The INSIDER Summary:
- A new study claims that Americans are having less sex than they were in the late 1990s.
- Authors attribute this to fewer people coupling up and those couples having less sex.
It's no secret that people can be insecure about how often they're having sex, but it turns out that we might all be in the same boat. A recent study suggests that overall, Americans might be having a lot less sex than they're used to.
A study conducted by the Archives of Sexual Behavior claims that Americans in the 2010s are having sex much less frequently than Americans in the 1990s. In fact, according to the study, Americans are on average having sex about nine fewer times per year than they were 20 years ago.
The authors of the study say that they don't believe that increased access to pornographic materials is to blame for the decline. They also push back against theories that longer working and commuting hours are to blame.
Instead, researchers claim that Americans are coupling up less frequently than they were 20 years ago because more and more people are choosing to reject marriage and settle down later.
People who are in relationships tend to have more sex at a higher rate than those who are single, according to the study. Despite what your friend on Tinder wants you to believe, researchers say that the "hook-up culture" promised by dating apps isn't really resulting in people getting it on at a higher rate.
And while couples are having sex more often than single people, this group still saw the biggest decline in frequency over the past 20 years. Researchers say that is the other reason for the decline nationally: Couples had sex 16 fewer times in the 2010s on average than in the 1990s.
While no one can say if this trend is happening for sure and what could be causing it, previous studies have pointed out that millenials are simply having sex differently. One study found that millenials have much more variance (more sexual partners, but losing their virginity later) in their sexual patterns than past generations, for instance.
No matter what happens, this seems like a good of time as any to remind you that the amount of sex you and your partner are happy to be having is the right amount of sex.
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