:
SXQ706
SAS Label:
Ever had anal sex with a man
English Text:
Have you ever had anal sex? This means contact between a man's penis and your anus or butt.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 15 15
2 No 76 91
7 Refused 0 91
9 Don't know 0 91
. Missing 617 708

SXQ709 - Ever had any kind of sex with a woman

Variable Name:
SXQ709
SAS Label:
Ever had any kind of sex with a woman
English Text:
Have you ever had any kind of sex with a woman? By sex, we mean sexual contact with another woman's vagina or genitals.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 8 8
2 No 82 90
7 Refused 1 91
9 Don't know 0 91
. Missing 617 708

SXD031 - How old when first had sex

Variable Name:
SXD031
SAS Label:
How old when first had sex
English Text:
How old were you when you had sex for the first time?
English Instructions:
ENTER AGE IN YEARS.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Hard Edits:
10 to 17
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
10 to 17 Range of Values 191 191
9 9 years or younger 3 194
77 Refused 2 196
99 Don't know 0 196
. Missing 512 708

SXD171 - # female sex partners/lifetime

Variable Name:
SXD171
SAS Label:
# female sex partners/lifetime
English Text:
In your lifetime, with how many women have you had any kind of sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number.
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 1000 Range of Values 334 334
77777 Refused 0 334
99999 Don't know 0 334
. Missing 374 708

SXD510 - # female sex partners/year

Variable Name:
SXD510
SAS Label:
# female sex partners/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, with how many women have you had any kind of sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 38 Range of Values 334 334
77777 Refused 0 334
99999 Don't know 0 334
. Missing 374 708

SXQ824 - # female vaginal sex partners/lifetime

Variable Name:
SXQ824
SAS Label:
# female vaginal sex partners/lifetime
English Text:
In your lifetime, with how many women have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means your penis in a woman's vagina.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number.
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 1000 Range of Values 94 94
77777 Refused 0 94
99999 Don't know 0 94
. Missing 614 708

SXQ827 - # female vaginal sex partners/year

Variable Name:
SXQ827
SAS Label:
# female vaginal sex partners/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, with how many women have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means your penis in a woman's vagina.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 38 Range of Values 94 94
77777 Refused 0 94
99999 Don't know 0 94
. Missing 614 708

SXD633 - Age first performed oral sex on a woman

Variable Name:
SXD633
SAS Label:
Age first performed oral sex on a woman
English Text:
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.
English Instructions:
ENTER AGE IN YEARS.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Hard Edits:
10 to 17
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
12 to 17 Range of Values 54 54
9 9 years or younger 1 55
77 Refused 1 56
99 Don't know 0 56
. Missing 652 708

SXQ636 - # female performed oral sex/lifetime

Variable Name:
SXQ636
SAS Label:
# female performed oral sex/lifetime
English Text:
In your lifetime, on how many women have you performed oral sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 22 Range of Values 56 56
77777 Refused 0 56
99999 Don't know 0 56
. Missing 652 708

SXQ639 - # female performed oral sex/year

Variable Name:
SXQ639
SAS Label:
# female performed oral sex/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, on how many women have you performed oral sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 7 Range of Values 56 56
77777 Refused 0 56
99999 Don't know 0 56
. Missing 652 708

SXD642 - Performed oral sex new female (days)

Variable Name:
SXD642
SAS Label:
Performed oral sex new female (days)
English Text:
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.
English Instructions:
ENTER NUMBER OF DAYS
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 1096 Range of Values 20 20
77777 Refused 0 20
99999 Don't know 0 20
. Missing 688 708

SXQ410 - # men anal/oral sex partners/lifetime

Variable Name:
SXQ410
SAS Label:
# men anal/oral sex partners/lifetime
English Text:
In your lifetime, with how many men have you had anal or oral sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
2 to 11 Range of Values 3 3
77777 Refused 0 3
99999 Don't know 0 3
. Missing 705 708

SXQ550 - # men anal/oral sex partners/year

Variable Name:
SXQ550
SAS Label:
# men anal/oral sex partners/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had anal or oral sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 3 Range of Values 3 3
77777 Refused 0 3
99999 Don't know 0 3
. Missing 705 708

SXQ836 - # men anal sex partners/lifetime

Variable Name:
SXQ836
SAS Label:
# men anal sex partners/lifetime
English Text:
In your lifetime, with how many men have you had anal sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 11 Range of Values 3 3
77777 Refused 0 3
99999 Don't know 0 3
. Missing 705 708

SXQ841 - # men anal sex partners/year

Variable Name:
SXQ841
SAS Label:
# men anal sex partners/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had anal sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 3 Range of Values 3 3
77777 Refused 0 3
99999 Don't know 0 3
. Missing 705 708

