YNOT – The latest shocking revelation from adult products retailer Adam & Eve’s Great American Sex Survey: 17 percent of self-described heterosexual American adults admit they’ve been attracted to someone of the same gender.

Of those respondents who indicted they have been attracted to someone of the same sex, a surprising 36 percent said they had acted on that attraction in a sexual way.

“This confirms what we have always suspected,” A&E’s resident sex and relationship expert, Dr. Kat Van Kirk, said. “Most people’s orientations are not as rigid as once believed.

“This is an especially important finding, given the recent sexual orientation violence we’ve seen in the media,” she added. “It reinforces the need for acceptance of all ‘brands’ of sexuality: gay, straight or otherwise. Obviously, many people who are not identifying as gay or lesbian are indeed attracted to same-sex partners and/or have acted on it.”

Chad Davis, marketing director for Adam & Eve, agreed.

“We encourage every adult to feel comfortable in their own sexuality,” Davis said. “Whether individuals are gay, straight or bisexual, Adam & Eve has nearly 40 years of experience and something for everyone.”

An independent, third-party survey company conducted the web-based survey of more than 1,000 American adults age 18 and up in order to study sexual preferences and practices.

Van Kirk discusses the implications of many of the findings in her “Sex Chat with Dr. Kat” series of podcasts, available through iTunes and at the therapist’s website.

For more information about Adam & Eve, visit AdamAndEve.com.

Photo courtesy Girls Desired, an Abby Winters production distributed by Wicked Pictures.