cover image The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior

The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior

Samuel S. Janus, Cynthia Janus, Sam Janus. John Wiley & Sons, $24.95 (430pp) ISBN 978-0-471-52540-0

Stuffed with formidable tables but leavened by first-person confessions, this dryly written, informative and often startling survey is an impressive contribution to understanding human sexuality and Americans' wide spectrum of erotic behavior in the age of AIDS. The Januses (he is a psychology professor at New York Medical College; she is a physician) analyzed 2765 questionnaires and follow-up interviews nationwide. This husband-wife team found that young people are commencing intercourse much earlier than in any previous era and that nearly half of the elderly respondents had an active sex life. One-third of those who consider themselves ``very religious'' have had extramarital sex at least once. Political ultraconservatives rated sadomasochism an acceptable practice far more often than did either independents or ultraliberals. The authors' claim that Americans are enjoying a ``Second Sexual Revolution,'' with more freedom than ever to explore their sexual selves, is not substantiated by the evidence. First serial to Redbook and Playboy; author tour. (Feb.)