science

National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles

National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles rather than just read about it. In short: The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) is a series of surveys of people in the Great Britain regarding their sexual behaviour and patterns, and are among the largest scientific studies of sexual behaviours in the world. The rounds of surveys completed to date are Natsal-1 (1990–1991) and Natsal-2 (2000–2001) and Natsal-3 (2010–2012), as well as Natsal-COVID (2020–2021).

National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles — illustration

Key takeaways

National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) is a series of surveys of people in the Great Britain regarding their sexual behaviour and patterns, and are among the largest scientific studies of sexual behaviours in the world. The rounds of surveys completed to date are Natsal-1 (1990–1991) and Natsal-2 (2000–2001) and Natsal-3 (2010–2012), as well as Natsal-COVID (2020–2021). Data collection for Natsal-4 is taking place from September 2022 to December 2023. Natsal-4's Principal Co-investigators are Pam Sonnenberg and Cath Mercer, both professors at University College, London. Natsal's findings are widely used in research and policy making, and have influenced public health policy in areas such as: The National Sexual Health & HIV Strategy in England; the Scottish Sexual Health Strategy (2005-) and the Welsh Sexual Health Strategy, The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy (2000–2010), the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP), the national human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme in 2008/9, the statutory provision of personal, social, health and economic education (PHSE) education in schools in 2009, Sexual health campaigns such as "Sex: worth talking about" in 2010, and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on long acting contraception (2006).

History The first Natsal survey was carried out in 1990, in response to the urgent need of understanding sexual practices in the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Principal Investigator of Natsal-1, Natsal-2 and Natsal-3 was Anne Johnson, a professor at University College, London, and co-leader Kaye Wellings, a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The Natsal-3 survey revealed, among other things, that British people are having sex less often than they did 20 years ago, but that same-sex experiences between women were growing more numerous.

Key publications Mercer, Catherine H.; Clifton, Soazig; Riddell, Julie; Tanton, Clare; Freeman, Lily; Copas, Andrew J.; Dema, Emily; Pérez, Raquel Bosó; Gibbs, Jo; Macdowall, Wendy; Menezes, Dee; Ridge, Mary-Clare; Bonell, Chris; Sonnenberg, Pam; Field, Nigel (2022-11-01). "Impacts of COVID-19 on sexual behaviour in Britain: findings from a large, quasi-representative survey (Natsal-COVID)". Sexually Transmitted Infections. 98 (7): 469–477. doi:10.1136/sextrans-2021-055210. ISSN 1368-4973. PMC 8687784. PMID 34916335. Johnson, Anne M; Mercer, Catherine H; Erens, Bob; Copas, Andrew J; McManus, Sally; Wellings, Kaye; Fenton, Kevin A; Korovessis, Christos; Macdowall, Wendy (2001). "Sexual behaviour in Britain: partnerships, practices, and HIV risk behaviours". The Lancet. 358 (9296): 1835–1842. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(01)06883-0. PMID 11741621. S2CID 37954044. Mercer, Catherine H; Tanton, Clare; Prah, Philip; Erens, Bob; Sonnenberg, Pam; Clifton, Soazig; Macdowall, Wendy; Lewis, Ruth; Field, Nigel (2013). "Changes in sexual attitudes and lifestyles in Britain through the life course and over time: findings from the National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal)". The Lancet. 382 (9907): 1781–1794. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(13)62035-8. PMC 3899021. PMID 24286784. Wellings, Kaye; Nanchahal, Kiran; Macdowall, Wendy; McManus, Sally; Erens, Bob; Mercer, Catherine H; Johnson, Anne M; Copas, Andrew J; Korovessis, Christos; Fenton, Kevin A; Field, Julia (December 2001). "Sexual behaviour in Britain: early heterosexual experience". The Lancet. 358 (9296): 1843–1850. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(01)06885-4. PMID 11741623. S2CID 35905955. Fenton, Kevin A; Korovessis, Christos; Johnson, Anne M; McCadden, Angela; McManus, Sally; Wellings, Kaye; Mercer, Catherine H; Carder, Caroline; Copas, Andrew J; Nanchahal, Kiran; Macdowall, Wendy; Ridgway, Geoff; Field, Julia; Erens, Bob (December 2001). "Sexual behaviour in Britain: reported sexually transmitted infections and prevalent genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection". The Lancet. 358 (9296): 1851–1854. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(01)06886-6. PMID 11741624. S2CID 26108172.

References

Further reading Caroline Overy; Lois Reynolds; Tilli Tansey, eds. (2011). History of the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles. Wellcome Witnesses to Contemporary Medicine. History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group. ISBN 978-0-902238-74-9. Wikidata Q29581782.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles

In research: National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Epidemiological study projects, Health surveys, Sexology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles means in your own words.
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Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in simple terms?

Why does National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles.