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Americans Are Having Less Sex Than 20 Years Ago, Study Finds (arstechnica.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: American adults reported having nine fewer romps a year in the early 2010s than they did in the late 1990s -- dropping from an average of about 62 times a year between 1995 and 2000 to around 53 a year between 2010 and 2014. Researchers saw declines across ages, races, religions, education levels, employment statuses, and regions. They linked the sagging numbers to two trends: an increase in singletons over that period -- who tend to have less sex than married or partnered people -- plus a slow-down in the sex lives of married and coupled people. But the drivers of those trends are still unclear. The study is based on data from a long-standing national survey called the General Social Survey (GSS). It involves a nationally representative sample of Americans over 18 years old, surveyed most years between 1972 and 2014. The new study involved responses from 26,620 Americans. Specifically, researchers found that married people's annual whoopee frequency dropped from an average of nearly 69 in the 1995-2000 period to just below 56 in the 2010-2014 period. The unmarried saw their lovemaking drop from 54 per year to 51 in the same timeframes. Meanwhile, the number of people without steady partners -- married or otherwise -- rose from 26 percent of survey respondents in 2006 to 33 percent in 2014. People who took the biggest hits in the bedroom since the 1990s were those with a college degree (about 15 fewer times a year) and people living in the South (about 13 fewer times a year). The study has been published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.

33 of 391 comments (clear)

  1. Distractions by ahziem · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Correlation with the rise of smartphones, tablets, social media, video on demand, ubiquitous porn, and poor interpersonal skills?

    1. Re:Distractions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hardest hit were those with a college degree so probably more to do with worklife balance. But the real story here is the annual average for married couples dropped from 69.

    2. Re:Distractions by lucasnate1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sure, and anyone who experienced and complained about mccarthyism must be a soviet supporting red, right? A friend of mine had to deal with false accusations so I know for sure that this kind of feminism exists (and I know they are false accusations for sure, because the girl herslef said they are false, the accusations were made by a third-side feminist who thought she knew better than both of them).

    3. Re:Distractions by ClickOnThis · · Score: 5, Insightful

      He hates the fags and he hates the godless. Of both of them there are too many.

      Then why does He keep making them?

      --
      If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
    4. Re:Distractions by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 4, Funny

      You probably tip your fedora too much.

      I downloaded it at no additional charge.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    5. Re:Distractions by war4peace · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Also fear. Vague, insidious fear which turns people off.
      For decades the media has been dripping vague fears into our collective souls. fear of disease, of being mugged, attacked, bombed, fear of weather, fear of you-name-it. People have become risk-adverse for reasons they most times can't even name.
      "Let's not engage in X activity!" "Why?" "Because it's dangerous!"

      I've seen kids on trikes wearing more protection than a SWAT team member. I've seen people afraid to go for a swim because "this lake might be polluted". Eating fish at a restaurant? "It might have too much mercury". Inviting a co-worker out? "they might report me to HR for sexual harassment".

      People are more fearful of this and that than ever. It's collective madness.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    6. Re:Distractions by Qzukk · · Score: 4, Insightful

      People are more fearful of this and that than ever. It's collective madness.

      When there are no more second chances, people stop taking the first chance.

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
  2. Americans Are Having Less Sex... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...because people are evolving from homo sapiens into shpherical sapiens.

  3. Numbers are skewed by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Do these figures include jacking it to Hentai?

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  4. Correllation by MikeB0Lton · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Perhaps a correlation with the rising obesity rate?

  5. It's money by rsilvergun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    folks are making about 20% less than their parents did so it's not surprising. You need money to date. Plus being stressed about money all the time puts a damper on things.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  6. Re:Porn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No, that's silly. The frequency of sex has to do with both people (and their respective schedules), and whether they actually communicate their needs to each other. When I watch porn it just makes me want to fuck the living crap out of my wife all the more.. that being said, I have to pay attention carefully to the signals, and do some things I normally don't really think about or feel like doing. As an added bonus, she's finally found her g-spot, and does this crazy thing with her hips, well.. whoosh!

    Also, "the average woman does not compare..."; in what way? Doesn't she have a brain, and all the other naughty bits? I've been with stunning girls who were like cold limp beef in bed, and grey-skinned Turkish pig-women who were completely fucking hot. It's all in your minds, my friends.. Average is far far better than none.

    It's like the weather: When it's crappy out, I remind myself that it's better than no weather at all.

  7. Less married couples by LeftCoastThinker · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The dirty little secret that Hollywood movies never told you is that married people have way more sex than singles. This drop in sexy times correlates to the drop in married couples in general (as the article cites). If you want to get it regular, put a ring on it and work to have a good relationship with your spouse.

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  8. Close.. by thesupraman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Too much Fa(r)cebook.

    Seriously, the number of people who spend all their relaxation time buried in that pile of steaming shite
    and ignoring their partner is just astounding, no wonder no intimacy happens....

    Especially, I have to say it sorry, women. Many seem to spend much of their lives following all the other
    women they know, and thinking that everyone else lives a better life than them (while also themselves
    only posting the highlights of their own lives there, as glamorized as possible..).

