Sexuality in Early Adulthood
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Men and women are confronted with the important developmental task of establishing intimacy. And part of the task of establishing intimate relationships is solidifying one's sexual orientation.
Most people develop a heterosexual identity by adolescence or young adulthood. Their task is simplified because their development as heterosexuals is approved by society. But for those who are attracted to the same or both sexes or are unsure, their development features more doubt and anxiety.
Unfortunately we do not know the exact numbers of men and women who identify as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered because of stigmatization. Gays and lesbians are often reluctant to reveal their identities due to personal hesitancy and conceptual problems on what constitutes sexual orientation. It is estimated that 1-4% percent of US males and females consider themselves to be something other than heterosexual. Ten to 15% report at least occasional sexual attraction to or sexual fantasies about their same sex. There are also variances that exist that could be explained by different methodologies such as interviewing techniques, sampling procedures, definitions of homosexuality, or random response errors. However it is important to realize that sexuality includes attraction, desire, and behaviors. It is also varied and changes over time as an expression at one time is not the same as an expression at another time or for all the time.