SURVEYS & MEASURES
This page includes a robust list of surveys that collect sexual orientation and gender identity data as well as information about the measures used by those surveys. This list reflects the measures that were evaluated in the 2022 NASEM report (Appendix A, page 173-178). This page also includes specific examples of questions and response options, and evaluations of their strengths and weakness from the 2022 NASEM report that appear in the Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 Annexes for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, respectively. They are presented here as a curated and robust review of major surveys and data collections that have used these sexual orientation and gender identity question with success. It’s important to note that existing surveys may add SOGI measures on an ongoing basis and there will be continued ongoing research to help improve measures, response rates, and improve understanding for these demographic questions due to the fluidity and evolving nature of sexual and gender minority terminology.
The original page on the SGMRO website was last reviewed on
Survey Examples
Name of Data Collection Instrument Sponsora Sexual Orientation Gender Identity One-Step Approach Gender Identity Two-Step Approach Population Data Type Mode(s)
All of Us NIH X X All ages Medical CATI,
P&P
American National Election Studies (ANES) NSF X X Adults (eligible voters) Survey Web, CAPI, CASI, CATI,
Video
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BFRSS) CDC X Xc Adults Survey CATI
Centers for Disease Control CDC X X n/a Medical n/a
Recommendations for Health Care Providers (CDC Recs)
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment—Government Performance Results and Modernization Act SAMHSA X Youth and Adults Admin n/a
(CSAT-GPRA)
Gallup Gallup Xd Adults Survey CATI
General Social Survey (GSS) NSF X X Adults Survey CAPI (SAQ)
Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) NIH X Young Adults Survey P&P Web
(20s)
Health Center Patient Survey (HCPS) HRSA ASPEe X All ages Admin CAPI
Health and Retirement Study (HRS) NIH, SSA, DOL, ASPE, X Older adults Survey CAPI CATI
State of Florida
High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09)—2016 NCES X X Young adults (early 20s) Survey Web CAPI CATI
Collection 3 Years After High
School Graduation
National Adult Tobacco Survey NCHS X X Adults Survey CATI
(NATS)
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) BJS X X Ages 16+ Survey CAPI, CATI
National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related NIAAA X Adults Survey CAPI
Conditions (NESARC)
National Health Interview CDC X Adults Survey CAPI
Survey (NHIS) CATI
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) CDC X Adults Survey CAPI
National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) CDC X X Adults (high HIV Survey CAPI
risk)
National Inmate Survey (NIS) BJS X X Ages 16+f Survey ACASI
National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) CDC, DOD, NIJ X Adults Survey CATI
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health, Wave V (Add Health) Multipleg X X Adults Survey Web, P&P, CAPI, CASI, CATI
National Outcome Measures, SAMHSA CMHS X Xh Adults Admin n/a
Center for Mental Health Services (NOM)
National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) SAMHSA X Adults Survey ACASI
National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) CDC X Ages 15-49 Survey CAPI, ACASI
National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants AOA X Age 60+ Survey Admin CATI
(NSOAAP)
National Opinion Research Center (NORC) recommendations for Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey CMS X X Ages 60+ Survey n/a
(MCBS)
Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study NIDA, NIH, CTP, X X Ages 14+ Survey ACASI, CAPI
(PATH) FDA
Survey of Today's Adolescent Relationship and Transitions CDC X X Ages 13-28i Survey Web, Focus
(START) Groups
GenIUSS Report Recommendations Williams Institute X X X Adults Survey n/a
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) CDC X Grades 9- Survey P&P
12
NOTE:
AOA, Administration on Aging; ASPE, Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation; BJS, Bureau of Justice Statistics; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; CMHS, Center for Mental Health Services; CMS, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services; CTP, Center for Tobacco Products; DOD, Department of Defense; DOL, Department of Labor; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; HRSA, Health Resources and Services Administration; NCES, National Center for Education Statistics; NCHS, National Center for Health Statistics; NIAAA, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; NIDA, National Institute on Drug Abuse; NIH, National Institutes of Health; NIJ, National Institute of Justice; NSF, National Science Foundation; SAMHSA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; SSA, Social Security Administration
n/a, not applicable
ACASI=Audio Computer-Assisted Self Interview; CAPI=Computer-Assisted Personal Interview, CASI=Computer-Assisted Self Interview, CATI=Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview, P&P=Paper and Pencil, SAQ=Self-Administered Questionnaire
a Agencies cited are drawn from websites and publicly available survey documentation.
