Playboy's College Sex Survey

It's the same old nightmare. A deadline approaches and we have to turn in a final paper on college sex habits. Where did we leave those notes? Here they are. The highlighted words jump out: Cuddle. Finger sex. Romance. Special. Dormcest. Floorcest. Quiver. Doggy style. Cancún. Dry Sex. Gentle. Slow. Stranger. Rough. Champagne. Blindfold. Cuffs. Sweat. Blanket. Strawberries. Beer Goggles. Whiskey Dick. Pussy farts.

More notes: On the kitchen table. Against a wall. On a speedboat. In a tent. In a sleeping bag. On the 50-yard line. In the shower by candlelight. In the parents' bedroom. While driving into town naked. On a beach, swimsuits pulled aside.

Oh, the college daze. This year's sex survey is a vivid reminder of those lazy, crazy days when the sex was superhot and the responsibilities were few and far between. In the real world you can't just blow off work to stay in bed all day discovering sex. And once again we are reminded that architecture is everything. The intimacy of dorm life, sitting around in pajamas at all hours of the night, turning homework into pleasure breaks--these are the ingredients of a good time. (Checking our notes, we see that dormcest and floorcest indicate new taboos against having casual sex with people you see the next morning at breakfast.) It's an odd mix. The ever present roommate and the risk of discovery might make for memorable, furtive sex (see "In Their Own Words," opposite page), but privacy becomes its own aphrodisiac. Lovers mention the joy of having the parents' house to themselves, a hotel room for 48 hours, the roommate gone home for the weekend and the mattress thrown on the floor.

Two years ago we published the first round of Playboy's College Sex Survey. We discovered that many students were spontaneous, sophisticated and more than a little kinky. The original questionnaire had 152 items and ten essay questions. This year, we decided to use a streamlined questionnaire--86 items and ten new essay questions. We contacted a dozen schools and sent out more than 2000 questionnaires. (The study was conducted through an intermediary--professors did not know this was a Playboy project.) We discovered that the climate has changed. One professor said he could give the survey to students only if they were in separate male and female classrooms. Three schools would not permit students to answer questions that touched on "the private and personal."

Our final sample was drawn from seven schools--large, small, public, private--in California, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York. Here's what we found.

Tendencies

First, we confess that we were influenced by the news. As we compiled the questionnaire, Monica Lewinsky, the most famous college graduate of recent times, owned the headlines. Parents complained the coverage forced them to explain terms such as oral sex to their young children. So we threw in a question at the last moment: When did you first learn about oral sex? Twenty-four percent of the male students and 12 percent of the female students knew the basics by grade school; 58 percent of the men and 43 percent of the women acquired the knowledge when they were in junior high school; 17 percent of the men and 41 percent of the women learned about it when they were in high school. One percent of the males and four percent of the females professed being ignorant until they were in college.

These figures indicate that more than half of high school girls and eight out of ten high school boys are aware of the kind of sex that requires knee pads or, to put it another way, the kind you can do without risking pregnancy. Some commentators might decry the loss of innocence. Our view is supported by the statistics: The earlier the students become sexually literate, the more responsible are their sexual choices.

The Monica effect made us look at another set of questions. We were surprised two years ago by the amount of flirting between students and teachers or other adults in positions of authority. More than half of the men and 40 percent of the women surveyed had flirted with someone in the hierarchy; 16 percent of the men and nine percent of the women had had sex with a person in authority. In this study the amount of flirting had dropped by ten percent for women; only seven percent of the men and four percent of the women had had sexual dealings with a teacher.

Technology and Sex

We discovered several trends in sexual entertainment. New media may be replacing old media:

• X-rated videos, it seems, have become less popular. Two years ago almost all of the men and women had watched a porn video; today most men but only three quarters of the women had seen an X-rated flick. Half the males in 1996's survey said they watched frequently; now only a quarter say so. The number of female viewers has dropped from 15 percent to six percent. In our first survey two thirds of the men and women had watched an X-rated video with a lover; in this year's group barely half had.

