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"I Feel More Masculine Having Sex with a Woman Than Being Fucked by a Man": Masculinity and Bisexual Men's Experiences of Sex with Women and Men.

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Title: "I Feel More Masculine Having Sex with a Woman Than Being Fucked by a Man": Masculinity and Bisexual Men's Experiences of Sex with Women and Men.
Authors: Ravenhill, James P. (AUTHOR), Preston, Jason (AUTHOR), de Visser, Richard O. (AUTHOR), Molica, Júlio (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Sex Research. Jun2026, Vol. 63 Issue 5, p812-824. 13p.
Subjects: Masculinity, Bisexual men, Heteronormativity, Sexual health, Human sexuality, Gender role
Abstract: Prior research with heterosexual and gay men suggests that heteronormative, hegemonic masculine norms influence sexual behaviors, including in relation to sexual health, and in sex between men, positioning in anal intercourse. This qualitative study offers an in-depth account of how bisexual men's beliefs about masculinity and about the gendered nature of certain sexual behaviors may influence their experiences of sex with women and men, and the sexual practices they engage in. Twenty-two bisexual men participated in one-to-one, semi-structured interviews, where they were asked about their experiences of sex with women and men in relation to their beliefs about masculinity. A reflexive thematic analysis identified the influence of prevailing discourses of heteronormativity and hegemonic masculinity on sexual experiences and behaviors. Participants' beliefs about masculinity and the gendered nature of certain aspects of sex influenced experiences relating to sexual performance, sexual assertiveness, positions adopted, practices engaged in, and how gender was enacted in sexual encounters. Sex with women was experienced as more masculine than sex with men: Participants described feeling more sexually assertive than their sexual partners, in control of the encounter, and responsible for facilitating their partners' sexual pleasure. Sex with men was experienced as more egalitarian and provided favorable opportunities to relinquish sexual control and responsibilities around facilitating pleasure, and to feel less masculine, including by engaging in receptive anal intercourse. Findings therefore indicate that, for some bisexual men, masculinity is highly salient, influencing a range of sexual behaviors and experiences in sex with women and with men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Sex Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Group: Ti
  Data: "I Feel More Masculine Having Sex with a Woman Than Being Fucked by a Man": Masculinity and Bisexual Men's Experiences of Sex with Women and Men.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ravenhill%2C+James+P%2E%22">Ravenhill, James P.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Preston%2C+Jason%22">Preston, Jason</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22de+Visser%2C+Richard+O%2E%22">de Visser, Richard O.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Molica%2C+Júlio%22">Molica, Júlio</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Sex+Research%22">Journal of Sex Research</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 63 Issue 5, p812-824. 13p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Masculinity%22">Masculinity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bisexual+men%22">Bisexual men</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Heteronormativity%22">Heteronormativity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+health%22">Sexual health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+sexuality%22">Human sexuality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+role%22">Gender role</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Prior research with heterosexual and gay men suggests that heteronormative, hegemonic masculine norms influence sexual behaviors, including in relation to sexual health, and in sex between men, positioning in anal intercourse. This qualitative study offers an in-depth account of how bisexual men's beliefs about masculinity and about the gendered nature of certain sexual behaviors may influence their experiences of sex with women and men, and the sexual practices they engage in. Twenty-two bisexual men participated in one-to-one, semi-structured interviews, where they were asked about their experiences of sex with women and men in relation to their beliefs about masculinity. A reflexive thematic analysis identified the influence of prevailing discourses of heteronormativity and hegemonic masculinity on sexual experiences and behaviors. Participants' beliefs about masculinity and the gendered nature of certain aspects of sex influenced experiences relating to sexual performance, sexual assertiveness, positions adopted, practices engaged in, and how gender was enacted in sexual encounters. Sex with women was experienced as more masculine than sex with men: Participants described feeling more sexually assertive than their sexual partners, in control of the encounter, and responsible for facilitating their partners' sexual pleasure. Sex with men was experienced as more egalitarian and provided favorable opportunities to relinquish sexual control and responsibilities around facilitating pleasure, and to feel less masculine, including by engaging in receptive anal intercourse. Findings therefore indicate that, for some bisexual men, masculinity is highly salient, influencing a range of sexual behaviors and experiences in sex with women and with men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Sex Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2413695
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 13
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bisexual men
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Heteronormativity
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      – SubjectFull: Sexual health
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      – SubjectFull: Human sexuality
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      – SubjectFull: Gender role
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      – TitleFull: "I Feel More Masculine Having Sex with a Woman Than Being Fucked by a Man": Masculinity and Bisexual Men's Experiences of Sex with Women and Men.
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            NameFull: Ravenhill, James P.
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            NameFull: Preston, Jason
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            NameFull: de Visser, Richard O.
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            NameFull: Molica, Júlio
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              Text: Jun2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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