As a leading brand and trusted advisor on intimate wellness, we recently conducted a Sexual Wellness Trend study to gain insights into people’s attitudes and behaviors surrounding sex. We wanted to know what you’re into and what you’re not, along with every who, what, when, where, why, and how we could think of. We surveyed more than 2,000 sexually active adults and uncovered some interesting trends in sex and intimacy.
What We Learned
Sex positivity and sexual wellness are important.
Sexual wellness is highly important to 75% of all survey respondents, and that is equally true for any gender and sexual orientation. A majority of respondents (56%) say that they’re very comfortable with their sexuality. Most (58%) would also describe themselves as sex-positive. Despite this, only 35% are very comfortable discussing sexual health with their doctors.
If you’re unsure how to broach a sensitive topic with your healthcare provider, Dr. Josh, ASTROGLIDE’s Sexual Health Advisor, has some tips:
- If you’re concerned about something (like a symptom or a lump or bump), say something. Never assume your healthcare provider will ask specific questions about your sexual health.
- Be as open as possible. Be honest about who you’re having sex with, how many people you are having sex with, and what kinds of sex you are having. This will help your healthcare provider assess your risk.
- Make discussing your sexual health part of your overall health discussion with your doctor.
- If your provider doesn’t make you feel comfortable discussing these issues, look elsewhere. There are plenty of providers who specialise in sexual health that may be a better fit for you.
Masturbation is widely regarded as a form of self-care.
A whopping 70% of respondents consider self-pleasure a form of self-care, and over 40% practice self-pleasure on at least a weekly basis—12% do so daily. Interestingly, LGBTQ folks masturbate more often than heterosexual folks, and men masturbate more frequently than women. If you’re frequently practicing self-lovin’, consider spicing things up with some of these solo techniques. And if still need convincing that self-pleasure is worth adding to your self-care routine, read up on masturbation myth-busters and tips that may change your mind.
Low libido is an issue.
49% of respondents say they struggle with low libido or desire to have sex sometimes or often, and most (79%) would consider taking a sexual health supplement to help them in this area. Of note, men struggle more often with low libido or desire to have sex than women. If you’re looking for a libido boost, ASTROGLIDE’s Resident Sexologist, Dr. Jess, breaks down the best food and supplements for sexual health.
Lube is up in the air.
Nearly a quarter of respondents have never used lube to enhance sexual pleasure, and 28% think it’s only to be used when there is a problem like dryness or irritation. If you fall into this camp, we can assure you that there are lots of reasons to use lube in the bedroom, and this blog breaks down the stigma of lube use and gives tips for introducing it into your routine.
The good news is that 60% of respondents agree that lube should be used anytime to enhance sexual pleasure and an overwhelming majority (83%) are likely to use lube with their partner. If you’re looking to spice things up, check out these hot techniques using lube.
We have strong opinions on our partners.
Most respondents have a preference when it comes to their partner’s pubic hair. 34% like it trimmed, 31% want it completely removed, and 8% like it natural. We stand firmly on the side of “do you” on this one.
When it comes to size, however, most respondents fell in the camp of “it’s not what you have, it’s how you use it”, regardless of gender.
Most respondents (52%) aren’t concerned about having an experience gap with their partner, and over one-third do not care about their partner’s number of sexual partners. The number of sexual partners you’ve had matters to more women (31.4%) than men (25.4%). And when it comes to brand new partners, 48% have had sex on the first date before, and 17% more are open to it.
We’re open to trying new things.
73% of respondents are trying out new sex positions on the regular. 49% have had anal sex, and another 12% are interested in trying it for the first time. 62% have experimented with sex toys, and 21% have not but are open to it, — among these respondents, 83% mentioned that they would use sex toys with a partner.
We’re talking about sex more.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, sex is discussed much more frequently in respondents’ households today than it was when they were growing up—45% of respondents said that sex was never discussed in their household compared to just 16% today. On top of that, 20% of households are commonly discussing sex vs. only 6% when growing up.
This is promising news because we know that sex education in schools isn’t always comprehensive. Creating an open dialogue in your home about sex also creates opportunities to talk about relationships, pleasure, confidence, body image, communication, intimacy, conflict resolution, and so much more. You can read more in Dr. Jess’s blog about the importance of Sex Ed.