• On the other hand, certain sexual technologies have grown. In 1996 only 20 percent of the men and 15 percent of the women had had a sexual chat with someone online; those figures are now 33 percent and 23 percent, respectively. Two years ago a third of the men and ten percent of the women had downloaded sexual images from the Internet; today 57 percent of the men and 18 percent of the women have done so.

• Almost three quarters of the women have pierced ears; 35 percent of the males sport ear studs. Some 15 percent of the women have other body parts pierced (the navel is popular); six percent of the males have a ring through something other than their ears.

Trends

The headlines can affect sex. Last time out we were surprised at how many students had taken an AIDS test--39 percent of the males and 35 percent of the females. This time only 26 percent of the males and 29 percent of the females report having been tested--a slight but important drop. Three quarters of the females and 60 percent of the males say that if a cure for AIDS were found, nothing would change about their sex lives. These figures are almost ten percent higher than they were two years ago.

This confidence may stem from a blend of conservatism and romance.

The single most dramatic change? The percentage of virgins (those who have never had intercourse) has almost doubled. In our previous survey we found that only 6.5 percent of the men and six percent of the women were virgins. Today, 15 percent of the males and females say they are virgins. Most of the women claim that they are saving intercourse for marriage; the men say that they haven't found the right person. But virginal doesn't necessarily mean innocent or asexual. Today's students touch and tongue their way to orgasm without considering it real sex.

These students are roughly divided between those who date around (47 percent of the males and 35 percent of the females) and those who are in a steady relationship (31 percent of the males and 45 percent of the females). No matter how they label themselves, the majority (54 percent of the males, 70 percent of the females) have had sex with only one person in the past school year. Fidelity is in: Only 26 percent of the males and 29 percent of the females admit to cheating on a partner. Of those who have, the motive for straying was simple: Four out of ten say they met someone they couldn't resist. The second most popular excuse is drunkenness. Two years ago campus sex resembled a soap opera. More than a third of the women took on new lovers to distance themselves from a relationship, almost as many to end a relationship. Those figures have dropped to 17 percent and 10 percent, respectively. When we asked students if they would marry the person they are now seeing, 52 percent of the men and 64 percent of the women said yes.

This suggests that romance still guides arousal, that for some, sex is still premarital.

Q: How do you know when you're in love?

"I am always happy, I love being with him all the time, and his stupid habits don't bother me. I get tingles in my stomach whenever we're together." Female, 19

"You don't! It sneaks up on you and hits you in the back of the head like a hammer." Male, 21

"You stop focusing only on yourself. You put that person first. You look at another man and think, Nope, my baby's better. You can be yourself, morning breath and all." Female, 22

"The little things he does make my heart flutter and my knees shake. I love him as a friend, intellectually and romantically." Female, 20

"You hurt when you aren't around that person. You miss his personality, not just the sex." Female, 19

"You are ready to put someone else's life before your own. You are ready to avoid being selfish. You and the other person are connected on emotional, intellectual and physical levels." Female, 20

"I know I'm in love with my boyfriend because I can't get him off my mind. He's the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing before bedtime. I would do anything for him, I can't live without him and all I think about is when I can see him again." Female, 19

Maybe it's love. Maybe it's great sex. When we compare singles who are dating around with those who are in steady relationships, the advantages of monogamous sex are obvious. Half of the single daters haven't had sex in the previous month. Only seven percent of the men and 11 percent of the women in steady relationships have gone without. To put it another way: More than a third of those in a steady relationship report having sex two or three times a week. The same goes for oral sex: Half of the unattached men and two thirds of the unattached women have gone without.

Couples in steady relationships, building on trust and comfort, are more likely to bathe or shower together and to have frequent oral sex. Women in steady relationships are more likely to swallow.

Guys who say they are single and dating around are often dating their computers: They are more likely to download X-rated images from the Internet or have a sexual chat online than are guys in relationships. They are far more likely to masturbate at least two or three times a week, although both are equally likely to masturbate to fantasies of famous people. Topping the charts are Pam Anderson, Julia Roberts, Carmen Electra, Drew Barrymore, Demi Moore and Jenny McCarthy. (There is no noticeable difference between single women and those in steady relationships when it comes to fantasy: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise are the most popular faces on the pillow.)

