{"id":2976,"date":"2021-12-09T11:20:14","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T11:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2976"},"modified":"2023-03-23T16:47:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T16:47:17","slug":"casual-sex-trends-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/casual-sex-trends-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"The great sex recession: How the current climate has changed casual sex trends"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>1 in 3 Brits are having less sex compared to 2018 (pre-pandemic)<\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>A<\/strong><b> third say it\u2019s harder to build physical connections<\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>59% of people \u2018worry\u2019 about casual dating post-lockdown<\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>1 in 3 people admit to masturbating MORE than TWICE as much as before<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is the UK in a sex recession? According to our latest survey, it appears to be so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vivastreet<\/span><\/a> <b>surveyed over 13,000 adult Brits from ages 18 to 75 to understand how casual sex trends have changed since the pandemic.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s what the sexual landscape looks like post-lockdown.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2989 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/vivastreetuk.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/casual-sex.jpg\" alt=\"Man and woman having casual sex on bed\" width=\"1000\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/casual-sex.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/casual-sex-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/casual-sex-768x442.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/casual-sex-600x346.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Great British sex drought<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When asked how much sex they were having in comparison to 2018 (pre-pandemic), around <\/span><b>1 in 3 Brits said they were having <\/b><b><i>less<\/i><\/b><b> sex<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both <\/span><b>36% of married people and 36% of singletons said they were having less sex<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> overall.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a successful COVID-19 vaccination rollout, which has meant people can once again enjoy social gatherings and the company of others, it seems surprising that people are not having as much sex as before.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The decline in sex is not a surprise to Clinical Sexologist <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/drsix.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr Claudia Six<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who cites stress as a \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">huge factor<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d behind the lack of sex for both singletons and couples. \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When going to the grocery store is a potentially life and death proposition, sex takes a back seat,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For single people<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, she continues, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the field of viable partners narrowed significantly, with the fear and unknown variables of COVID contagion.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the added worry of the new variant of the virus Omicron rapidly rising in the UK, it\u2019s likely to be even harder for people to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-break-dry-spell\/\">break through this dry spell<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This changing climate has likely made it more difficult for people to form physical relations, highlighted by the survey\u2019s findings, where <\/span><b>more than a third of people said it is harder to build a physical connection with someone now, than three years ago<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2978 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/vivastreetuk.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-lockdown-and-relationships.png\" alt=\"Dr Claudia Six speaks on the impact of lockdown on relationships\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-lockdown-and-relationships.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-lockdown-and-relationships-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-lockdown-and-relationships-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-lockdown-and-relationships-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-lockdown-and-relationships-600x338.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u200b\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lack of human touch caused by the pandemic, which many have cited as a<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmc.edu\/news\/2020\/05\/touch-starvation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8216;touch starvation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8216; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">could be partly to blame.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies have shown that \u2018touch\u2019 is fundamental for human communication, bonding, and our physical and emotional wellbeing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Psychologist at the University of Oxford <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20200429-will-personal-contact-change-due-to-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professor Robin Dunbar<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">physical contact is part of the mechanism we use to set up our relationships, friendships and family memberships.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As one of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.5lovelanguages.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">five love languages<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, physical touch makes us feel happier, safer and more trusting of others. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/balance\/touch-starvation#:~:text=When%20you%20don't%20get%20enough%20physical%20touch%2C%20you%20can,your%20immune%20and%20digestive%20systems.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without it<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it can cause <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/sex-work-and-mental-health-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mental health<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> issues, such as stress, anxiety and depression as well as weaken our close relationships with one another.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>A dry spell for married couples<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As previously highlighted, the sex drought was not just reserved for singletons, with more than <\/span><b>1 in 3 married couples also experiencing a dry spell between the sheets and having less sex<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When asking why they felt they were having less sex compared to 2018, <\/span><b>12% cited having a \u2018sexless marriage\u2019<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as the reason.