When does sexual history come up?
10%
First date
- Jill Hanner, 34, from Astoria, NY
"I would say 2nd date, if you are open with your sexuality, you shouldn’t hide it." - Anne C, 24, from Miami, FL
"I prefer to know what I'm getting myself into before I make an investment emotionally." - Elise Stiller, 36, from Seaford, NY
"...in passing and then more as we get to know each other." - Lisa Miao, 27, from New York, NY
"It's a fun and easy topic to delve into." - Sara Jagodzinski, 24, from Carol Stream, IL
"I like to get that talk in there right away, just in case I wouldn't be interested." - Miranda Elling, 32, from Chicago, IL
"I talk about sex a lot though." - Dominique Jackson, 29, from Los Angeles, CA
"Let's see how open you are." - Dominique Vance, 23, from New York, NY
"The conversation always gets to sex somehow." - Becca Schepps, 29, from Brooklyn, NY
"Or whenever. That’s the past—and people have pasts. Whatever." - Danielle L, 26, from Chicago, IL
"It totally depends on your comfort level with each other, but openness is a good thing." - Tiffany Clarke, 25, from richmond, ca
"I like to know certain things early."
28%
Just before we’re…intimate
- Priya Massand, 30, from Flushing, NY
"No better timing to ruin sex than RIGHT BEFORE it starts!" - Mercedes Tahir, 23, from New York, NY
"When I'm about to become part of your sexual history." - Julienne Irons, 27, from Los Angeles, CA
"I really don't want to have sex with you unless you get tested for STD's." - Anna Bykova, 23, from San Francisco, CA
"No need to come up before." - Kate DAlleva, 25, from Morristown, NJ
"Keep it safe. I donate blood." - Katrina Robinson, 28, from Charleston, SC
"It varies, depending on the guy (and girl)." - Claire Watkins, 25, from Santa Cruz, CA
"It's like the Carfax history! Ya gotta know!" - Nadia Reiman, 28, from Brooklyn, NY
"I guess this depends though. Basically any time after the 3rd date i’m pretty ok with it coming up." - Vida James, 28, from New York, NY
"I don't want to know your number but I want to know if you've had syphilis. No judgement." - Vicky K, 25, from Chino Hills, CA
"Whenever you feel comfortable enough to talk about it… Before having sex." - Deeana Lowe-Chin, 24, from Miami, FL
"I don't need every detail but I do need to know that you were somewhat responsible in your past." - Nora Lahl, 31, from Milwaukee, WI
"I’m open about my past, I expect the same from you." - Molly Millett, 23, from San Francisco, CA
"It's safe to know." - Kate Cohen, 27, from Syosset, NY
"No point rushing that conversation." - Ashley Potter, 26, from Milwaukee, WI
"I gotta know where you've been before I'm touching you. Sorry buddy." - Jessica Chang, 30, from Los Angeles, CA
"Or sometime in between 1st date and intimacy. It's important to know track record." - Luana Suciu, 25, from Boston, MA
"We should know what we are getting into." - Grace Hsieh, 22, from San Diego, CA
"Sometimes, you just don't want to scare your date unless it's semi serious." - Amy S., 25, from Chicago, IL
"OK, not the moment before but, you gotta dish it. I want to be safe. Always." - Alicia Cohen, 37, from New York, NY
"Why talk about it until it's time to talk about it." - Ashley Becker, 26, from New York, NY and Miami, FL
"It's a little awkward, but it needs to happen before ANYTHING else happens." - Jackie Rivera, 25, from Miami, FL
"Better safe than sorry...or itchy." - Frankie Robinson, 36, from Chicago, IL
"It's awkward but, what the hell, I wanna know and no time is as good as any!" - Miana DeGardeyn, 33, from Chicago, IL
"It's a little presumptuous to cover this on a first date but it certainly is warranted." - Vicky Kuo, 24, from San Diego, CA
"I don't want STDs." - Regina Melzer, 32, from Los Angeles, CA
"Don’t you want to know what or who rather you’re getting into? haha!" - Cheng-Cheng Lok, 24, from San Francisco, CA
"It really depends on how I click with the guy." - Jennifer Beio, 26, from Chicago, IL
"I try to avoid rehashing old relationships until it's necessary, for health purposes." - Rosie Dehoyos, 29, from Dallas, TX
"Gotta come up sooner than later." - Jessi Odenbach, 28, from Chicago, IL
"Gotta know what you are dealing with."