But when the singles have sex, they are far more likely to use condoms than those in steady relationships.

The pursuit of female orgasm

Q: What does an orgasm feel like for you?

"A tightening, a full-body cringe and then a release. It feels almost like being high. Almost." Female, 20

"It feels like a combination tickle, tingle and shiver. Then I feel very open, almost like I'm floating." Female, 21

"Like rubbing Anbesol on my genitals." Female, 20

"It feels like I want to scream and tear my nails into my boyfriend." Female, 20

"My whole body feels warm. My legs twitch uncontrollably and I feel like I can run through a wall." Female, 20

It's not on the official curriculum, but college is where many women learn to achieve orgasm through intercourse. Over and over again, women cite as their best sexual experience the night they first reached orgasm. (continued on page 162)College Sex Survey(continued from page 82)

Nonorgasmic women are less likely to watch themselves in a mirror having sex, or shower with a lover.

We discovered a bell curve. One in five female students reach orgasm every time they have intercourse. About a third usually reach orgasm, while another third do sometimes. Alas, some 14 percent say they never reach orgasm during intercourse.

We decided to look at what factors distinguish the always-orgasmic from the never-orgasmic. It is impossible to establish cause and effect, but we did find intriguing correlations.

It begins with the loss of virginity. Women who don't reach orgasm during intercourse are far more likely to wish they had waited until they were older before starting intercourse, confessing that it didn't live up to their expectations.

And not being orgasmic seems to affect one's sex life: The nonorgasmic women are far more likely to have had no sex in the past month (61 percent versus 19 percent of the orgasmic women). They are less likely to have had sex with someone outside a relationship.

It appears that these women have difficulty teaching themselves to come. Four out of ten of the nonorgasmic women say they don't reach orgasm through masturbation either.

The never-orgasmic seem to put responsibility for sex on someone other than themselves--they are twice as likely to make their partner take care of birth control. When asked what they look for in a sexual partner, the nonorgasmic women are far more likely to judge by physical attractiveness and muscle tone, and are far less likely to look for intelligence and enthusiasm. When you date Conan the Barbarian, don't be surprised if nothing happens.

The depth of inhibition is evident. Nonorgasmic women are less likely to have skinny-dipped, to have watched themselves in a mirror having sex, to have bathed or showered with a lover, or to have had a ménage à trois. They are less likely to have used oil or lotion during masturbation. A third of the orgasmic women have masturbated in front of a partner, but only one in ten of the nonorgasmic females has.

They are far more likely not to use drugs (76 percent of the nevers versus 50 percent of the alwayses). In contrast, 42 percent of the orgasmic women have smoked marijuana, compared with only 21 percent of the nonorgasmic women.

One of the most dramatic differences involves oral sex. Not surprisingly, 74 percent of the women who always come during intercourse say that's their favorite route to orgasm; while close to 75 percent of the women who couldn't reach orgasm from intercourse said that oral sex was their favorite route to orgasm.

Here is a finding to post on your dorm bulletin board: Orgasmic women are far more likely to give oral sex than are nonorgasmic women (87 percent versus 60 percent). Does performing fellatio increase her chances of having an orgasm during intercourse? That's one interpretation. Or are women who are open to sexual pleasure simply more open to its many forms?

Orgasmic response is a mind game. We asked students to tell us what they focus on during intercourse.

Here's what the never-orgasmic or sometimes-orgasmic women say:

"I focus on its being over. When it begins with me on my back and I become a tool for masturbation, my mind definitely wanders. I'm closed off sexually most of the time. I've learned that I'm right in not having much sexual intercourse."

"Most of the time I have fantasies about having sex with another guy or girl during intercourse. If a guy is really good he can keep my attention."

