BISEXUALITY and BISEXUAL SEX
The term bisexual broadly refers to people, either male or female, who have an attraction to persons of their the opposite sex as well as those of their own sex. Bisexuals are therefore able to interact freely in society with both sexes and be perfectly at home with either one. There is very little study that has been conducted regarding bisexual sex and the statistics in the United States do not show how many people are actually certified bisexuals. Now, being bisexual and engaging in bisexual sex are two different things. While there is no solid data to support how many bisexual people currently exist, it is reported that tens of thousands of people have had some sort bisexual encounter with members of the same sex. Many of these encounters have been with people they have known for less than a week.
Bisexuality is a trait that has been in existence since medieval times. In the Roman Empire, bisexuals flourished openly. Recent studies by Sigmund Freud suggest that every human has a bisexual “tendency” in that no one is 100% heterosexual. One researcher who has gone along way to study sexual behavior in humans in Alfred Kinsey who created a chart that and on one end of the pole was heterosexuality while the opposite extreme was homosexuality. In between was where he classified all bisexual leanings. Sigmund Freud’s notion was that all of us are somewhere in the middle of that rating rather than at extreme poles.
So are bisexual individuals oversexed or are they just curious? This and other questions have baffled researchers and casual observers alike who have failed to come up with concrete answers as to why and how one can have a passionate attraction to both members of his own sex and still have an equal pull towards the opposite sex. It is interesting to note that many bisexuals are married with children. So how does being bisexual with children affect their overall sex life? Dr Fritz Klein is another researcher that has ventured into the realm of sexual studies and has concluded that healthy sexuality involves such areas as emotions, fantasies, social lifestyle and self-actualization. This study went further than the Kinsey one in showing the key elements that constitute bisexuality.
These studies regarding bisexuality and related sex help us in understanding bisexual trends, tendencies and overall habits. Do bisexuals fall in love? The answer is a categorical yes. Falling in love involves feelings of strong attraction to another and bisexuals report being engrossed in these feelings and thoughts.
Bisexuality is coming into the mainstream. There are such organizations as the bisexual playground, which is an organization which attempts to link bisexuals nationwide with group events, dating sites and other extra-curriculum activities. Another organization is the Gay Center which is also a portal where bisexuals can link up with news and events. The American Institute Of Bisexuality, run by the same Dr Fritz Klein, is a great resource which also goes a long way to educate the public on issues relating to bisexuality. Because of existing misconceptions regarding bisexuality, many bisexuals are ostracized in society and have to practice their bisexuality in hiding. Dr Klein, in his American Institute of Bisexuality, attempts to bring to the forefront the issues that affect bisexuals and how they view the world and how that same world interacts and responds to them
Bisexuals and the issue of bisexuality has been brought to the forefront by the sex studies conducted by many top researchers. The HIV/AIDS epidemic, has raised concerns that bisexuals and gays are more at risk than regular people. This is because bisexuals are viewed to have more sexual partners than an average person and therefore more at a risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. But many health groups including the American Institute of Bisexuality, educated gays and bisexuals on how to have safe sex. These organizations preach that safe sex is not something that one does, but something that one is. That fear of contracting a sexually transmitted disease or virus such as HIV causes bisexuals to shun living and enjoying sex to the maximum. There are a few tips that bisexuals are furnished with in order to practice safe sex; One is, always have safe-sex tools at hand. Safe sex protective wares such as condoms should always be kept handy. Another tip is communication. Communication is key to healthy relationships. Talk, talk talk. Asking ones partner what they are comfortable with sexually or what they find objectionable is something that goes a long way in guaranteeing sexual health for gays and bisexuals. Talking creates boundaries during sex. This is because sexual mates get to have advance knowledge of what pleases their partners and what may be pushing boundaries.
We cannot talk about bisexuality without discussing the work of Dr Klein. Dr Klein has done extensive research on sex and bisexuality and has come up with what has become known as the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid. This is a chart that maps out the human sexual orientation tendencies. Dr Klein’s studies have categorized bisexual behavior in the following grid:
- Sexual Attraction-refers to whom one is sexually attracted to.
- Sexual Behavior-refers to the person with whom one has actually had sex.
- Sexual Fantasies-this refers to the object of one’s sexual fantasies.
- Emotional preferences-this asks the question of whether one truly has bisexual tendencies.
- Social Preferences-refers to the sex of the member with whom one mostly socializes.
- Heterosexual/homosexual lifestyle-sexual orientation.
- Self identification-this goes to see how one actually views themselves.
The grid goes a long way in determining bisexual tendencies and also divides the time line from past, present and ideal. The Past refers to one’s life in preceding the last 12 months. The present in turn refers to the most recent 12 months while the ideal is actually gauged as a question asked to someone on what they perceive their future as far as sexuality is.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing facts that Dr Klein uncovered was that some people change their sexual orientation over time. This dynamic change was observed over a period of time where some people recorded that they were purely heterosexual at one time and then veered into bisexuality.
