Lockdown in the UK has brought with is a host of changes. The high streets are quiet, the restaurants are empty, the pubs are like ghost towns. Boris Johnson has recently announced an easing of the lockdown across the whole of the UK. England and Wales will start to open up and Scotland and Ireland will likely follow. The vaccination program in England in particular has been very successful, and we have a lot of the population vaccinated. When things open up things should get better. Till then, things are still mostly closed and our lives are far from being normal. Socialising is at an all-time low. The question for today’s article is: how has this affected our sex lives?
Many people think that lockdown has seen an increase in the amount of sex that people have been having in the last year. There is a logic to this. With nothing else to do but have sex, it makes sense that people are having more of it. With a lot of people also working from home, opportunities to have sex during the day also open up. Those with a fuck buddy have access to sex on tap all the time to have it. More friends-with-benefits relationships have blossomed in the recent year that in previous ones. Turning to a friend for some comfort in this time is natural, and good for you. Sex releases happy hormones that improve mental health and well being, it really is good for everyone! But what do the scientists think?
The Science
Studies have been done over the last year into how much people are having sex and sexual desire. A study conducted and posted by the Journal of Sex Research looked into sexual desire during COVID-19 and the effect it had on 500+ British people ages 18-32 years old. The study came out with some surprising results. It seems that whilst sexual desire from men remained consistent, sexual desire in women actually reduced rather than increased. There seemed to be a strong connection as well between those in serious relationships vs adult or casual relationships. Those in steady relationships displayed an increase in sexual activity, whilst those in casual relationships saw a significant drop in sexual activity. This does seem somewhat against accepted logic. However, the study did not distinguish between those in casual relationships who had an existing fuck buddy, or friends with benefits, against those without, and I think that this may also have played a factor.
So with the easing of lockdown, it does seem like access to sex and sexual activity is going to be on the increase, to the benefit of all. Bring on the coming months!
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