Study: The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Ruining Our Sex Lives

These were supposed to be the horniest days of our lives. If the internet was to be believed, the early days of pandemic lockdown were a virtual bacchanal of horniness on main.

But according to recent research, those early days of frenzied internet behavior don’t tell the whole story. Despite the apparent sexually charged nature of these times, it would seem the pandemic has actually taken a seriously negative toll on our sex lives.

According to the paper “Less Sex, but More Sexual Diversity: Changes in Sexual Behavior during the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic,” published in June in the journal Leisure Sciences, less and worse sex were among the biggest trends researchers observed during this time. Looking at the results of an anonymous survey 1,559 adults completed between March 21 and April 14, researchers found that 43 percent of participants reported an overall decline in their sex lives. And while those who claimed the quality of their sex lives had remained the same were close behind at 42.8 percent, only a small minority of 13.6 percent reported an improvement.

However, quarantine has presented some people with the opportunity to explore new sexual experiences, such as new positions, fantasies or kinks. Sex toy sales, specifically, have seen a huge increase amid the pandemic, and those who brought toys into the bedroom or experimented with other “new additions” may have fared better than those who stuck to their pre-pandemic routine. According to the paper:

Among those making new additions, 28.6 percent reported that their sex life improved, 29.2 percent reported no change, and 42.2 percent reported a decline. For those who did not make new additions, 9.8 percent indicated their sex life improved, 46.3 percent reported no change, and 43.9 percent indicated their sex life declined.

So while these times may not be as horny as early quarantine internet may have led us to believe, at least some people are taking the NYC Health Department’s wise advice and using this pandemic as an excuse to get kinky.

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