Sex and drugs and self-reported behavior

By Libby

Like my man, Cernig who put me on to this article, I have my doubts about surveys that require self-reporting on drug use and sex. As my new favorite TV character, House, is fond of pointing out -- everybody lies. Especially about sex and drugs and probably about how often they really floss their teeth.

Anyway, here's a couple of key findings of the study which sampled a little over 6,000 people.

A new nationwide survey, using high-tech methods to solicit candid answers on sexual activity and illegal drug use, finds that 29 percent of American men report having 15 or more female sexual partners in a lifetime, while only 9 percent of women report having sex with 15 or more men.

Non-Hispanic whites had a higher percentage of ever using cocaine or street drugs (23.5 percent) than blacks (18 percent) or Mexican-Americans (16 percent).

I suspect the men inflated their number of sex partners while women under-reported their own and everybody way under-reported their drug use but still the findings are meaningful in that they show us what we know to be true. You can pass all the laws you want but people are going to have sex and get high because it feels good and nothing is going to stop that.