"I focus on our bodies and the closeness and intimacy between us. I think about feelings, emotions. It annoys me that my partner doesn't think about the same things. I like to ask, 'What are you thinking about?' He always says, 'How much I love you.' I think he's lying sometimes. If I think about physical sensation only, then I feel used by or distant from my partner."

"I focus on my partner and modify what I do to or for him based on his reactions. I submerge myself in our experience together. If my mind wanders, we might as well stop, because I'm just not there."

In contrast, listen to these women who are always or usually orgasmic during intercourse:

"The overall sensation can last and last if you concentrate and slowly creep up to the climax. The only time my mind wanders is when I don't really want to participate and I want it to be over, quick."

"I think about continuous stimulation. I may center on the penis, but my hands are always moving."

"I think about his penis going into my vagina. I listen to the sounds we both make. Sometimes I fantasize that he's a total stranger, or that someone is watching us. I like to look into his eyes."

"It depends on how interested I am in having sex with that person. If I'm completely into it and horny, I will be able to concentrate only on things being done to me and how good they feel. If I'm doing it for other reasons, say, because he is horny, sometimes my mind wanders. I think about things I need to do, things that happened during the day--anything but sex."

Not to make this a female problem only. The men in our study also focus on a wide range of things. One guy even thinks about his grandmother to keep from coming.

The perils and pleasures of promiscuity

Q: Think of each of your lovers. Were you the same with each of them? How did the sex differ from one to another? Without naming them, list the lovers who had the most impact--lover one, lover five, lover ten, etc.--and describe what you learned from them.

"With lover one I learned that sex is a complicated issue and that there's no going back once you cross the line. With lover two I learned that I can have sex with someone and not want them for anything more than that. I also learned that big penises cause pain the next day and that condoms dry me out. With this person I had anal sex for the first time. Lover three was my next-door neighbor. I learned that I can have sex with someone and still be friends. Lover four taught me that we should have been better friends before we had sex because it ruined what little friendship we had. Lover five was bigger than my second lover, even though they were identical twin brothers. With lover six I learned what lame sex is all about. There's nothing like a limp penis trying to get you off. Lover seven was the older brother of lovers two and five. Sex with him tore me apart from all of them. With lover eight I had my first orgasm! Lover nine didn't teach me a damn thing." Female, 20, rural Northern state school

"With lover one I learned what turns women on. I developed a love for oral sex. With lover two I learned that women can be wild. This was my first casual sex. Lover four taught me that not all women enjoy oral sex. I learned more about pleasuring women. Lover five enjoyed watching me masturbate and liked it when I came on her. With lover six I learned that kinky is good." Male, 21, large Southern state school

"My first lover was the third person I had been in bed with. It was the first time I had seen a penis in the light. My last lover was the first one who was interested in me and my pleasure. It made me more comfortable with my sexuality. My current lover and I are getting into bondage and S&M. It has challenged me and forced me to grow, and I love it. I feel more confident and more in control than ever." Female, 31, large Midwestern school

"Lover one: too shy and ugly. Lover two: too promiscuous and he stole from our house. Lover three: a one-night stand. Lover four: mentally unstable and insulting. Lover five: involved with someone else. I wasn't in love with any of them and I definitely learned not to be so trusting." Female, 18, Eastern state school

"Partner one made me think sex was horrible. He was very bad. I refused to have oral sex for two years after he bit my clitoris. Partner two taught me that sex can feel good. I had sex with partner four for a split second before I realized I couldn't go through with it. Partner five taught me the most. I could enjoy my orgasm and learned that sex should be with someone special. With partner six I do most of the teaching. I enjoy it the most because I care about him and we respect each other." Female, 18, Eastern state school

"Lover one taught me that size doesn't matter if you know how to use it. He also taught me about being fingered, being eaten out and getting pleasure without sex. He said all the right things at all the right times. With lover two the sex was OK. I learned that some guys say the right things for the wrong reasons. He was a good kisser and was romantic. He was better in bed when he was drunk. Lover three is the best kisser and the best lover I have had. He understands my not being too experienced and wants us to try new things together at my pace. He is an amazing person." Female, 21, Eastern state school

