In a recent survey, more than twice as many females as males reported some type of sexual encounter with a member of the same sex at some point in their lifetime, providing empirical support for the popular sense that women have more fluidity in their sexual attraction than men do (12.5% versus 5.2%). Women were less likely than men to report that they were only attracted to the opposite sex (83% versus 94%), and more women than men reported being bisexual (3.5% versus 1.1%). Younger women were more likely to identify themselves as bisexual than older women.

Feminist porn makers today express a concern that girl-girl sex scenes are not gratuitously added in porn to cater to a male gaze. At the same time, they embrace the realities of today's women's sexual desires and experiences, portraying sex between women that are not necessarily lesbian or bisexual, but who nonetheless explore same sex encounters.

Jamye Waxman, who has a Master’s in sex education from Widener University, and who has produced a sex pedagogical video series called Personal Touch, covering topics that include how to maintain a monogamous relationship without monotony, has also written a book titled Women Loving Women: Appreciating and Exploring the Beauty of Erotic Female Encounters (Quiver Press, 2007). "For curious "straight" or "bi" women who want to explore being with another woman, this book provides first hand accounts, tips and basic techniques to ensure that you get what you want out of your sapphic sexual experience."

The data come from a 2006-2008 in-person survey of 13,495 men and women ages 15 to 44. Chandra A, et al “Sexual behavior, sexual attraction, and sexual identity in the United States: Data from the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth” NCHS Brief 2011.