SXQ853 - Ever performed oral sex on a man

Variable Name:
SXQ853
SAS Label:
Ever performed oral sex on a man
English Text:
Have you ever performed oral sex on a man? Performing oral sex means your mouth on a man's penis or genitals.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 2 2
2 No 1 3
7 Refused 0 3
9 Don't know 0 3
. Missing 705 708

SXD621 - How old when first had oral sex

Variable Name:
SXD621
SAS Label:
How old when first had oral sex
English Text:
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.
English Instructions:
ENTER AGE IN YEARS.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Hard Edits:
10 to 17
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
10 to 17 Range of Values 47 47
9 9 years or younger 0 47
77 Refused 0 47
99 Don't know 0 47
. Missing 661 708

SXQ624 - # male oral sex partners/lifetime

Variable Name:
SXQ624
SAS Label:
# male oral sex partners/lifetime
English Text:
In your lifetime, on how many men have you performed oral sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 10 Range of Values 47 47
77777 Refused 0 47
99999 Don't know 0 47
. Missing 661 708

SXQ627 - # male oral sex partners/year

Variable Name:
SXQ627
SAS Label:
# male oral sex partners/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, on how many men have you performed oral sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 5 Range of Values 47 47
77777 Refused 0 47
99999 Don't know 0 47
. Missing 661 708

SXD630 - Last performed oral sex new male (days)

Variable Name:
SXD630
SAS Label:
Last performed oral sex new male (days)
English Text:
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.
English Instructions:
ENTER NUMBER OF DAYS
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 731 Range of Values 20 20
77777 Refused 0 20
99999 Don't know 0 20
. Missing 688 708

SXQ645 - Use protection when performing oral sex

Variable Name:
SXQ645
SAS Label:
Use protection when performing oral sex
English Text:
When you performed oral sex in the past 12 months, how often would you use protection, like a condom or dental dam?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select one of the following choices.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Never 48 48
2 Rarely 6 54
3 Usually 9 63
4 Always 14 77
5 Unsure 4 81
7 Refused 0 81
9 Don't know 0 81
. Missing 627 708

SXQ648 - Had sex with new partner/year

Variable Name:
SXQ648
SAS Label:
Had sex with new partner/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, did you have any kind of sex with a person that you never had sex with before?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 83 83
2 No 77 160
7 Refused 0 160
9 Don't know 0 160
. Missing 548 708

SXQ610 - # times had vaginal or anal sex/year

Variable Name:
SXQ610
SAS Label:
# times had vaginal or anal sex/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had {vaginal or anal/vaginal/anal} sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select one of the following choices.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Never 4 4
1 Once 36 40
2 2-11 times 68 108
3 12-51 times 24 132
4 52-103 times 11 143
5 104-364 times 7 150
6 365 times or more 1 151
77 Refused 0 151
99 Don't know 0 151
. Missing 557 708

SXQ251 - # times had sex without condom/year

Variable Name:
SXQ251
SAS Label:
# times had sex without condom/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, about how often have you had {vaginal or anal/vaginal/anal} sex without using a condom?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select one of the following choices.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Never 67 67
2 Less than half of the time 36 103
3 About half of the time 16 119
4 Not always, but more than half of the time 9 128
5 Always 19 147
7 Refused 0 147
9 Don't know 0 147
. Missing 561 708

SXQ590 - # sex partners five years older/year

Variable Name:
SXQ590
SAS Label:
# sex partners five years older/year
English Text:
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?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 10 Range of Values 165 165
77777 Refused 0 165
99999 Don't know 0 165
. Missing 543 708

SXQ600 - # sex partners five years younger/year

Variable Name:
SXQ600
SAS Label:
# sex partners five years younger/year
English Text:
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?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 5 Range of Values 165 165
77777 Refused 0 165
99999 Don't know 0 165
. Missing 543 708

SXD101 - # male sex partners/lifetime

Variable Name:
SXD101
SAS Label:
# male sex partners/lifetime
English Text:
In your lifetime, with how many men have you had any kind of sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number.
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 13 Range of Values 339 339
77777 Refused 1 340
99999 Don't know 0 340
. Missing 368 708

SXD450 - # male sex partners/year

Variable Name:
SXD450
SAS Label:
# male sex partners/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had any kind of sex?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 6 Range of Values 339 339
77777 Refused 1 340
99999 Don't know 0 340
. Missing 368 708

SXQ724 - # male vaginal sex partners/lifetime

Variable Name:
SXQ724
SAS Label:
# male vaginal sex partners/lifetime
English Text:
In your lifetime, with how many men have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means a man's penis in your vagina.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number.
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 13 Range of Values 76 76
77777 Refused 1 77
99999 Don't know 0 77
. Missing 631 708

