Lifetime prevalence, characteristics, and associated problems of non-consensual sex in men: cross sectional survey

British Medical Journal, March 27, 1999 by Adrian Coxell, Michael King, Gillian Mezey, Dawn Gordon

(*) Mantel-Haenszel test (df=1).

Table 2 Crude and age standardised prevalence rates of sexual experiences in respondents

Experience (total Ho of men)(*)           No of men   % crude rate

Non-consensual sex after age 16 (2468)        71          2.88
Non-consensual sex before age 16 (2423)      128          5.28
Consensual sex with a person at least        185          7.69
 5 years older before age 16 (2406)

                                          % standardised rate
Experience (total Ho of men)(*)                (95% CI)

Non-consensual sex after age 16 (2468)    2.89 (2.21 to 3.56)
Non-consensual sex before age 16 (2423)   5.35 (4.39 to 6.31)
Consensual sex with a person at least     7.66 (6.54 to 8.77)
 5 years older before age 16 (2406)

Each category contains seven more men than row totals in table 1 because these men did not supply their age for table 1.

Non-consensual sex in adulthood--The mean age of the men at their first (or only) non-consensual sexual experience was 20 (SD 5) years; 40/70 men (57%) reported having had non-consensual sex with other men and 32 (46%) reported having had nonconsensual sex with women (a man and a woman in two cases). Men who reported having had sex with men were more likely to report having had non-consensual sex with men (Fisher's exact test, P [is less than] 0.05). Data from 37 of the 40 men who reported having had non-consensual sex with men showed that seven (19%) had been raped (table 3). Overall, only two men reported their experiences to the police.

Table 3 Nature of reported sexual acts in respondents. Values are number (percentage) of victims

                                      Male          Female
Sexual acts                      perpetrator(*)   perpetrator

Perpetrator's actions:
 Touched victim's genitals          21 (57)         15 (54)
 Masturbated victim                 21 (57)          9 (32)
 Performed fellatio on victim       13 (35)         17 (61)
 Masturbated over victim             2 (5)            NA
 Put object in victim's anus         1 (3)           1 (4)
 Raped victim                        7 (19)           NA
 Took sex photos                       0             1 (4)
Victim made to:
 Masturbate perpetrator             10 (27)          7 (2)
 Fellate perpetrator                 9 (24)           NA
 Perform oral sex on a woman         3 (1)          13 (46)
 Touch perpetrator's genitals        9 (24)          4 (14)
 Masturbate over perpetrator         4 (11)          2 (7)
 Urinate on perpetrator                0             1 (4)
 Have intercourse with a female
  perpetrator                        2 (5)          14 (50)

37 of 40 men molested by a man (or a man and woman), and 28 of 31 men molested only by a woman, gave information about molestation.

(*) Two cases involved a man and woman.

Non-consensual and consensual sex in childhood with a person at least 5 years older--Male perpetrators were responsible for 100/124 (81%) cases of sexual abuse in childhood, and women perpetrators were responsible for 26/124 (21%) cases (a man and a woman in two cases). The mean age at the first (or only) experience of sexual abuse was 11 (SD 3) years. Seven out of 99 (7%) men reporting sexual abuse by a man were raped.