A new study suggests people are having less sex.
The research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine showed that married and common law couples and those over 25 years of age were not having sex as often from 2001 to 2012. The most recent data showed that less than half of men and women aged 16 to 44 have sex at least once a week while close to half of women and almost two thirds of men report wanting to have sex more often.
Professor Kaye Wellings used three national sex surveys in Britain for her study but added that other countries like the U.S. are facing the same dilemma.
"Several high income countries have recently reported a decline in the frequency with which men and women have sex," she said.
The number of times that 35-44 year olds reported having sex in a month fell from four to two among women and from four to three among men, and the odds of having sex 10 or more times in a month were cut in half in this age group. In the U.S. sex declines were largest among those in their 50s.
Wellings said regular sexual activity has benefits for health, wellbeing, and quality of life. Research indicates that men and women who enjoy an active sex life are fitter, happier, and have better cognitive function and increased life expectancy.
"Evidence shows that sexual activity might help prevent infection by bolstering immune function, protect against cardiovascular disease by lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce stress by increasing release of oxytocin," she added.
The British professor said the decline in sexual frequency seems to coincide with the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 and the global recession of 2008. She said in the U.S. study, declines in sexual frequency were largest among those who did not watch pornography. Professor Wellings added perhaps the most compelling explanation for lower sex activity is the stress and “busyness” of modern life because work, family life, and leisure time are constantly juggled.
"Life in the digital age is considerably more complex than in previous eras," Wellings said. "The boundary between the private space of home and the public world outside is blurred, and the internet offers considerable scope for diversion."