b Single-step gender identity measures use a single question to assess gender identity and transgender experience or identity. Two-step measures use a sequence of two questions that can be compared to identify respondents with transgender experience.
c Beginning in 2019, BRFSS added a measure of sex assigned at birth to the approved optional sexual orientation and gender identity module. This module has included a stand-alone measure of transgender status since 2014.
d The Gallup measure is a measure of LGBT status that instructs responds to select all that apply from the following response options: straight or heterosexual; lesbian; gay, bisexual; and transgender.
e The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) provides support for generating public-use data files that can be used for research.
f Adults in jails or prisons and juveniles in detention centers
g The National Survey of Adolescent and Young Adults Health (Add Health) is funded by grant P01-HD31921 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, with cooperative funding from 23 other federal agencies and foundations.
h Guidelines recommend asking respondent to report their gender with an open-ended response field. Instructions tell interviewers they may clarify by asking whether the respondent sees themselves as a man or male, woman or female, transgender, or other.
i Sexual minority males ages 13-18 years and transgender youth ages 13-24 years who were recruited in 2016 through social media sources and followed until 2020.
Sexual Orientation
| Question Stem | Question Responses | Evaluation Criteria | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself? | Gay. | Previous use in population-based data collection | Close versions of this have been used in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (since 2014), the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) (since 2016), the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (since 2013), and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (since 2013) |
| Straight, that is, not gay. | Close versions used in electronic medical records (EMR) in health systems following a 2015 final rule by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). | ||
| Bisexual. | Recommended by the Federal Interagency Working Group on Improving Measurement of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Federal Surveys (2016) | ||
| I use a different term | |||
| (Don’t know) | Conceptual fit | Measures sexual orientation identity only (i.e., does not conflate identity with attraction and/or behavior) | |
| (Prefer not to answer) | Clearly distinguished people with varying sexual orientation identities and broadly between sexual minority and sexual majority populations, while allowing for enumeration of those who do not use any of the listed labels | ||
| Allows for culturally specific identification for Indigenous populations; response category needs to be explicitly included only in automated data collection where racial identity is collected, and respondent endorses AIAN [American Indian and Alaska Native] identity. | |||
| Testing: | Debriefing interviews, targeted interviews, cognitive interviewing, and focus groups (Austin et al., 2007; Michaels et al, 2017; Holzberg et al. 2019; Martinez et al. 2017; Miller, 2001; Miller et al, 2011; Ridolfo et al., 2012; Truman et al. 2019; Wilson et al., 2016) | ||
| comprehension and validity | Acceptability studies in clinical settings (Cahill et al., 2014; Ruben et al., 2017; Rullo et al., 2018) | ||
| Behavior coding and split-sample question format experiments in telephone interviews (Dahlhamer et al., 2019; West and McCabe., 2021; Michaels et al., 2017) | |||
| Populations included in testing | Sexual minority and heterosexual/straight identified | ||
| Spanish and English speakers | |||
| U.S. general population, including racially diverse samples, urban and rural residents, and ages 12–85 | |||
| Testing: errors and nonresponse | Testing options with expanded response list to existing list (Meyer et al., 2019) | ||
| Testing response rate and willingness to be asked sexual orientation questions in the census (Bates et al., 2020; Ruben et al., 2017; Saewyc et al., 2004; Truman et al., 2019) | |||
| Nonresponse rates on the BRFSS (2020), NCVS (2017), NHIS (2019), General Social Survey (2018) ≤3% | |||
| Adjustments to previously tested item included in recommended measure | Removed “something else” and replaced with open-text and wording of “I use a different term” | ||
| Include Two-Spirit category in automated data collection where racial identity is collected and AIAN is indicated | |||
| Weaknesses and challenges | Narrow set of responses that do not reflect current culture and terms used by many sexual minorities (e.g., queer, Two-Spirit) | ||
