The political and religious correlates of sexual behavior in a sample
of 344 German university students are presented and discussed within a
framework of traditional ideology stifling sexual choice and expressi
on. More-intense religious belief was found to be associated with fewe
r or no sex partners, with diminished likelihood of oral sex experienc
e, with less frequent masturbation (in women), and with less ability t
o imagine having homosexual relations (among women who had no history
of homosexual activity). Left-wing political views were associated wit
h oral sex experience (in men), more sexual partners (in women), the c
onceivability of having homosexual relations (among both men and women
with no history of homosexual activity), having had homosexual experi
ences (in women), higher frequency of masturbation, and younger age at
first intercourse (for women). Intensity of political interest, regar
dless of direction, was associated with greater reliability of women's
orgasm during sex with a partner. A large increase was noted in sexua
l activity compared with findings of a 1968 survey of the students at
the same university. Frequency of masturbation was positively associat
ed with all measures of sex with a partner for women but not for men.