Physical and Emotional Satisfaction at First Same-Sex Anal Sex in Young Gay and Bisexual Men

Research has focused on adolescents’ feelings about their first sexual experiences, but little research has examined this topic in sexual minority adolescents. In this study, we examined how experiencing emotional and physical satisfaction at first same-sex anal sex differed by age of first sex for young gay and bisexual men. We applied the time-varying effect model to data from an Internet survey of men who initiated first sex between ages 14–26 (n = 6401) to examine emotional and physical satisfaction at first same-sex anal sex across continuous age of onset and by partner factors. The majority of men reported satisfaction across all ages; however, satisfaction was generally less likely for men who had first anal sex with a non-relationship partner, an older partner, or a partner they had sex with only once and this was particularly true at earlier ages. Findings suggest that many young gay and bisexual men report satisfaction with their first anal sex and that relationship context can be important in predicting satisfaction, particularly at younger ages.