| Write-in sexual orientation identity field will have to be cleaned and coded for reporting; newer terms not listed (e.g., pansexual) also may grow in popularity and need to be assessed for inclusion as explicit options | |||
| Does not provide a clear option to indicate lack of sureness about a label that describes them (i.e., questioning) | |||
| Though testing showed a need for the “that is, not gay” phrase among some heterosexual respondents, it is not clear this is still needed; also, as written, it is a conceptually inaccurate description of what it means to be “straight” and has implications for the definition of bisexual | |||
| Response options are not presented in order of prevalence or other common ordering (e.g., alphabetical) | |||
| Question | Response Options | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Do you consider yourself to be heterosexual or straight or homosexual or gay or bisexual? | Gay | All of Us (NIH) |
| Lesbian | ||
| Straight, that is, not gay or lesbian, etc. | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| None of these describe me, and I’d like to see additional options [see below] | ||
| [If “None of these describe me”:] Are any of these a closer description of how you think of yourself? | Queer | |
| Polysexual, omnisexual, sapiosexual or pansexual | ||
| Asexual | ||
| Two-Spirit | ||
| Have not figured out or are in the process of figuring out your sexuality | ||
| Mostly straight, but sometimes attracted to people of your own sex | ||
| Do not think of yourself as having sexuality | ||
| Do not use labels to identify yourself | ||
| Don’t know the answer | ||
| No, I mean something else: | ||
| Prefer not to answer | ||
| Do you consider yourself to be heterosexual or straight; homosexual or gay or lesbian; or bisexual? | Heterosexual or straight | American National Election Studies (ANES) |
| Homosexual or gay or lesbian | Women Only | |
| Bisexual | ||
| Something else: | ||
| Do you consider yourself to be heterosexual or straight or homosexual or gay or bisexual? | Heterosexual or straight | American National Election Studies (ANES) |
| Homosexual or gay | Men Only | |
| Bisexual | ||
| Something else: | ||
| Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself? | Gay | Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS-CDC) |
| Straight, that is, not gay | National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS-DOJ) | |
| Bisexual | National Health Interview Survey (NHIS-CDC) | |
| Something else | National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) | |
| I don't know | Men Only | |
| Refused | ||
| Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself? | Gay | Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS-CDC) |
| Straight, that is, not lesbian or gay | National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS-DOJ) | |
| Bisexual | National Health Interview Survey (NHIS-CDC) | |
| Something else | National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) | |
| I don't know | Women Only | |
| Refused | ||
| Which one of the following do you consider yourself to be? | Straight/heterosexual | Center for Substance Abuse Treatment- Government Performance Results and Modernization Act (SAMHSA-CSAT-GPRA) |
| Gay/lesbian | ||
| Prefer not to say | ||
| Other | ||
| No Response | ||
| Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender? | Yes | Gallup Daily Tracking Poll |
| No | ||
| Don't Know | ||
| Refused | ||
| Which of the following best describes you? | Gay, lesbian, or homosexual | General Social Survey |
| Bisexual | ||
| Heterosexual or straight | ||
| Don't Know | ||
| No answer | ||
| Not Applicable | ||
| Next, we’d like to ask you a question about how you think of yourself. Do you consider yourself to be [lesbian/ gay], straight, bisexual or something else? | Lesbian/Gay | Health and Retirement Study (HRS) |
| Straight | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Something else | ||
| Don't Know | ||
| Refused | ||
| Do you think of yourself as straight or heterosexual; as gay, lesbian, or homosexual; or as bisexual? | Straight or heterosexual | Health Center Patient Surveys (HCPS-HHS) |
| Gay, lesbian, homosexual | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Not sexual/celibate/none | ||
| Other, please specify: | ||
| Now I will read a list of terms people sometimes use to describe how they think of themselves: | Straight, that is, heterosexual | CAPI or CATI interview |
| Lesbian or gay, that is, homosexual | Bisexual | |
| Straight, that is, heterosexual | Don't know | |
| Bisexual | Another sexual orientation | |
| Don’t know | ||
| Another sexual orientation | ||
| As I read the list again, please say ‘Yes’ when you hear the option that best describes how you think of yourself. | ||
