No Wonder Dating Is So Tough

Here are some snippets from a story that came over the Associated Press wire just a few moments ago. And it confirms something I’ve long suspected. Read on… [with my comments].

Survey Finds More Women Try Bisexuality
By MARTHA IRVINE, AP National Writer
Thu Sep 15, 7:50 PM ET

More women — particularly those in their late teens and 20s — are experimenting with bisexuality or at least feel more comfortable reporting same-sex encounters, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [A-ha! I freaking knew it!]

The survey, released Thursday by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, found that 11.5 percent of women, ages 18 to 44, said they've had at least one sexual experience with another woman in their lifetimes, compared with about 4 percent of women, ages 18 to 59, who said the same in a comparable survey a decade earlier. [Now, this I kind of have a problem with. It would seem to me that a more accurate statistic would’ve been to survey women aged 18 to 59 again instead of shortening the cutoff age to 44. Since the second survey wasn’t exactly like the first survey, could the comparative statistic be completely accurate? Would it still be 11.5% if the 45 to 59 year olds were still included? It probably would make that 11.5% a bit less. I’m just saying (actually, I’m probably just in denial about the percentage increase.)]

For women in their late teens and 20s, the percentage rose to 14 percent in the more recent survey. About 6 percent of men in their teens and 20s said they'd had at least one same-sex encounter. [I’m 35 years old. I’m not looking to date a teenager (necessarily). But, frankly, anyone 21 or older is within my ever-widening “age range”. I’m also in Arkansas, which means 7 to 8 times out of 10, if I’m going to find a 20-something to date, it usually means they’ve already been married and/or they have a kid or two. Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with dating a single mom, but if you’re going to date a single mom, then you’re also dating the kid too and that’s tricky (in a way … not in the sick and perverted way that it sounds, but in the way that if you don’t get along with the kid/s, then you’re probably not going to last very long with the mom. I’m just saying.) Since I don’t have any kids, I’d like one of my own someday. Mostly from my experience, if they already have a kid or more, they most likely don’t want any more. So, single moms (not totally, but for the sake of argument) are, let’s say, not as completely appealing as just a regular, single, no-kid-having 20-something. Now according to this, that remaining 20% of single 20-something females that I’m likely to encounter (living where I live and based on the emperical exidence I have in my perspective) 14% of that 20% are also dating or having a relationship in some way with another female. That leaves roughly 17 women in a hundred that are single, no kids, and not munching carpet (which means a certain number of those 17 females are probably Jesus Freaks, mentally retarded, just plain ugly, or all three. So, let's be generous and half that 17 to 8 datable women for every 100.).

Damn, no wonder dating is so tough nowadays!!]

While those who conducted the survey took measures to protect respondents' privacy, researchers say it's unclear whether the figure for men was lower because they're are more likely to avoid same-sex experiences or whether they're not reporting them. [Yeah, I’ll buy that. Most guys usually don’t pony up to the fact that they’ve smoked a pole once or twice.]

It wouldn't surprise Kat Fowler, a 27-year-old art student who dates both women and men, if men were less likely to talk about their experiences.

"There's a certain higher level of discrimination (for men). It's a lot easier for women to have these kinds of experiences and be open about it because it's more accepted," said Fowler, who attends the University of Florida. [It is more accepted for women, I suppose. I mean, I wouldn’t be completely unopposed to a girl I’m dating wanting to bring in another woman. My only rule with that would be, even if I’m not involved, I still need to be in the room (I mean, c’mon… somebody’s got to hold the camera.).]

In other findings, the survey said that about 10 percent of females, ages 15 to 19, and 12 percent of males had experienced heterosexual oral sex but not vaginal intercourse. While no earlier data were available for young women, percentages for young men in 1992 were about the same, researchers said.

Those numbers dropped substantially for people in their 20s, who were more likely to have had vaginal intercourse. [I’ll buy that too. But could you just hear that conversation playing out between the two guys?

“Um… Jim? Jim? Jim! Seriously, stop for a second. I need to tell you something.”

“Whup?”

“No, I’m serious. Take that out of your mouth for a minute, I’ve got to tell you something.”

(sigh) “What? I’m using my hand too like you wanted.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just… well… I’m going to have to call this off.”

“What? Why?”

“Well… oh, this is so tough to say.”

“Just tell me.”

“I had sex with a woman last night, and to be frank, it just felt way better than this.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope.”

“You had sex with a woman?”

“Yeah. And we’re going to start seeing each other regularly so, I won’t have to be doing this any longer. Sorry.”

“Hmmm… I knew something tasted different.”

“Yeah, I thought you’d notice that.”

“So, um… you want me to finish?”

“Hell, yeah! ... But seriously this is the last time.”]