{"id":6362,"date":"2022-10-22T18:00:59","date_gmt":"2022-10-22T18:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/?p=6362"},"modified":"2022-10-22T18:00:59","modified_gmt":"2022-10-22T18:00:59","slug":"why-young-americans-are-having-less-sex-than-ever-before","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/why-young-americans-are-having-less-sex-than-ever-before\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Young Americans Are Having Less Sex Than Ever Before"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A newly published study that wrapped up two years before the pandemic finds that young people are having less sex in the 21st century.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/resizer\/psdEVq1JxwSwiZDdnG7rmFcdhns=\/1200x0\/left\/top\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/tronc\/SEBRDAXOMJCS3LZYNA7PFP3MP4.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Study authors speculate that the decline in sexual activity could be related to rising rates of depression and anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How much sex are you having? It may be an interesting question if you\u2019re not partnered up and are dealing with what it means to date and have sexual relationships\u00a0in the age of the pandemic. But no matter what your relationship status is, and regardless of\u00a0COVID-19, the quality of your\u00a0sex life\u00a0is part of your overall health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s why the results of a\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2767066\" target=\"_blank\">study published in June 2020 in the journal\u00a0<em>JAMA Network Open<\/em><\/a>\u00a0that analyzed trends in frequency of sexual activity among adults is so important, say health experts. The upshot: Young people and married couples are having\u00a0less sex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sex Frequency Study Finds Surprising Numbers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the study, researchers surveyed nearly 10,000 adults ages 18 to 44 about the frequency of their sexual encounters and number of sexual partners. The study took data from nearly two decades, from 2000 to 2018. The results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>From 2000 to 2002, the number of men ages 18 to 24 reporting no sexual activity within the previous year was 19 percent \u2014 by 2016 to 2018, that had risen to 31 percent.<\/li><li>Between 2016 to 2018, nearly one in five women (19 percent) reported being sexually inactive.<\/li><li>From 2000 to 2002, 71 percent and 69 percent of married men and women, respectively, reported having sex weekly. In 2016 to 2018, that dropped to 58 and 61 percent of married men and women, respectively, having weekly sex.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Top Reasons Why Young People Aren\u2019t Having Sex<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/incoming\/article9343038.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_couple-in-bed-22122010.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Why the drop? According to the study\u2019s authors, there are several explanations for why more people are going without sex. One may be the go-go-go 24\/7 busy lifestyle that\u2019s become a status symbol for some and a necessity for others (there is less time to have sex); or the fact that we have our heads buried in tech devices (an act called phubbing), which may keep you focused on a screen \u2014 and not a partner. Additionally, an increase in\u00a0anxiety\u00a0and\u00a0depression\u00a0in young adults, failure to launch (#adultingishard), women opting out of casual sexual encounters, and the role smartphones have played in making us less socially skilled, are other potential reasons why young people are having less sex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt seems like in the United States and elsewhere, it has become harder for a proportion of the population to establish themselves in society, in the labor market, and perhaps also in the dating market,\u201d says&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/staff.ki.se\/people\/petjak\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Peter Ueda, MD, PhD<\/a>, a coauthor of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A reliance on communicating through technology doesn\u2019t help young people develop the social and intimacy skills and vulnerability needed to be in a physical relationship, says\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.loganlevkoff.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Logan Levkoff, PhD<\/a>, a sexuality educator in New York City. \u201cThese are important skills that people need to develop regardless of how you identify or your sexual orientation,\u201d she says. \u201cI worry that the lack of practice really will shape how and if people can be physically involved with each other,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sexual Behavior<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.medscape.com\/thumbnail_library\/is_180629_sexual_dysfunction_800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, this study was done with data ending in 2018 \u2014 in other words, pre-pandemic. And COVID-19 probably won\u2019t help people form new intimate relationships. \u201cSocial distancing measures and general anxiety about human-human contact might make finding partners harder,\u201d says Dr. Ueda. The study also found that men with lower income and who were employed part-time or unemployed were more likely to be sexually inactive, something that\u2019s relevant today, as the current economic downturn may only make that worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s more, the longer this lack of human connection goes on, says Dr. Levkoff, the harder it is to reboot or even develop the skills in the first place. In the future, people may be having even less sex. \u201cHuman connection, touch, and pleasure \u2014 however we like to experience it \u2014 is really important,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Often Should You Have Sex?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.gq.com\/photos\/5c7ed9a09a924d3a5268108c\/3:2\/w_1944,h_1296,c_limit\/How-Often-Do-Happy-Couples-Have-Sex-gq.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior research has found that we\u2019re on a friskiness decline. A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6503462\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">study published May 2019 in&nbsp;<em>BMJ<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;on British adults found that adults over age 25 and those married or cohabiting were having less frequent sex between 2001 and 2012. A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007%2Fs10508-017-0953-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">study in the March 2017&nbsp;<em>Archives of Sexual Behavior<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;found that U.S. adults had sex nine fewer times per year in the early 2010s compared with the late 1990s. Married folks were also having less sex. The researchers pointed out that there were more people without a partner during this time (which tends to translate into fewer opportunities to have sex) and people were having less sex with those partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But just because sex is good for you, that doesn\u2019t mean there\u2019s a prescriptive amount of sex you&nbsp;<em>should&nbsp;<\/em>be having. What\u2019s more important is that the frequency with which you\u2019re having it is satisfying to you and your partner (if you\u2019re in a relationship), says the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.issm.info\/sexual-health-qa\/what-is-the-normal-frequency-of-sex\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">International Society for Sexual Medicine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m one of the skeptics who is wary of aspiring to a certain frequency of sex,\u201d says&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.indiana.edu\/research\/faculty-directory\/profile.html?user=debby\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Debby Herbenick, PhD<\/a>, a professor at the Indiana University School of Public Health in Bloomington and the author of&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Coregasm-Workout-Revolutionary-Through-Exercise\/dp\/1580055648#ace-g6003953244\"><em>The Coregasm Workout<\/em><\/a>. (She was another coauthor on the&nbsp;<em>JAMA&nbsp;<\/em>study.) \u201cThat said, partnered sexual activity is indeed one component of sexual well-being, and so creating the kind of sex life that feels good can enhance overall sexual health, relationships, and possibly mental health and well-being,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea that more people are staying sexually inactive goes against the \u201chookup culture\u201d we\u2019ve been told exists, especially among young people. \u201cAmong my own college students, for years now, many have described opting out of hookup culture in favor of waiting to have sex with someone they like and feel connected to,\u201d says Dr. Herbenick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor individuals and partners, I\u2019d encourage us to focus less on what our neighbors are doing and more on creating the kinds of sexual lives that work for us,\u201d says Herbenick. \u201cDecades of research have found that lifestyle behaviors \u2014 healthy eating, exercise, sleep quality \u2014 relationship quality, intimacy, and connection are important influences on creating pleasurable, meaningful sex lives.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A newly published study that wrapped up two years before the pandemic finds that young people are having less sex [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.0","language":"na","enabled_languages":["en","es","de","fr","ru","hi","ar","tr","it","pt","na"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"es":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"de":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"fr":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"hi":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ar":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"tr":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"it":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"pt":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"na":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"featured_img":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/people-are-having-less-sex-heres-what-that-s-doing-to-your-health-alt-722x406-1.jpg","categories_details":[{"id":1,"name":"Uncategorized","count":48,"parent":0}],"tags_details":[],"comment_count":0,"author_name":"Staff","author_img":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0770ff71d5267ad67c1cefbf36008dc2a2753c332616ff451380094010b0d281?s=96&d=mm&r=g","post_views":5824,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6362"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17293,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6362\/revisions\/17293"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}