| Do you think of yourself as: | Lesbian or gay, that is, homosexual | High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) |
| Straight, that is, heterosexual | Web-based interview | |
| Bisexual | ||
| Don’t know | ||
| Another sexual orientation | ||
| Do you think of yourself as…? | Lesbian or Gay | National Adult Tobacco Survey (NATS-NCHS) |
| Straight, that is, not Lesbian or Gay | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Something else | ||
| Respondent does not understand response options | ||
| Don’t Know/Not Sure | ||
| Refused | ||
| Which of the categories on the card best describes you? | Heterosexual (straight) | National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) |
| Gay or lesbian | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Not sure | ||
| Do you consider yourself to be: | Heterosexual or "straight" | National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) |
| Homosexual, gay, or lesbian | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Don't know | ||
| Which one category best describes your SEXUAL ORIENTATION now? | Lesbian | National HONOR Project Study of LGBTQ+-Two Spirit American Indians and Alaska Natives |
| Gay | (Cassels et al., 2010). | |
| Bisexual | ||
| Two Spirit | ||
| Specific tribal identity (e.g., Nádleehí or Winkte, etc.) (Please describe: | ||
| ) | ||
| Heterosexual | ||
| Other: (Please describe: | ||
| ) | ||
| Do you consider yourself to be heterosexual or ‘straight’ or bisexual, or homosexual or gay? | “Straight,” which is also called heterosexual | National Inmate Study (Bureau of Justice Statistics |
| Homosexual, gay, or lesbian | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| [If R is male:] Homosexual or gay | ||
| [If R is not male:] Homosexual, gay, or lesbian | ||
| Other (Don't Know) | ||
| Do you think of yourself as lesbian or gay; straight, that is, not gay; bisexual; Something else? | Lesbian or gay | National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) |
| Straight, that is, not gay | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Something else | ||
| Don't know | ||
| Refused | ||
| Please choose the description that best fits how you think about yourself: | 100% heterosexual (straight) | National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) |
| Mostly heterosexual (straight), but somewhat attracted to people of your own sex | National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health (Add Health—SOGI-SES Supplement) | |
| Bisexual that is, attracted to men and women equally | ||
| Mostly homosexual (gay), but somewhat attracted to people of the opposite sex | ||
| Mostly homosexual (gay), but somewhat attracted to people of the opposite sex | ||
| Refused | ||
| Don't know | ||
| Which one of the following do you consider yourself to be? | Heterosexual, that is, straight | National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) |
| [If R is female then Lesbian or] Gay | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Don't Know | ||
| Refused | ||
| Do you think of yourself as… | Heterosexual or straight | National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) |
| Homosexual or Gay [If R is female then Lesbian] | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Something else | ||
| Don't Know | ||
| Refused | ||
| Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself? | [If R is female then Lesbian or] Gay | National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants (NSOAAP) |
| Straight, that is, not [If R is female then Lesbian or] Gay | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Something else | ||
| Refused | ||
| Don't know | ||
| Which of these best fits how you think of yourself? | Totally straight (heterosexual) | National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC-2) |
| Mostly straight but kind of attracted to people of your own sex | ||
| Bisexual - that is, attracted to males and females equally | ||
| Mostly gay (homosexual) but kind of attracted to people of the opposite sex | ||
| Totally gay (homosexual) | ||
| Not sexually attracted to either males or females | ||
| Don't know | ||
| Do you consider yourself to be... | Straight | Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) |
| Lesbian or gay | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Something Else | ||
| Don't know | ||
| Refused | ||
| Which of the following best describes you? | Heterosexual (straight) | Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) |
| Gay or Lesbian | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Not sure | ||
| I describe my sexual identity some other way | ||
| I am not sure about my sexual identity (questioning) | ||
| I am not sure about my sexual identity (questioning) | ||