"Lover one taught me all the basics and oral sex. Lover two taught me many more positions and to be more wild. We had very good foreplay. We used fruits and popsicles during oral sex. I learned that sex is better when it's romantic (not with the TV on). He also taught me how to tease into sex instead of just doing it. Lover three taught me that I can have an orgasm if I let myself and that swallowing isn't bad, it's actually good." Female, 20, rural Northern state school

"With my first two partners, sex was just something that happened. I didn't crave it and it occurred only when they brought it on. With my third partner I wanted sex all the time, even oral sex. I was a wild woman who was willing to try anything! I think it's because he was good, he knew what to do and his penis size was perfect." Female, 18, rural Northern state school

"I had sex with lover one in a lake when we were drunk. The sex was good. I met lover two at a bar and that's all I remember. Lover three was a woman at camp. I had known her for a long time but never really talked to her. Lover four was my first hump. Lover five was my first girlfriend." Male, 19, rural Northern state school

"With lover one, I learned that bad sex is, well, bad sex. With lover four, I learned that I like the inner fold of my arm licked and I liked her spitting in my mouth. Lover 21 confirmed for me that oral sex is the best." Male, 27, private Southern school

"Lover two taught me about oral sex and having sex with someone I love. Lover three taught me about sex in odd positions. I also learned that I need to control my hormones." Male, 19, large Midwestern school

"Lover one was having sex three or four times a day with no real relationship. Lover two was a one-night stand, just good sex. Lover three was the greatest person I have ever met. She taught me the true meaning of love and what a relationship is all about. Lover four was a one-night stand, horrible sex." Male, 19, rural Northern state school

"Lover one had a very large penis (way above average). It was really hard having sex with him because he was so large. I lost my virginity to him and thought I had died! He was scared to go down on me. I orally pleased him a lot. My current boyfriend is wonderful. Sex is so much better with him because it really means something to us. He loves to please me much more than getting pleased himself. But I please him a lot because I love him." Female, 19, large Southern state school

"One: Since it was the first time for both of us, we learned what felt good for each of us. I learned how to make him happy and how to make sure that I was happy. Two: Nothing. Three: I learned that sex doesn't always have to be serious. It can sometimes be taken lightly. Four: Nothing. Five: I learned that size does matter. Six: This was someone I really cared for and I learned that sex can lead to a broken heart. Seven: Nothing. Eight: This was a long-lasting relationship. I learned that making love can connect two people forever. Nine: Once again I learned how much fun and carefree sex can be. Ten: Same as number nine." Female, 20, a small Eastern private school

"I have had sex with only one person. I became sexually active when I was 13 years old, with oral sex, masturbation, mutual masturbation, etc. But I didn't have intercourse with anyone until I was 18. I have learned a lesson from each person I've dated, lessons about loyalty, patience, honesty and punctuality. I put what I learn into my next relationship to better it." Male, 18, Eastern state school

In their own words

Q: Describe the last time you had sex. What did you do? Where? With whom? How did it make you feel?

"I was with a co-worker I've been seeing for two months. We made dinner, then started a fire and got on the floor in front of it. He put a blindfold on me and poured honey all over my breasts and vagina and performed oral sex. I tickled him with a long feather and used a vibrator to massage his body. Then I gave him head. We finally had sex doggy style." Female, 33, large Midwestern school

"My ex-boyfriend is my best friend. His girlfriend has cheated on him and hurt him many times. Three weeks ago we were watching porn and I said, 'I haven't had sex in a long time. Can I give you a blow job?' He said, 'Well, we are friends, so I guess it would be OK.' Right before he finished he got on a guilt trip. I told him it was OK and we finished. I told him I was just trying to prove to myself that he didn't love her. Afterward, I felt used." Female, 20, rural Northern state school

"I was at a party on New Year's Eve. I was very drunk. I had on my beer goggles and started hitting on every girl at the party. One girl there had a crush on me. By the end of the night we were in bed. The next morning I woke up alone and naked. I don't remember much about what happened. I just hope that I was good." Male, 22, rural Northern state school