53%
Once we’re ‘serious’
- Ashley Woolley, 25, from Chicago, IL
"Let's not reveal the 'roster' too soon!" - Emily Woolf, 26, from Brooklyn, NY
"Or once we're drunk enough that I decide to broach the subject." - Amber Sellers, 33, from Brooklyn, NY
"Wait for the hook to be in before spilling the beans." - Kate Bailey, 26, from Chicago, IL
"Unless there's something that I need to know immediately, let's not talk about it until we have to." - Samantha Conniff, 24, from Brooklyn, NY
"Those things should stay private until necessary." - Kristin Castro, 24, from San Francisco, CA
"If the relationship isn't serious...why ask?" - Susie Jones, 29, from Naples, Fl
"But don't shock me with 'it's 50.'" - Angela Lee, 23, from Cerritos, CA
"You should know before getting intimate to protect yourself." - Erika San Miguel, 32, from Larkspur, CA
"I think it's nice to be open but sometimes - past should be past." - Britt Ancell, 26, from New York, NY
"I feel like this is when you're ready for the gory details." - Heather Callan, 25, from Chicago, IL
"There are more important things in a couple's relationship then rushing into the sexual stuff." - Rachel U, 26, from New York, NY
"Although details can definitely make things awkward." - Vanessa Jeong, 28, from San Leandro, CA
"I wish guys would initiate these conversations more. They're interesting!" - Rebecca Nashleanas, 25, from Los Angeles, CA
"It's something that should be kept private until you are in a serious relationship." - Erika Thomas, 25, from Miami, FL
"And even then, don't ask don't tell ;)" - Tiffany Davis, 32, from San Diego, CA
"Having that conversation is touchy." - Sarah Conrad, 27, from New York, NY
"Unless you've got cooties I don't want to hear about the last girl!" - Sara Koch, 30, from Youngstown, OH
"Everyone has a history. I prefer to keep mine private, thank you very much." - Alison Dichter, 31, from New York, NY
"It's no guy's business!" - Laura Lefkowitz, 35, from New York, NY
"I think this stuff comes out gradually over time. No need to have a 'discussion.'" - Lauren McHenry, 26, from Dallas, TX
"Just need to know that your clean...no details please :)" - Stephanie Singer, 30, from New York, NY
"Just when it happens." - JoAnna Di Tullio, 24, from Boston, MA
"I want to know if something's wrong down there, but I'm not interested in numbers or anything." - Sandy Tragos, 32, from Chicago, IL
"Usually when I'm intimate with someone it means I am serious." - Emily Pelton, 29, from Brooklyn, NY
"You don't want to get into that too soon." - Sara Bour, 23, from Urbana, IL
"That can be private information before you fully trust someone." - Jessica G, 25, from Boca Raton, FL
"People are in the past because they are not meant to be in your future." - Marisa Zupan, 27, from Brooklyn, NY
"Sexual history is almost irrelevant to me until I absolutely have to know." - Ashley Hayes, 24, from Los Angeles, CA
"Once you're an item you have to talk about 'how many.'" - Whitney R, 25, from Princeton, NJ
"First date = Booty call." - Pienby Laurence, 25, from Jersey City, NJ
"I think sexual history comes up naturally as a part of the process of learning about each other." - Genevieve Melzer, 27, from San Francisco, CA
"But make sure you and your partner get tested." - Corey G, 25, from Chicago, IL
"Not worth talking about unless you have the intension of being serious." - Kimone Campbell, 27, from Palm Beach, FL
"Why rush?" - Cat Davis, 25, from New York, NY
"They don't need to know those details about me, and I certainly don't want to know about theirs..." - Sherika Mair, 29, from West Palm Beach, FL
"If that’s all he care about it won’t last." - Wendy Farley, 44, from Charleston, SC
"Once I'm serious with a guy (pre-sex serious) we can discuss sexual history not before." - Shannon Harknett, 24, from New Orleans, LA
"As long as you're clean and have some self respect." - Senait Mengstab, 30, from San Francisco, CA
"If it comes up. Depends. Sometimes a guy’s past relationships tells you what type of man he is." - Nancy Spruiell, 43, from New York, NY
"Depends on whether it’s just history or health. Health should be ‘Just before we’re intimate’" - Johanna Beyenbach, 29, from New York, NY
"Safety thing is the only thing I care about in the beginning. Otherwise, whenever." - Kristin Castro, 24, from San Francisco, CA
"If the relationship isn’t serious… why ask?" - Paula L, 28, from Miami, Florida
"I don't need to know what happened." - Jen Gsell, 29, from Reston, VA
"It's really none of their business if you ask me. It's only acceptable to answer once you've gotten" - Ann Dang, 24, from San Diego, CA
"I'd like to know what i'm getting myself into." - Maya Calaway, 24, from Boston, MA
"Unless you're addressing potential STDs why should it be important?" - Kate Sample, 31, from Chicago, IL
"I don't need numbers, and I always play it safe." - Elinor N, 23, from New York, NY
"What is sexual history? Like experience?" - Doris Parker, 27, from Springfield, MA
"I want to know sometime, just not over the first date appetizer. That might be a little presumptuous" - Jacquelyn Tillotson, 31, from Miami Beach, FL
"I typically don't offer information but if asked I would always be honest." - Wendy Liu, 23, from Alhambra, CA
"Serious as in, before intimacy. Guys shouldn’t shy away from answering questions!" - Deborah Lau, 23, from La Jolla, CA
"You don’t want to scare off the other person and make it awkward so that stuff can wait." - Vicky Chivy, 26, from San Diego, CA
"Why would i want to share?" - Lucy Malcolm, 26, from New York, NY
"Sexual history is usually implicit by the 2nd or 3rd date, but not explicit until you're 'serious'" - Grace Kang, 29, from Los Angeles, CA
"Or hopefully before you get 'serious'. Gotta know what you're walking into!" - Veronica Cheung, 24, from San Diego, CA
"It comes up when the time's right."
8%
Never
- Justine Bour, 26, from Chicago, IL
"I just don't see a point in discussing each other's sexual history. It's all in the past." - Gina Kim, 24, from San Diego, CA
"Honestly, I think maybe if it comes up here and there, fine." - Kira Wilkinson, 27, from Washington, DC
"I don't want to know how many people you've been with, just need to know that you are disease free." - Karoline D'Angola, 24, from Bernardsville, NJ
"Its the past, I'm done with it." - Jessica Barrutia, 24, from Chicago, IL
"You should never bring up sexual history, it would only cause problems in the current relationship." - Jessica Angst, 23, from Palm Beach, FL
"Your past is your past." - Renee Lucas, 30, from New York, NY
"I don't ask about that so I don't expect a guy to." - Jennifer Manghisi, 27, from New York, NY
"Why talk about such details?" - Kylan Conroy, 24, from Chicago, IL
"Lets keep the past in the past."