| I do not know what this question is asking | ||
| How do you describe your sexual orientation? Please [tick/mark/select] one box: | Straight (heterosexual) | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021) |
| Gay or Lesbian | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| I use a different term (please specify): | ||
| Don't know | ||
| Prefer not to answer | ||
| What is your sexual orientation? Would you say you are: | Heterosexual | Statistics Canada (2021) |
| Lesbian or gay | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Or please specify your sexual orientation: | ||
| Which of the following options best describes how you think of yourself? | Heterosexual or straight | Stats New Zealand (2019) |
| Gay or lesbian | ||
| Bisexual | ||
| Other, please state: | ||
| Don't know | ||
| Prefer not to say | ||
| Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation? This question is voluntary. | Heterosexual or straight | United Kingdom: |
| Gay or lesbian | 2021 Census of England and Wales | |
| Bisexual | 2022 Census of Scotland (Office of National Statistics, 2016) | |
| Other sexual orientation: | ||
Gender Identity
| Question Stem | Question Responses | Evaluation Criteria | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|
| What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate? | Female | Previous use in population-based data collection | Close versions used in the National Crime Victimization Survey (since 2016) and the U.S. Census Bureau Pulse Survey (2021). Will be added to the National Health Interview Survey in 2022. |
| Male | Close versions used in electronic medical records (EMR) in health systems such as the Veterans Administration and recommended for EMRs by the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. | ||
| (Don’t know) | Recommended by the Federal Interagency Working Group on Improving Measurement of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Federal Surveys (2016) | ||
| (Prefer not to answer) | |||
| What is your current gender? [mark only one] | Female | Conceptual fit | Clearly distinguishes between sex assigned at birth and current gender, which allows for enumerating the broadest definition of the transgender population |
| Male | Cross-tabulation of the two items provides data for cisgender men; cisgender women; transgender men; transgender women; people who identify primarily as transgender and people identifying with other terms via write-ins, which may include terms such as nonbinary, genderqueer, and gender nonconforming. | ||
| Transgender | *Allows for culturally specific identification for Indigenous populations; response category is explicitly included only in automated data collection where racial identity is collected, and respondent endorses American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) identity. | ||
| Two-Spirit* | |||
| I prefer a different term | Testing: | Debriefing interviews, targeted interviews, cognitive interviewing, and focus groups (Truman et al. 2019; Holzberg et al. 2019; Martinez et al. 2017; Wilson et al., 2016; GenIUSS Group 2014) | |
| (Don’t know) | comprehension, validity, acceptability, and respondent burden | Acceptability studies in clinical settings (Lau et al., 2021; Rullo et al. 2018) | |
| (Prefer not to answer) | Behavior coding and split- sample question format experiments in telephone interviews (Grant et al. 2015; Jans et al., 2015) | ||
| Split-sample experiments to test question ordering (Amaya 2020; Sanderson and Immerwahr, 2019; Saperstein and Westbrook, 2021) | |||
| Populations included in testing | Transgender and cisgender people | ||
| Spanish and English speakers | |||
| U.S. general population, including racially diverse samples, urban and rural residents, and ages 12–85 | |||
| Testing: errors and nonresponse | Nonresponse rates on the order of 1% per question (Truman et al. 2019, Saperstein and Westbrook 2021) | ||
| Demonstrated test-retest reliability (Saperstein 2022) | |||
| Adjustments to previously tested item included in recommended measure | Female-first response list corresponds with both alphabetical and population size ordering | ||
| Removes “none of these” response and replaced with “I use a different term” followed by a free-text field | |||
| Includes Two-Spirit category in automated data collection where racial identity is collected and AIAN is indicated | |||
| Weaknesses and challenges | Format for current gender question is forced choice but response options are not necessarily mutually exclusive | ||
| Write-in gender identity field will have to be cleaned and coded for reporting; newer terms not listed (e.g., nonbinary) also may grow in popularity and need to be assessed for inclusion as explicit options | |||
