The UK has entered a "sexual recession" because of COVID-19, according to new research.
Of the 2,000 Brits who responded to a MysteryVibe study, a third said they had less sex in 2020 than in 2019. Women's sex lives have been hit hardest by the pandemic, the study found, with four in ten saying they had less sex in 2020.
A quarter of Brits said they hadn't had sex at all in 2020 – not too surprising given the ways in which COVID-19 has changed dating, though people in relationships said their sex lives had been affected too.
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Nearly 40% of Brits said they had less sex in 2020 because their libido had decreased, while 25% attributed their lack of sexual activity to greater anxiety as the pandemic took hold.
A further 17% said they had less sex last year because they felt less attractive than in 2019.
"It’s clear that the British public is suffering from a sexual recession. Whether it’s fears about performance, a lack of sex drive or external life pressures, the UK is in a sexual rut," said MysteryVibe's Dr. Soum Rakshit.
"As attitudes towards sex continue to evolve, we can’t just watch from the sidelines. We all have a responsibility to open up the national conversation about sex, pleasure and health and get people enjoying themselves again."
Clare Bedford, a psychosexual and relationship therapist, said it was "unsurprising" that the global pandemic and a succession of lockdowns had affected our sex lives.
"Psychological causes such as stress and anxiety have negatively impacted sexual desire, which is reflected in the findings of this research," she added.
"It’s important for us to start having these difficult conversations, so that we can normalise the challenges people are facing in an attempt to create a more positive and healthy sexual relationship with ourselves and others."