History of national sex surveys in Europe

Abstract

The historical background of European national sex surveys dates back to the late 1960s and early 1970s when the first such surveys were conducted in Europe. That was an era of Western sexual revolution, a time of increasing openness to discussion and debate of sexual issues, and legal reforms in many countries. During this period, there was a growing interest in understanding sexual behaviour, attitudes, and modern contraceptive use in the general population. Evidence was also needed for sexuality education that was emerging in some European countries. Despite this need for evidence, only a few countries (Sweden, Finland, France) conducted national surveys on the topic in the early 1970’s, becoming pioneers in national sex surveys in Europe and in the world. It was the HIV and AIDS epidemic of the 1980s that gave more researchers and funders the impetus to conduct sex studies in many European countries. As a result, medical perspectives on sexuality became prioritised around Europe. Balancing the perspectives of the diverse disciplines (including public health, sociology, psychology) that use the data from national sex surveys remains a challenge for the modern surveys.  The European Sexual Medicine Network (ESMN) is a part of European cooperation in science and technology (COST), which includes a strand of work on national sex surveys among the adult population. Since 2021, a subgroup of nationally representative sex surveys, co-chaired by Osmo Kontula and Hanneke de Graaf have worked together to further the field. This submission is based on a review of the literature, combined with Kontula’s personal reflections following a history of participation in European collaboration in this field since the early 1990s.