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pressures from remote working, homeschooling, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/sex-work-and-managing-finances\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">financial concerns<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and being away from family and friends likely played a significant role in the diminish of couple\u2019s sex lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amanda Rimmer from the Family Law team at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stephensons.co.uk\/site\/news_and_events\/uptodatenews\/covid-restrictions-cause-friction-for-couples\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stephensons<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> states that \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the stresses and strains of this so-called \u2018new normal\u2019 have understandably put a heavy burden on people\u2019s lives and for some their relationships have buckled under that pressure.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a matter of fact, aside from insufficient sex, the lockdown was the catalyst for increased break-ups and divorce rates in the UK and around the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2979 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/vivastreetuk.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-relationships.png\" alt=\"Johnny Cassell speaks on the impact of lockdown on relationships\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-relationships.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-relationships-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-relationships-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-relationships-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-relationships-600x338.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leading British law firm <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stewartslaw.com\/news\/why-have-divorce-rates-increased-during-the-covid-19-pandemic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stewarts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> recorded a 122% increase in divorce enquiries between July and October 2020 compared to the same period in the previous year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Married couples or people that live with their partner \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">we&#8217;re just as likely to want to rip their head off than rip their clothes off after suddenly spending every second of every day together<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, tells <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnnycassell.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dating Coach Johnny Cassell<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To maintain a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/signs-of-a-healthy-relationship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">healthy relationship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">distance does, it seems, make the heart grow fonder.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr Claudia agrees, stating that <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when lockdown forces couples together, it can be more than they bargained for. A form of \u2018familiarity breeds contempt&#8217;<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The death of the office fling<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A by-product of the pandemic<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, remote working has become the new normal for many Brits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/303589\/working-from-home-in-the-united-kingdom-uk-y-on-y\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Statista<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reported that people who mainly work from home rose to 17.4% in the UK compared to the previous year at 14.2%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But it seems as though the introduction of remote working may have severely impacted hook-up culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A whopping <\/span><b>47% of respondents said they were now less likely to have casual sex through the office when compared to three years ago<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It goes without saying that most Brits were likely spending a huge proportion of their lives in the workplace prior to the pandemic, making it an easy and convenient place to meet romantic prospects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2020, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehrdirector.com\/business-news\/the-workplace\/two-thirds-of-brits-have-been-romantically-involved-with-a-colleague\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The HR Director<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reported that 66% of Brits had been romantically involved with a colleague.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2987 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/vivastreetuk.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/the-death-of-the-office-fling.jpg\" alt=\"Couple being intimate at work\" width=\"1000\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/the-death-of-the-office-fling.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/the-death-of-the-office-fling-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/the-death-of-the-office-fling-768x442.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/the-death-of-the-office-fling-600x346.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To understand just how much remote working has impacted sexual relations, we asked people if they had ever had casual sex with a work colleague.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An impressive <\/span><b>40% of people admitted to having had casual sex with a former colleague, while 30% said that this eventually led to a long-term casual relationship<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The notion of workplace hookup culture is backed by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tribunetimes.co.uk\/politics\/young-people-will-return-to-offices-for-sex-as-there-are-evolutionary-reasons-to-ditch-work-from-home-boris-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prime Minister Boris Johnson<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who only recently heavily implied that young people will flock back to offices to have sex, stating: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201csound evolutionary reason why mother nature does not like working from home\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The impact of remote working on Brits\u2019 sex lives does not come as a shock to Dr Claudia, who says: \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For those who are having sex with co-workers, the obvious reason is access. You don\u2019t have to look very far and there\u2019s regular contact.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The days of social interactions with our fellow colleagues may soon cease to exist. Many companies are choosing to permanently implement remote working, with others looking to follow suit in the near future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2021-06-21\/half-of-london-companies-plan-for-home-working-five-days-a-week\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bloomberg<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, almost half of London firms expect their staff to work from home five days a week once the pandemic is over.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, those who once heavily relied on office hookups will have to rethink their strategy in forging sexual relations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2980 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/vivastreetuk.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-sex-and-work.png\" alt=\"Dr Claudia Six speaks on the relationships between sex and work-hookup culture\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-sex-and-work.