| Asking for sex assigned at birth is considered sensitive for some transgender people and may not be appropriate in settings where privacy and confidentiality cannot be assured (e.g., employment contexts) | |||
| Sex assigned at birth question offers only binary responses though some states have begun to allow nonbinary options on birth certificates | |||
| First Item Stem | First Item Response Options | Second Item Stem | Second Item Response Options | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What is your gender? | Male | What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate? | Male | Add Health (Wave V) |
| Female | Female | |||
| Other, specify | ||||
| What was your biological sex assigned at birth? | Female | What terms best express how you describe your gender identity? (Check all that apply) | Woman | All of Us Program |
| Male | Man | |||
| Intersex | Non-binary | |||
| None of these | Transgender | |||
| Another term | ||||
| Do you think of yourself as: | Male | What sex was originally listed on your birth certificate? | Male | CDC Recommendations (2020) |
| Female | Female | |||
| Transgender man/trans man/female-to-male (FTM) | ||||
| Transgender women/ trans woman/male-to- female (MTF) | ||||
| Genderqueer, gender nonconforming, neither exclusively male or female | ||||
| Additional gender category (or other), please specify | ||||
| What sex were you assigned at birth? (For example, on your birth certificate.) | Female | What is your current gender? | Woman | GSS (2018) |
| Male | Man | |||
| Intersex | Transgender | |||
| A gender not listed here [free text] | ||||
| What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate? | Male | What is your current gender identity? (Check all that apply) | Male | GenIUSS Report (2014, Promising GI measure) |
| Female | Female | |||
| Trans male/trans man | ||||
| Trans female/trans woman | ||||
| Genderqueer/gender nonconforming | ||||
| Different identity (please state) | ||||
| What sex were you assigned at birth (what the doctor put on your birth certificate)? (select one) | Male | What is your gender? Your gender is how you feel inside and can be the same or different than your biological or birth sex. (check all that apply) | Male | HSLS:09 (2016 followup) |
| Female | Female | |||
| Transgender male- to-female | ||||
| Transgender female-to-male | ||||
| Genderqueer or gender nonconforming, or some other gender | ||||
| You are not sure | ||||
| What sex were you at birth? | Male | Do you currently consider yourself to be: | Male | NATS |
| Female | Female | |||
| What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate? | Male | Do you currently describe yourself as...? | Male | NCVS, U.S. Census Pulse Survey |
| Female | Female | |||
| Transgender | ||||
| None of these | ||||
| What was your sex at birth? | Male | Do you consider yourself to be: | Male | NHIVBS |
| Female | Female | |||
| Intersex/ambiguous | Transgender | |||
| First, I’d like to confirm your gender. What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate? | Male | How do you describe your gender identity? | Male | NISVS |
| Female | Female | |||
| [If needed: We have to know your sex in order to direct you to the right questions.] | Male-to-female transgender (MTF) | |||
| Female-to-male transgender (FTM) | ||||
| Other gender identity, specify | ||||
| What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate? | Female | How do you describe yourself? | Female | NORC recom- mendations for CMS (2017) |
| Male | Male | |||
| Transgender | ||||
| Do not identify as female, male, or transgender | ||||
| What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate? | Male | How do you currently describe your gender? (Check the ONE that best applies to you | Male | START |
| Female | Female | |||
| Genderqueer/gender nonconforming | ||||
| Transgender female-to-male | ||||
| Transgender male- to-female | ||||
| Something else, please specify | ||||
| Is the person: | Male | How [do/does] [you/Person's name/they] describe [your/their] gender? Gender refers to current gender, which may be different to sex recorded at birth and may be different to what is indicated on legal documents. Please [tick/mark/select] one box | Man or male | Australia |
| Female | Woman or Female | Sex: Census (2021) | ||
| Non-binary sex | Non-binary | Gender identity: Recommendations (January 2021) | ||
| [I/They] use a different term (please specify) | ||||
| Prefer not to answer | ||||
| What was this person’s sex at birth? Sex refers to sex assigned at birth. | Male | What is this person’s gender? Refers to current gender which may be different from sex assigned at birth and may be different from what is indicated on legal documents. | Male | Canada Census (2021) |
| Female | Female | |||
