What are the most common sexual acts preferred by men according to surveys?

1. Common acts reported in probability surveys — vaginal sex, oral sex, and solo masturbation

Probability-based national research repeatedly finds that vaginal intercourse and oral sex are among the most commonly reported partnered acts for men, while masturbation remains highly prevalent as a solo behavior. The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB) emphasizes “enormous variability” in sexual repertoires but still documents high prevalence of core behaviors such as vaginal intercourse and oral sex across populations ^[1]. UK national surveys (Natsal) and large U.S. probability samples similarly show oral, vaginal and anal sex appear with different frequencies by age and orientation, but vaginal intercourse and oral sex figure prominently in most adults’ recent sexual events ^{[6] [2]}.

2. Preferences differ by sexual orientation and demographic groups

Sexual orientation and demographics shape which acts are most common: heterosexual and bisexual respondents report higher rates of vaginal sex, while gay men report higher rates of anal sex, according to comparisons the literature and survey analyses lay out ^[2]. Large-sample studies explicitly note that prevalence and frequency of specific acts vary with age, race/ethnicity, and sexual identity, so “most common” depends on which subpopulation you examine ^{[2] [6]}.

3. Orgasm reports and perceived satisfaction skew what men say they prefer

Men and women report different patterns of orgasm and satisfaction that influence how surveys read “preference.” NSSHB findings show a large gap in reports about orgasms at the most recent sexual event: about 85% of men reported that their partner orgasmed at the most recent event, while only 64% of women reported having had an orgasm at their most recent event — a discrepancy researchers highlight as important for interpreting self-reports about acts and preferences ^[1]. PsychCentral’s summary of NSSHB research notes that males are more likely to orgasm during encounters that include vaginal intercourse, while females’ orgasm likelihood rises with a mix of acts including oral sex, which affects how each gender may value particular acts ^[7].

4. Academic and evolutionary literature on male sexual preferences: casual sex and variety

Broader academic reviews emphasize that men often report more permissive attitudes toward casual sex and greater desire for multiple partners, which correlates with preferences for sexual variety rather than one single act ^[8]. The Cambridge Handbook chapter summarizes a robust pattern: men self-report greater interest in casual sex and more partners across time periods, which researchers interpret as shaping reported preferences for a wider sexual repertoire ^[8].

5. Campus and convenience surveys — colorful but not generalizable

Student newspapers and campus sex surveys (e.g., Harvard Independent, The Statesman, Michigan Daily) provide vivid snapshots of what some men on particular campuses report preferring — from car or bathroom sex to specific kinks — but these are unrepresentative convenience samples and should not be treated as national benchmarks ^{[3] [4] [5] [9]}. These surveys are valuable for cultural context and emerging trends among young adults, but their sampling frames limit how broadly their “most common acts” can be applied ^{[3] [5]}.

6. Measurement limits and why “most common” is a slippery claim

Surveys vary in question wording (recent sexual event vs. lifetime preference vs. usual frequency), sample frame (national probability vs. campus vs. clinic), and whether they separate partner sex acts from solo acts — all of which change rankings of “most common.” The NSSHB explicitly warns of enormous variability in repertoires and encourages reading specific measures rather than collapsing complex behavior into a single list ^[1]. Academic reviewers and methodologists also stress that reporting biases and question structure (how acts are defined) influence outcomes ^{[8] [10]}.

7. Bottom line and how to interpret the evidence

If you mean “what acts do men most frequently report doing,” probability surveys point to vaginal intercourse and oral sex as among the most common partnered acts and masturbation as a widespread solo behavior, with important variation by orientation, age and sampling method ^{[1] [2] [6]}. If you mean “what acts do men prefer,” the evidence is less definitive: attitudes toward casual sex and desire for variety are robust themes in the literature, but exact rank-order preferences differ by subpopulation and question design ^{[8] [1]}. Campus and clinic surveys show more niche interests and contexts but are not nationally representative ^{[3] [5] [11]}.

Limitations: available sources do not provide a single, up-to-date national ranking of “most preferred sexual acts among men” as a unified list; instead the evidence should be read across population-specific surveys and methodological notes in the NSSHB and related literature ^{[1] [8] [6]}.