    Ignoring the usual 'no one on slashdot actually has physical relations' jokes, that really is the problem,
    people are just becoming emotionally detached through not enough face to face time, so is anyone
    actually surprised they are having less sex?

    Trying to explain it to someone caught up in that BS though is like pulling the pin on a hand grenade, then
    deciding its juggling time.. They will violently claim they dont spend 'that much' time on there, and that
    anyway its only to keep in touch with their friends, and that it has no impact on their happiness or relationship.

    That much denial is a scary thing...

    1. Re:Close.. by SacredNaCl · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Too much Fa(r)cebook.
      Seriously, the number of people who spend all their relaxation time buried in that pile of steaming shite and ignoring their partner is just astounding, no wonder no intimacy happens.... Especially, I have to say it sorry, women.

      Its a little more than that, but that is certainly a part of it. I blame the smart phone. I thought I had a great marriage right up until my wife got an Iphone. Now admittedly I do spend a little too much time with computers and music gear. So I wasn't that worried about it when my wife first got her Iphone, but 6 months later I was genuinely lonely, felt ignored, felt like I could not a have a decent conversation with her, and its been a battle since. I try to have a conversation with her, she has to check this thing and wont give the courtesy of putting it away for all of it. I try to go places and do things with it -- we could be at an incredibly fancy restaurant sans kids and still has to whip this one (and yes, it might be limited to a brief snap of this to post about it, but its often not), I have sex with her and 30 seconds later that blue light is on. I can't even watch a movie with her without her checking it.

      I even took the step of introducing a high voltage static discharge into her prior one. She simply bought another within hours. She is not a morning person, so to see her sprint up even before I did to rush out to the Apple store was disheartening. Coming up upon a decade and I decided to file for divorce now rather than risk my retirement to it.

      Some people may have a less intense reaction to it than I do. It depends upon what speaks to you about being loved and feeling loved. For me its no different than choosing crack cocaine over your partner. 16 years together, the last 10 of them married.

      --
      Freedom is merely privilege extended unless enjoyed by one and all.
    2. Re: Close.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I feel ya.

      My first marriage also died a horrible death under a blue glow. Not a word at the restaurant table for texting under the table. Even better I found she was hooking up with old flames.

      (I'm not against that but don't don the life jacket before the soup arrives, and let the other passengers know please)

      I guess I should have read that from the mass panic of "zomgz I need to get a phone before we fly out". I've really never seen so much panic at the hands of potentially not having a web connection. She even carried two phones in case one of them failed. She even rushed us out of the restaurant because she needed to get back to the hotel to get on Facebook properly.

      There are shitty people. There are shitty people with no manners. You can be at the butt end of a decade of delusion and dishonesty and never really figure out where it went awry. It all seems so frivolous now but I'm still getting calls 8 years later from debt collectors chasing her, and I'm still not convinced she didn't rip off the bank before we moved to America. I guess I'll never know the truth behind that now.

      Facebook was only a facet of the problem but it was definitely the most maddening.

  9. You're welcome by mnemotronic · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bringing down the average for everyone in our time zone. My wife's motto is "once every five years, whether we need it or not". Thank god for reddit gonewild. Oops. Can I edit that comment??

    --
    The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
  10. Re:No kidding by Major+Blud · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm definitely having less sex than I did 20 years ago!

    Please tell me you're not 23.

    --
    If you post as Anonymous Coward, don't expect a reply.
  11. Example from Higher Education by Kunedog · · Score: 3, Insightful

    the girl herslef said they are false, the accusations were made by a third-side feminist who thought she knew better than both of them

    Just so folks can see a concrete, verifiable example of this kind of thing . . .

    Two adult students have consensual sex; third parties decide otherwise, including the university. The male student is suspended before they even do him the courtesy of a show trial, ruining his education, athletic career, and (potential) medical career.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    This is how the "rape culture" myth does irreparable harm, with college students getting the worst of it through abuse of Title IX.

    1. Re:Example from Higher Education by Megol · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And you did nothing? I think you are lying.

  12. Re: Theory number one: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They don't need fapping lotion in places where men have normal (non-mutilated) dicks.

  13. Anti-depressants by GrBear · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wouldn't be surprised if it's due to the over prescribing of anti-depressants. SSRI's are notorious for killing off your sex drive, and doctors prescribe them for everything under the sun.

  14. Sounds really low by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm closing on 60 and still averaging over 150 a year (and about 9 hours a week). One may be related to the other-- sex may be of less value to average folks who take 3 to 15 minutes, half the women don't have an orgasm, etc.

    Biggest suggestion I can make is to have your setup where the man can stand-- I prefer a inexpensive massage table. The height is adjustable. If she wants to ride cowboy, you can still lay down on it. It's comfortable but not so soft that you are fighting a mattress that's absorbing all your energy.

    But for the guy- doing a 2 hour pushup is much harder than dancing for 2 hours.

    Next, I'd say to guys *always* make sure she has an orgasm. Your orgasm is actually the optional one if you want to have a lot of sex- not hers.
    And as you get older, look into tantric sex. But a little denial will actually make your interest stronger. And induces you to naturally be nice to her, complement her, etc.