SXQ727 - # male vaginal sex partners/year

Variable Name:
SXQ727
SAS Label:
# male vaginal sex partners/year
English Text:
In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had vaginal sex? Vaginal sex means a man's penis in your vagina.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 5 Range of Values 77 77
77777 Refused 0 77
99999 Don't know 0 77
. Missing 631 708

SXQ130 - # female sex partners/lifetime

Variable Name:
SXQ130
SAS Label:
# female sex partners/lifetime
English Text:
In your lifetime with how many women have you had sex? By sex, we mean sexual contact with another woman's vagina or genitals.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number.
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 2 Range of Values 7 7
77777 Refused 0 7
99999 Don't know 0 7
. Missing 701 708

SXQ490 - # female sex partners/year

Variable Name:
SXQ490
SAS Label:
# female sex partners/year
English Text:
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.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please enter a number or enter zero for none.
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 2 Range of Values 7 7
77777 Refused 0 7
99999 Don't know 0 7
. Missing 701 708

SXQ741 - Ever performed oral sex on a woman

Variable Name:
SXQ741
SAS Label:
Ever performed oral sex on a woman
English Text:
Have you ever performed oral sex on a woman? Performing oral sex means your mouth on a woman's vagina or genitals.
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 5 5
2 No 2 7
7 Refused 0 7
9 Don't know 0 7
. Missing 701 708

SXQ753 - Ever told by doctor, you had HPV

Variable Name:
SXQ753
SAS Label:
Ever told by doctor, you had HPV
English Text:
Has a doctor or other health care professional ever told you that you had human papillomavirus or HPV?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Females only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 0 0
2 No 88 88
7 Refused 0 88
9 Don't know 0 88
. Missing 620 708

SXQ260 - Doctor ever told you had genital herpes

Variable Name:
SXQ260
SAS Label:
Doctor ever told you had genital herpes
English Text:
Has a doctor or other health care professional ever told you that you had genital herpes?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 1 1
2 No 194 195
7 Refused 0 195
9 Don't know 0 195
. Missing 513 708

SXQ265 - Doctor ever told you had genital warts

Variable Name:
SXQ265
SAS Label:
Doctor ever told you had genital warts
English Text:
Has a doctor or other health care professional ever told you that you had genital warts?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 0 0
2 No 195 195 SXQ270
7 Refused 0 195 SXQ270
9 Don't know 0 195 SXQ270
. Missing 513 708

SXQ267 - Age when told you had genital warts

Variable Name:
SXQ267
SAS Label:
Age when told you had genital warts
English Text:
How old were you when you were first told that you had genital warts?
English Instructions:
ENTER AGE IN YEARS.
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Hard Edits:
0 to 17
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
77 Refused 0 0
99 Don't know 0 0
. Missing 708 708

SXQ270 - Doctor ever told you had gonorrhea

Variable Name:
SXQ270
SAS Label:
Doctor ever told you had gonorrhea
English Text:
In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had gonorrhea, sometimes called GC or clap?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 0 0
2 No 195 195
7 Refused 0 195
9 Don't know 0 195
. Missing 513 708

SXQ272 - Doctor ever told you had chlamydia

Variable Name:
SXQ272
SAS Label:
Doctor ever told you had chlamydia
English Text:
In the past 12 months, has a doctor or other health care professional told you that you had chlamydia?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . .
Target:
Both males and females 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 5 5
2 No 190 195
7 Refused 0 195
9 Don't know 0 195
. Missing 513 708

SXQ280 - Are you circumcised or uncircumcised

Variable Name:
SXQ280
SAS Label:
Are you circumcised or uncircumcised
English Text:
Are you circumcised or uncircumcised?
English Instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select . . . CAPI INSTRUCTIONS: Display the sketches below each selection. Sketch should display by default. ACASI FIGURE SXQ1 - CLINICAL SKETCH OF CIRCUMCISED PENIS ACASI FIGURE SXQ2 - CLINICAL SKETCH OF UNCIRCUMCISED PENIS
Target:
Males only 14 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Circumcised 220 220
2 Uncircumcised 100 320
7 Refused 1 321
9 Don't know 1 322
. Missing 386 708

Appendix 1. Sexual Behavior (SXQ) Data for Males in NHANES 2003-2014 Release Files


