Do men prefer oral sex or anal sex with a woman

1. What people actually report doing — a clear gap between behavior and preference

Nationally representative surveys across multiple years report that roughly 88–89% of heterosexually active men reported oral sex with a female partner in the past year, while about 23–25% reported anal sex, indicating oral sex is much more commonly reported ^{[1] [2]}. Those same studies explicitly state they measure behavioral prevalence, not subjective ranking of desires or preferences, so the numbers document what men report doing rather than what men would choose if all factors were equal ^[1]. The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior materials also summarize sexual repertoires without offering direct preference questions, underscoring that behavioral frequency is not a substitute for preference data ^[4]. These surveys provide a strong, consistent pattern but not the direct answer the original statement asks for.

2. Different studies converge on frequency, not liking — why that matters

Multiple analyses spanning 2011–2019 and other samples reproduce the same pattern: oral sex is commonly practiced, anal sex is less common among men with female partners, and condom use varies by act ^{[1] [2]}. A 2012 NSSHB analysis and later NSFG summaries reinforce this frequency gap but also note limitations—recall windows, question wording, and social desirability bias can markedly alter how people report sexual acts ^{[5] [4]}. Because these instruments do not ask direct preference questions, claiming that “men prefer oral over anal” would conflate observed behavior with motivation or desire, ignoring plausible alternative explanations such as perceived risk, partner willingness, cultural stigma, or access to partners willing to engage in specific acts ^{[1] [5]}.

3. What research says about appeal and enjoyment — partial insight into preference

Survey items that ask about appeal or enjoyment give partial, though imperfect, clues: some studies find a substantial share of men report enjoying or finding oral sex appealing more than other acts, with receiving and performing oral sex rated higher among men than among women in certain surveys ^[3]. Those appeal rankings place anal sex much lower and often outside the top ten for both genders, suggesting lower reported desirability in some samples ^[3]. These findings are useful but limited: appeal scales capture affective response in specific samples and cannot be generalized to all men without considering sampling frames, age ranges, and cultural contexts; moreover, enjoyment does not always translate into frequency for reasons including partner dynamics and risk perceptions ^{[3] [6]}.

4. Methodological and population caveats — who was studied and when

Key methodological caveats matter: several studies focus on U.S. samples aged 15–44 and provide data from 2011–2019 or later, while some clinical or MSM‑focused studies examine microbiology or sexually transmitted infection correlates rather than heterosexual preference ^{[1] [5] [7]}. Recent summaries published or updated in 2023–2025 reiterate prevalence findings but still lack direct preference measures ^{[1] [4] [2]}. Studies that do report enjoyment or appeal often date from the 2010s and use different question formats and populations, so apparent consensus about greater appeal for oral sex should be interpreted as converging signals rather than definitive proof of universal preference ^{[3] [6]}.

5. Bottom line: what we can confidently say, and what remains unanswered

The evidence confidently shows oral sex with women is reported far more frequently than anal sex among men in U.S. surveys, and some appeal studies show higher enjoyment ratings for oral sex ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The evidence does not support a definitive statement that “men prefer oral sex over anal sex” because preference—what a person would choose when unconstrained by partner consent, health concerns, or social norms—is not directly measured in these data ^{[1] [4]}. Answering the original question would require targeted preference questions, experiments, or qualitative research that account for partner dynamics, perceived risk, and cultural context; until such data are collected, the correct conclusion is behavioral prevalence favors oral sex, but preference remains undetermined ^{[1] [4] [6]}.