"It was with a virgin, a guy I've been seeing for about a month. It felt good to be his first, but I also felt like a thief. I knew I could train him to do exactly what I wanted every time. Of course, there were one or two drawbacks to being the more experienced partner. He got off really fast, but I didn't get off at all." Female, 20, rural Northern state school

"The last time I had intercourse I was raped. I was too drunk to move. It was with a new friend. It made me feel empty and used." Male, 19, large Midwestern school

"I had sex with my boyfriend in his brand-new house. It was great because that house will one day be our house. It wasn't exciting sex, just sentimental sex." Female, 20, large Midwestern school

"I was naked. As my partner undressed, I caressed his penis, then gave him a blow job to make it get harder. Then he lifted me onto the dresser and gave it to me. I felt sensuous and relaxed." Female, 22, private Southern school

Q: What's the best sexual experience that you have ever had? What made it memorable? What did you do? With whom? How did it feel?

"The mirror made it memorable. We were in the dining room of our apartment. The lights were dimmed and it was a hot, sticky night. I was facing the table, holding on to it for support. I had my knee bent with my foot on a chair. He was behind me. We were fused at the genitals. He pulled my hair, or held on to it, rather, for a few seconds. I turned my head to glance into the mirror. We looked so sexy together like that--him pressed into me, holding a handful of my long, wavy blonde hair. My mouth was agape. I came twice after seeing that." Female, 26, large Southern state school

"Making love to my fiancée on the hood of my truck in the summer rain as steam rose up around her. It was passionate." Male, 20, rural Northern state school

"I had a threesome with two 18-year-old girls I knew little about. There was lesbian action, X-rated movies, toys, oil and whipped cream. It was the only time I've lasted more than five hours and come more than four times. Afterward, I felt guilty." Male, 21, large Midwestern school

"I was 18 years old. I cuffed my boyfriend to the bed, put a blindfold on him, gave him oral sex and then rode him. He was moaning. It was memorable because I had all the control." Female, 19, Eastern state school

"Two years ago, I masturbated a girl I had met that day. It was on a bus, and about 40 people knew what was going on. She had six orgasms and was loud. I felt like a god." Male, 19, large Midwestern school

"The best was making a video of me and my girlfriend. It took us a whole weekend to make, but when we were done we had almost four great hours of us naked and getting it on. We did everything. I was on top of the world." Male, 20, Eastern state school

"I was 17 and it was the middle of summer. We took a blanket out to my backyard, under some trees. We talked, then smoked a joint. We had wonderful sex, under a full moon, for almost two hours. It was the first time I reached orgasm by having intercourse. Smoking the joint made every touch unreal." Female, 19, small Eastern private school

What You Would Teach the Opposite Sex

• "Nothing. I'm a lesbian." Female, 21, Eastern state school

• "Hands everywhere." Female, 23, small Eastern private school

• "Don't ask us, 'Did you come?'" Female, 23, large Midwestern school

• "Spend some more time while you're partially clothed. Don't just strip naked and dive onto the girl." Female, 20, Southern private school

• "Be louder, make more noise, yell. Put sound into sex." Female, 19, rural Northern state school

• "It's OK to be rough when touching my body. Nipples are tougher than you think, and a light caress doesn't do much. Also, waking up to someone who's rubbing his genitals along your backside in order to stimulate himself is not sexy." Female, 22, large Southern state school

• "When a woman wants to have an orgasm during oral sex, don't be so crazy. Focus. If your tongue is everywhere but where it needs to be, forget it." Female, 33, large Midwestern school

• "Trim your fingernails." Female, 20, Southern private school

• "Don't touch my balls. Don't lick them. Don't suck or caress them because it doesn't do anything. It wastes valuable time that could be spent on the organ next door." Male, 19, Eastern state school

• "Men are basically two eyes, a penis and a stomach. Women think about how they feel, how we feel, where the relationship is going, etc. Men are thinking, I'm hungry and I wonder if we're going to have sex. We don't think about our emotions very often." Male, 26, Eastern state school