    I see so many couples who kill their sex lives thru random rejection. That's just a really deadly trap. One asks the other for sex and is rejected. After a few iterations, they stop asking.

    To the women, I'd say- guys need to feel special and you gotta flatter them. That doesn't mean putting on lingerie and expecting them to get aroused. That works on 20 year olds but it fails against football and video games even for 28 year olds much less 30 year olds. Don't believe, "All I have to do is show up naked". No. You need to flirt. You need to touch. You need to express interest. Sure- he needs to do the same. But the male ego is a real thing. And even if he thinks he wants it- if his ego is torn up, the rocket isn't launching. Penetrative sex isn't the only show in town but it is the most important to many couples (and even women who feel validated that the male rose to the occasion).

    To both sides: Brush and floss your teeth. A mouth that smells like decay isn't sexy. I don't even think I've ever seen a rule of 34 for that. For other body odors and scents- you need to talk to your partner and find out what they like. Antiseptic is good for some, but a little humanity is good for others and some folks like it ripe.

    Anyway.. sounds like a really low rate. It's a wonderful human activity and can be a lot of fun.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  15. Re:Worse by Hylandr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They are a destructive force that will call your employers, their bosses and shame the company into firing you whether or not you were actually guilty. Many of these degenerates just get off on ruining peoples lives just for ruining lives.

    --
    ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
  16. Re:Porn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    oink?

  17. Re:Worse by Trogre · · Score: 3

    Listen, and understand. SJWs are out there. They canâ(TM)t be bargained with. They canâ(TM)t be reasoned with. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely WILL NOT stop. Ever. Until your career is dead.

    --
    "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
  18. The best birth control by superwiz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Children. Yep, having children is the best birth control. And the 2000s had a spike in birth rates. In fact, the underlying cause of the housing bubble (not the finances which allowed it, but the behavior which these finances paid for) was people starting new families. The wedding industry boomed as well. And well, the saying is pretty old, but it still holds true. The best birth control is having children.

    --
    Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
  19. Bingo! by Qbertino · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Too much Fa(r)cebook.
    Seriously, the number of people who spend all their relaxation time buried in that pile of steaming shite
    and ignoring their partner is just astounding, no wonder no intimacy happens ...

    Especially, I have to say it sorry, women. Many seem to spend much of their lives following all the other
    women they know, and thinking that everyone else lives a better life than them (while also themselves
    only posting the highlights of their own lives there, as glamorized as possible..).

    Bingo!
    I totally second that. Had precisely that experience with my last attempt to build a feasible relationship.
    People need a basic ettiquette when it comes to social media and smartphones. Smartphone, tablet and laptop off when you're having quality time with your SO is my rule.

    Facebook is not a social network, it's a global mental illness.

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
  20. Re:Theory number one: by Joce640k · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I can save the "reserachers" a lot of time: People are having less sex because they're not as bored as before.

    --
    No sig today...
  21. Re:Worse by iNaya · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In regards to your sig, "Ad-Hominem attacks are the liberals concession of defeat. The more names they call you, the greater your victory"

    Is unfair to actual liberals. Do a quick look up of "liberal" in the dictionary. The regressive left are anything BUT liberal. They are in fact bigots, who, ironically, call anyone that disagrees with them a bigot.

    --
    The Unicode standard is over 20 years old. Why does Slashdot not support it?
  22. Re: Worse by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Oh ... It seems you were assuming there was a woman involved? :-)

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  23. Improved economic opportunities for women by swb · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As women move further up the ladder economically they are less and less dependent on men. While women still have their own inherent sexual drive, their sex drive is lower than men for a variety of reasons -- when they are younger, due to the inherent risks of pregnancy and child-rearing, and as they age, due to the decline in fertility and the increased risks of childbirth that come with aging.

    I think there's all kinds of evolutionary biology that suggests that sex drive in women is tied to the availability a reliable provider. Pregnant women and women with small children have much greater survival vulnerability -- reduced mobility, increases in risks from physical threats, increased nutritional requirements for both them and any offspring too young to participate in food gathering. And this remains true whether you're talking about a hunter-gatherer community or contemporary American economics -- pregnancy and child-bearing are significant drags on female economic advancement in our economy.

    Not only does having a reliable economic provider create the conditions for reduced child-bearing risk and increase innate sex drive, it also creates an environment where women are more likely to meet male sexual demands because of their economic dependency. They have both fewer disincentives for sexual activity and incentives to meet their partners demands for sexual contact even when their own sexual desire thresholds aren't met.

    I think this goes some way to explaining why conservatives favor traditional female roles -- increased female dependency leads to increased male access to sexuality.

    The way to improve the sagging sexual numbers in the US is probably much stronger economic rights for pregnant women (reduce economic risks associated with pregnancy). It won't help women at the end or past their fertility, though, since nature is already doing its job to reduce desire via declining hormones to prevent high risk pregnancies or because pregnancy is not possible.

  24. Re:Worse by Falconhell · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I blame gay marriage, its well known marriage results in less sex!
    Thats the reason I Never could work out why the religious right were so against it!