Survey to Uncover Impact of COVID on American’s Sex Lives Finds Majority Are More Sexually Satisfied, Couples are Thriving and Singles are Taking Things Slow

NEW YORK, July 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Americans are kinkier according to the Summer of Love survey conducted by Lovehoney – the global sexual happiness experts – in partnership with the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. The survey, led by Kinsey Institute Research Fellow and Lovehoney Scientific Advisor Dr. Justin Lehmiller, offers a comprehensive look at sex, dating, and relationships in a representative US sample in the era of widespread vaccine availability*. The results uncover the impact the COVID pandemic and related restrictions have had on the sex lives and attitudes of American singles and couples, surprisingly finding many adults reporting more satisfying sex lives and increased sexual activity since before the pandemic.

Dr. Lehmiller believes the rise of kink has a logical explanation. “During periods of heightened stress and anxiety–like what we experienced during the pandemic–it is often harder to become and stay aroused,” he says. “One way that people might cope with this is by trying new and immersive sexual activities that allow you to be in the moment and free your mind of distracting thoughts. Trying new things is also a way that people can ‘feel alive’ during periods of stress and boredom.”

According to Dr. Lehmiller, when we try new things and have positive experiences, this can shift the trajectory of future sexual behavior by expanding our sexual repertoire. Our repertoires were indeed expanded during the pandemic:

  • A majority of Americans (52%) said they tried at least one new sexual activity such as sharing sexual fantasies or using sex toys
  • Couples (59%) were more likely than singles (43%) to experiment

* Methodological Notes: The Lovehoney Summer of Love Survey was conducted by Prodege (www.Prodege.com) among a demographically representative sample of 2,000 U.S. Adults age 18-45, with an oversample of 200 respondents who identify as LGBTQ, via an online survey, from May 27, 2021 to June 5, 2021. The sample was balanced to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. population on age, gender, household income, region, and ethnicity. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 2 percentage points for the main sample, and more than 6.9 percentage points for the LGBTQ sample, from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

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