• "Enjoy being naked more. Women seem to be more self-conscious about their bodies than men are." Male, 20, Eastern state school

• "Swallow." Male, 18, rural Northern state school

• "Men are always horny and there's nothing we can do to stop it." Male, 21, large Midwestern school

• "Blow job: Learn it, live it, love it." Male, 20, Eastern state school

• "Not all men go out to find an easy hump. There is a difference between making love and having sex, and, yes, men can understand that." Male, 21, large Southern state school

Sex by the numbers

The funniest thing

"My boyfriend and I were having sex in his apartment. We fell out of bed and I hit my head on the nightstand. It knocked me out cold!" Female, 19, Eastern state school

"This is a little embarrassing. One night my ex had eaten spicy chicken wings before we went to bed. He was fingering me, and all of a sudden I felt an intense, burning pain like I was on fire. I had to run stark naked and douse myself with water." Female, 20, large Southern state school

"I was having sex with my boyfriend on the floor of the bathroom. I was on top. We had been drinking. While I was having sex with him, he passed out. He went limp, and though I shook him and told him to wake up, he wouldn't! I left him in the bathroom with his underwear around his ankles." Female, 20, rural Northern state school

"We were having sex on a bunk bed with another couple below. The bed broke and collapsed on top of them." Female, 20, rural Northern state school

"I was having sex in a hot tub when a guy came out and asked if he could videotape us." Female, 19, rural Northern state school

"I faked an orgasm and the guy felt like a big stud, even though he wasn't putting in any work." Female, 19, large Midwestern school

"My boyfriend and I were having sex and his mother walked in on us and asked what we wanted to have for dinner." Female, 19, rural Northern state school

"My dog jumped onto the bed with me and my boyfriend and started licking my boyfriend's penis." Female, 22, Eastern state school

"My friend on the other side of the quad called me because my girlfriend was yelling my name so loud." Male, 25, Eastern state school

"My chick was giving me a hand job, when she started to fall off the bed. She used my cock to hang on." Male, 20, large Southern state school

"I put baby oil on my water bed (without sheets) and after undressing ran into the room, jumped on the bed and slid off the other side and into the wall. Talk about slippery when wet." Male, 19, large Southern state school

"I was on the bottom and we were using the pull-out method. He pulled out and was kneeling, not holding his genitals, and sperm shot over his shoulder, hit the wall and dripped down. That was a pretty difficult stain to explain." Female, 22, large Southern state school

"I once tied up this guy and he broke his brass bed trying to get to me, because I was teasing him." Female, 33, large Midwestern school

"It happened in my fiancé's truck. I got so into the sex that I accidentally broke his tachometer. I snapped it right off the floor where he had screwed it in. We still joke about it." Female, 19, Eastern state school

"My partner had his penis pierced and was unable to perform because he was so sore." Female, 20, large Western community college

"The water in my water bed shifted when I was sitting on the edge of the bed. My penis was caught between the mattress and the sideboard. My girlfriend at the time thought it was too funny. I was not amused. No. Not in the least." Male, 26, Eastern state school

Hot Flashes, Turn-Ons, Fantasies

"I am blindfolded. My hands and legs are tied to a bed. I have no control. A male performs oral sex and intercourse, bringing me to orgasm both times. The arousal is in the painless but forceful way he ties me up and blindfolds me." Female, 20, large Midwestern school

"I am aroused by the thought of a quickie at a place with a lot of people, like in the bathroom at a party. I would like for it to be rough, maybe with me standing against the bathroom counter. There's something about having all those people just outside the door that really turns me on. It's because of this that I always wear very short skirts to parties!" Female, 20, largeMidwestern school

"I want to have a threesome with two women, one wearing a strap-on. The strap-on woman and Iwould have oral and anal sex with the other girl. The climax is when the women and I have orgasms at the same time." Male, 25, rural Northern state school