2003-2004
Variable name/Question		 2005-2006
Variable name/Question		 2007-2008†
Variable name/Question		 2009-2014
Variable name/Question
Target age 14-59 years 14-59 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
SXQ615¥
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.
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.
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.
Not included Not included Not included 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?		 SXD031€
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?
Not included SXQ400
With how many of these females have you had only oral sex?		 SXQ400*
With how many of these females have you had only oral sex?		 Not included
Not included Not included Not included SXQ824*
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 SXQ636*
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?		 SXQ510*
In the past 12 months, with how many females have you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex?		 SXD510*
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?		 SXQ530*
With how many of these females have you had only oral sex?		 Not included
Not included Not included Not included SXQ827*
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 SXQ639*
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 SXQ633*
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 SXQ642*
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.
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?
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 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?
Male sex partner(s) in the last 12 months 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?		 SXQ550*
In the past 12 months, with how many males have you had anal or oral sex?		 SXQ550*
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?		 SXQ570*
With how many of these males have you had only oral sex?		 Not included
Not included Not included Not included SXQ841*
In the past 12 months, with how many men have you had anal sex?
Not included Not included Not included SXQ627*
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 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 SXQ621
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 SXQ630*
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.
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?		 SXQ610*
In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had vaginal or anal sex?		 SXQ610€*
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?		 SXQ590*
Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years older than you?		 SXQ590£
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 SXQ600
Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years younger than you?		 SXQ600*
Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years younger than you?		 SXQ600£
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 SXQ648*
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?		 SXQ251*
In the past 12 months, about how often have you had vaginal or anal sex without using a condom?		 SXQ251€*
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 SXQ645*
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?		 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?
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?		 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?
Not included Not included Not included SXQ267‡
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?		 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?
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?		 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?
Circumcision status SXQ280
Are you circumcised or uncircumcised?		 SXQ280
Are you circumcised or uncircumcised?		 SXQ280*
Are you circumcised or uncircumcised?		 SXQ280*
Are you circumcised or uncircumcised?
Sexual orientation SXQ292#
Do you think of yourself as…		 SXQ292#
Do you think of yourself as…		 SXQ292#
Do you think of yourself as…		 SXQ292#
Do you think of yourself as…
Interview status Not included SXAISC
Interview status code		 SXAISC
Interview status code		 Not included

 

† Questions were changed during data collection: “vaginal, anal, and oral” qualifiers were removed. See documentation accompanied 07-08 data file (available at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/2007-2008/SXQ_E.htm) for more details.
¥ Target age: 14-17 year olds.
* Target age: 14-59 year olds.
£ Target age changed from 14-59 to 14-29 in 2009-2010.
€ Question was edited to include "fills". For example, depending on what types of sex respondents indicated having determines the fills in the question.
# Target age: 18-59 year olds.
‡  Question was added in 2013-2014.


Appendix 2. Sexual Behavior (SXQ) Data for Females in NHANES 2003-2014 Release Files

2003-2004
Variable name/Question		 2005-2006
Variable name/Question		 2007-2008†
Variable name/Question		 2009-2014
Variable name/Question
Target age 14-59 years 14-59 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
SXQ615¥
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?		 SXD031€
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?
Not included SXQ350
With how many of these males have you had only oral sex?		 SXQ350*
With how many of these males have you had only oral sex?		 Not included
Not included Not included Not included SXQ724*
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 SXQ624*
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?		 SXQ450*
In the past 12 months, with how many males have you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex?		 SXD450*
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?		 SXQ470*
With how many of these males have you had only oral sex?		 Not included
Not included Not included Not included SXQ727*
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 SXQ627*
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 SXQ621*
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 SXQ630*
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.
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?		 In your lifetime, with how many women have you had sex? SXQ130*
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 SXQ636*
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?		 SXQ490*
In the past 12 months, with how many females have you had sex?		 SXQ490*
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 SXQ639*
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 SXQ741*
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 SXQ633*
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 SXQ642*
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.
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?		 SXQ610*
In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had vaginal or anal sex?		 SXQ610€*
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?		 SXQ590*
Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years older than you?		 SXQ590£
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 SXQ600
Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years younger than you?		 SXQ600*
Of the persons you had sex with in the past 12 months, how many were five or more years younger than you?		 SXQ600£
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 SXQ648*
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?		 SXQ251*
In the past 12 months, about how often have you had vaginal or anal sex without using a condom?		 SXQ251€*
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 SXQ645*
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?		 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?
Not included Not included Not included SXQ267‡
How old were you when you were first told that you had genital warts?
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?		 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?
Not included Not included Not included SXQ753*
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?		 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?
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?		 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?
Sexual orientation SXQ294#
Do you think of yourself as…		 SXQ294#
Do you think of yourself as…		 SXQ294#
Do you think of yourself as…		 SXQ294#
Do you think of yourself as…
Interview status Not included SXAISC
Interview status code		 SXAISC
Interview status code		 Not included

 

† Questions were changed during data collection: “vaginal, anal, and oral” qualifiers were removed. See documentation accompanied 07-08 data file (available at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/2007-2008/SXQ_E.htm) for more details.
¥ Target age: 14-17 year olds.
* Target age: 14-59 year olds.
£ Target age changed from 14-59 to 14-29 in 2009-2010.
€ Question was edited to include "fills". For example, depending on what types of sex respondents indicated having determines the fills in the question.
# Target age: 18-59 year olds.
 ‡ Question was added in 2013-2014.