Women are more likely to become bisexual if opportunities arise to explore same-s3x relationships , say researchers.
Men, on the other hand, are more likely to stay on one side of the se.xual fence or the other.
US scientists tracked 5,018 women and 4,191 men as they progressed from adolescence to young adulthood, questioning them about their se.xual activity.
They found that women were three times more likely than men to change their se.xual identities.
Women who were more educated, more physically attractive, and who avoided young motherhood were less likely to experiment with bise.xuality.
Lead researcher Dr Elizabeth McClintock, from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, said:
“Women with some degree of attraction to both males and females might be drawn into heterose.xuality if they have favourable options in the heterosexual partner market.
“Women who are initially successful in partnering with men, as is more traditionally expected, may never explore their attraction to other women.
“However, women with the same se.xual attractions, but less favorable heterose.xual options might have greater opportunity to experiment with same-s3x partners.
“Women who act on same-s3x attraction are more likely to incorporate same-s3x sexuality into their sexual identities.”Men are less often attracted to both se.xes,”Men’s s3xuality is, in this sense, less flexible.”If a man is only attracted to one se.x, romantic opportunity would little alter his se.xual identity.”