"I imagine myself being seduced by two other women in lingerie. They are touching each other softly, removing clothes, and notice me peeking around the corner. They encourage me to participate. I close my eyes and they remove my clothes and do all sorts of things to me, including kissing and fondling. We then move to the bathroom and take a long bath. The climax would be the women performing oral sex on me and then allowing me to do the same to them." Female, 20, ruralNorthern state school

"It would be me with Claudia Schiffer. We would both be horny and satisfy every need for each other on the beach of some deserted island. It would last for weeks." Male, 22, rural Northern state school

"Making love to another woman. Something about breasts amazes me. They are so beautiful and it is exciting for me to think about caressing and touching them." Female, 20, large Midwestern school

"Either my girlfriend or Courteney Cox lying naked on my bed. She wants to have sex with me badly. She's begging for it." Male, 19, large Southern state school

"I am a sex therapist and a couple comes to see me. While I'm counseling the man, his very sexy wife enters the room. I sit on the desk and tell them what to do. Then the woman comes to me and starts rubbing me. We undress, kiss, lick, rub our breasts together. Her husband, who has been having erection problems, tries to join in. We lick and suck him--taking turns--and eventually make him come all over our tits. We rub it in and then lick it off each other." Female, 22, large Southern state school

"For some reason, I always fantasize about the same sex. I don't believe I'm bisexual, but the thought arouses me sometimes. I dream about being with another woman and putting on a show for a lot of guys. She is orally pleasing me while they watch. They are so aroused by us." Female, 19, large Southern state school

"The thought of a mystery man has always been especially exciting to me. My fantasy could befulfilled in a number of ways. One would be that I somehow cover his face--not for the purpose of hiding his identity but to prevent him from seeing me. It would arouse me to give him alap dance but not let him touch me with his hands. I would use his body for my pleasure, rubbing against him in any way I could, making us both crazy with excitement but not letting him control or touch my body." Female, 20, rural Northern state school

"Many Greek god--like men are waiting for a chance to get near me. I'd be drinking white wine. Everyone would be happy. We'd all be sweaty. I would take each one in my mouth. They would all go down on me. I would let the best one fuck me first, maybe bring in a woman. The men would watch me go down on her, getting them all hotter for me. Climax: one man kissing me, one fucking me, one sucking each breast, men fondling men. Everyone would have an orgasm and I'd have ten." Female, 19, Eastern state school (a self-described bisexual virgin)

By the Numbers on Fringe Activities

• 33 percent of the men have shaved their pubic hair for a sexual reason; 50 percent of the women have done so.

• 52 percent of the men have gone skinny-dipping with the opposite sex; 43 percent of the women have done so.

• 18 percent of the men and 20 percent of the women have used a blindfold during sex.

• 47 percent of the men and 30 percent of the women have used a mirror to watch themselves during masturbation or sex with a partner.

• 30 percent of the men and 32 percent of the women have tied someone up or have been tied up during sex.

• 49 percent of the men and 38 percent of the women have spanked or have been spanked as part of sex.

• 77 percent of the men and 76 percent of the women have showered with a lover.

• 16 percent of the men and 21 percent of the women have used a vibrator with a lover.

• 18 percent of the men and 11 percent of the women have had a threesome.

• 57 percent of the men and 18 percent of the women have downloaded sexual images from the Internet.

• 33 percent of the men and 23 percent of the women have had a sexual chat online.

• 77 percent of the men and 61 percent of the women have "talked dirty" to someone over the phone.

• 19 percent of both the men and the women have posed in the nude or have taken nude photographs of a lover.

• 5 percent of the men and 6 percent of the women have videotaped themselves.

• About a third of the men and a quarter of the women have used marijuana to enhance sex.

• 12 percent of the men and 6 percent of the women have tried hallucinogens to enhance sex.

• 6 percent of the men and 15 percent of the women have pierced something other than their ears.

"Playboy's College Sex Survey" was designed and interpreted by James R. Petersen, Barbara Nellis, Alison Lundgren and Marty Klein. Number crunching was provided by James Middleton. The authors would like to thank the professors who turned their classrooms into laboratories.