| Or please specify this person’s gender | ||||
| What is your sex? A question about gender identity will follow later on in the questionnaire. | Female | Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth? | Yes | England and Wales Census (2021) |
| Male | No | |||
| [if no] Enter gender identity | ||||
| What was your sex at birth? (for example what was recorded on your birth certificate) | Male | What is your gender? | Male | New Zealand Recommendations (April 2021) |
| Female | Female | |||
| Another gender (Please state) | ||||
| What is your sex? | Female | Do you consider yourself to be trans, or have a trans history? | No | Scotland Census (2021) |
| Male | Yes | |||
| [if yes] Please describe your trans status (for example, non-binary, trans man, trans woman) |
NOTES: Add Health, National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; GSS, General Social Survey; HSLS:09, High School Longitudinal Study of 2009; NATS, National Adult Tobacco Survey; NCVS, National Crime Victimization Survey; NHIVBS, National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System; NISVS, National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey; NORC, National Opinion Research Center; START, Survey of Today’s Adolescent Relationships and Transitions.>
Nonbinary Sex
| QUESTION | RESPONSE OPTIONS | SOURCE (NOTES) |
|---|---|---|
| Were you born with a variation of sex characteristics (sometimes called ‘intersex’ or ‘DSD’)? | Yes | Australia Recommendations |
| No | (Only recommended for self- report) | |
| Don’t know | ||
| Prefer not to answer | ||
| Some people are assigned male or female at birth, but are born with sexual anatomy, reproductive organs, and/or chromosome patterns that do not fit the typical definition of male or female. This physical condition is known as intersex. Are you intersex? | Yes, an Intersex man | GenIUSS Report |
| Yes, an Intersex woman | ||
| Yes, an Intersex person, gender non- conforming | ||
| No | ||
| Have you ever been diagnosed by a medical doctor with an intersex condition or a ‘Difference of Sex Development,’ or were you born with (or developed naturally in puberty) genitals, reproductive organs, and/or chromosomal patterns that do not fit standard definitions of male or female?” | Yes | GenIUSS Report |
| No | ||
| Were you born with a variation in your physical sex characteristics? (This is sometimes called being intersex or having a difference in sex development, or DSD)? | No | The Fenway Institute/InterACT |
| Yes, my chromosomes, genitals, reproductive organs, or hormone functions were observed to be different from the typical female/male binary at birth and/or I have been diagnosed with intersex variation or Difference of Sex Development | ||
| I don’t know | ||
| Some people are born with bodies that are a little different from what we think of as standard “male” or “female” bodies. For example, some people have genitals that don’t look exactly like most other penises or vaginas, or they might have reproductive organs that aren’t what we’d expect based on how their body looks. This is called being intersex. Are you intersex? | Yes, I am intersex | InterACT Recommended Measures |
| No, I am not intersex | (Modification for youth respondents) | |
| I do not know if I am intersex | ||
| I do not know what this question is asking |
| This annex lists the varieties of intersex conditions that are often specified by medical providers and groups that represent affected people. |
|---|
| 5-Alpha reductase deficiency (5-ARD) |
| 17-Beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency Aphallia |
| Bladder exstrophy Clitoromegaly (large clitoris) |
| Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (Classic CAH) Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) Cryptorchidism (undescended testicle/s) |
| de la Chapelle (XX Male) syndrome Epispadias Fraser Syndrome |
| Gonadal dysgenesis (partial or complete) Hypospadias |
| Jacobs/XYY Syndrome Kallmann Syndrome Klinefelter Syndrome |
| Late Onset Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (late onset CAH) Leydig Cell Hypoplasia |
| Micropenis |
| Mosaicism involving 'sex' chromosomes |
| MRKH (Mullerian agenesis; vaginal agenesis; congenital absence of vagina) Mullerian (Duct) aplasia |
| Ovo-testes (formerly 'true hermaphroditism') Partial Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (PAIS) Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)/Hyperandrogenism Progestin Induced Virilisation |
| Swyer Syndrome |
| Turner Syndrome (TS, one X chromosome) Triple-X Syndrome (XXX) |
| XXY/47 |
| XY/XO Mosaics |
| XY-Turner Syndrome Another variation [free text] Unknown |
*The data sources and tables above are from Measuring Sex, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation (2022).