Sexual fidelity - Belief Statistics Topic
Have you ever had sex with someone other than your husband or wife while you were married? (EVSTRAY)(General Social Survey, 2021)
Sexual fidelity by Age
| 18-29 | 30-44 | 45-59 | 60-74 | 75 or older | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 0.4%1 | 9.1%53 | 13.4%73 | 18.8%115 | 20.3%46 | 13.0%288 | 9 |
| No | 19.5%51 | 53.1%308 | 69.1%375 | 69.4%424 | 75.3%171 | 59.8%1329 | 79 |
| Never married | 80.2%210 | 37.8%219 | 17.5%95 | 11.8%72 | 4.4%10 | 27.3%606 | 40 |
| Missing | 144 | 400 | 364 | 412 | 156 | 1809 | 205 |
| Total | 100%262 | 100%580 | 100%543 | 100%611 | 100%227 | 2223 |
Sexual fidelity by Worship attendance
| Never | About once a year or less | Several times a year | One to three times a month | Nearly every week | Every week or several times a week | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 13.7%96 | 14.5%87 | 11.2%26 | 13.2%25 | 11.7%22 | 9.8%41 | 12.7%297 | 0 |
| No | 51.8%363 | 55.2%332 | 62.2%145 | 58.9%112 | 72.9%137 | 74.2%310 | 60.0%1399 | 9 |
| Never married | 34.5%242 | 30.3%182 | 26.6%62 | 27.9%53 | 15.4%29 | 16.0%67 | 27.2%635 | 11 |
| Missing | 477 | 417 | 170 | 132 | 143 | 292 | 1701 | 50 |
| Total | 100%701 | 100%601 | 100%233 | 100%190 | 100%188 | 100%418 | 2331 |
Sexual fidelity by Household income
| Under $5,000 | $5,000 to $9,999 | $10,000 to $14,999 | $15,000 to $19,999 | $20,000 to $24,999 | $25,000 or more | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 13.5%12 | 10.0%6 | 14.6%15 | 9.2%8 | 11.2%10 | 13.8%233 | 13.4%284 | 13 |
| No | 40.4%36 | 53.3%32 | 45.6%47 | 42.5%37 | 57.3%51 | 64.1%1082 | 60.7%1285 | 123 |
| Never married | 46.1%41 | 36.7%22 | 39.8%41 | 48.3%42 | 31.5%28 | 22.1%373 | 25.9%547 | 99 |
| Missing | 55 | 41 | 64 | 53 | 60 | 1120 | 1916 | 288 |
| Total | 100%89 | 100%60 | 100%103 | 100%87 | 100%89 | 100%1688 | 2116 |
Sexual fidelity by Political ideology
| Extremely liberal or liberal | Slightly liberal | Moderate, middle of the road | Slightly conservative | Extremely conservative or conservative | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 12.6%63 | 14.0%42 | 11.0%89 | 13.4%39 | 13.9%60 | 12.6%293 | 4 |
| No | 48.8%244 | 55.2%165 | 61.0%492 | 66.1%193 | 70.3%303 | 60.0%1397 | 11 |
| Never married | 38.6%193 | 30.8%92 | 27.9%225 | 20.5%60 | 15.8%68 | 27.4%638 | 8 |
| Missing | 330 | 191 | 571 | 184 | 360 | 1704 | 45 |
| Total | 100%500 | 100%299 | 100%806 | 100%292 | 100%431 | 2328 |
Sexual fidelity by Religion
| Protestant | Catholic | Jewish/Other | None | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 11.3%109 | 14.1%71 | 17.0%31 | 12.7%86 | 12.8%297 | 0 |
| No | 68.5%662 | 62.1%313 | 57.1%104 | 47.4%320 | 60.1%1399 | 9 |
| Never married | 20.3%196 | 23.8%120 | 25.8%47 | 39.9%269 | 27.1%632 | 14 |
| Missing | 747 | 320 | 110 | 446 | 1704 | 58 |
| Total | 100%967 | 100%504 | 100%182 | 100%675 | 2328 |
Sexual fidelity by Sex
| Male | Female | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 15.3%159 | 10.7%138 | 12.7%297 | 0 |
| No | 58.2%606 | 62.1%800 | 60.3%1406 | 2 |
| Never married | 26.6%277 | 27.2%351 | 26.9%628 | 18 |
| Missing | 694 | 915 | 1701 | 72 |
| Total | 100%1042 | 100%1289 | 2331 |
Related variables
A similar question appeared on General Social Survey 2014 Cross-Section and Panel Combined, (Inapplicable Responses Coded as Missing)Have you ever had sex with someone other than your husband or wife while you were married? (EVSTRAY)
Notes
The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) annually since 1972, except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed to be part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. This data file has all cases and variables asked on the 2021 GSS.The 2021 cross-sectional General Social Survey has been updated to Release Version 3 as of July 2023. This Release includes the addition of respondent spouse/partner religious identities, socioeconomic statuses, and work information (including Occupation and Industry coding), and additional information about respondents' religious background.
To download syntax files for the GSS that reproduce well-known religious group recodes, including RELTRAD, please visit the ARDA's Syntax Repository.