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-sex-and-work-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-sex-and-work-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-sex-and-work-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-sex-and-work-600x338.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>Sexual confidence at its lowest<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So has the current climate impacted people\u2019s confidence when it comes to casual sex? <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seems so.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When asked how they feel about casual dating post-lockdown, although a third of people who identified as single<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">said they were excited of the prospect of getting back into the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/the-periodic-table-of-modern-dating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dating game<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>59% admitted to feeling \u2018worried\u2019.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the findings, <\/span><b>14% of singletons feel anxious about casual dating post-lockdown, 20% are nervous, and 24% admit to feeling like they don\u2019t know how to act in this social environment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Johnny reassures that, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">if you\u2019re feeling anxious about your first date in a while, that\u2019s normal<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d Heightened emotions and concerns caused by lockdown and loneliness are \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">yet to heal\u201d.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c\u200b\u200b<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can expect to be a bit rusty when we first get out there,\u201d he says. \u201cIt may take getting a few bad dates out the way before we get back into the swing of things and stop feeling awkward around &#8211; gasp &#8211; REAL people!<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, whether it be isolation, financial stress, or unhealthy lockdown habits, the pandemic has brought on sudden changes and challenges, impacting our mental health as a result.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In mid-2020, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.org.uk\/news-and-comment\/blogs\/emerging-evidence-on-covid-19s-impact-on-mental-health-and-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Health Foundation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> announced that 69% of UK adults report feeling somewhat or very worried about the way COVID-19 is affecting their life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many social lives have also been depleted, meaning people have been forced to communicate digitally, causing social anxiety and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/patient.info\/news-and-features\/how-to-build-your-confidence-post-lockdown\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chipping away at our confidence and self-esteem<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as a result.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2981 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/vivastreetuk.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-dating-after-lockdown.png\" alt=\"Johnny Cassell speaks on dating after lockdown\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-dating-after-lockdown.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-dating-after-lockdown-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-dating-after-lockdown-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-dating-after-lockdown-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-dating-after-lockdown-600x338.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ironically, while people are concerned about meeting up with others, sex itself is the very thing we need to boost our confidence and mental health. According to Dr Claudia, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ex makes you feel happy, confident, wanted, desired, attractive. It boosts self-esteem and morale, and puts a bounce in your step<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having less sex can cause these positive emotions to flag, which is why \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">being well laid is an antidote to such neuroses.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with confidence, has this decline in sex had any other impact on Brits?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From a psychological perspective on relationships, there\u2019s no doubt. \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With nobody to gawk at in person for months, intellectual interactions and emotional maturity have been placed in higher regard,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d expresses Johnny.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being sex-starved has made many people realise \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how of little intrinsic value it really is on its own. Instead, people are thinking more long-term and looking for those \u2018Keeper Features\u2019 in potential partners &#8211; does he cook? Can she speak her mind without arguing? Is he financially stable? What do they add to my life?<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Lonely after lockdown <\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with the impact on mental health, the current climate may also have impacted our friendships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A survey conducted by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/yougov.co.uk\/topics\/relationships\/articles-reports\/2020\/02\/13\/how-do-brits-find-love\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">YouGov<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2020 revealed that mutual friends were the second-best way to meet a partner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to our survey results, <\/span><b>40% of single people believe they are far less likely to meet someone through a friend or family member in comparison to three years ago<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A year of social isolation has likely contributed to people feeling isolated from their loved ones including friends, evident by another <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/yougov.co.uk\/topics\/relationships\/articles-reports\/2021\/02\/25\/many-britons-have-fewer-friends-pandemic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by YouGov which found that \u201c61% of Britons say they now feel less close than before the coronavirus pandemic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The chances of meeting someone through loved ones was even less for older people. <\/span><b>60% of survey respondents aged between 55-75 said they were less likely to meet someone through friends or family now than three years ago<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This coincides with a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2021\/may\/24\/a-million-over-65s-still-at-risk-of-loneliness-as-uk-lockdown-eases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">review<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> this year by 10 leading charities, who found that a \u201cmillion people over 65 in the UK are likely to remain at risk of chronic loneliness despite the easing of coronavirus restrictions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2988 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/vivastreetuk.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/lonely-after-lockdown.jpg\" alt=\"Lonely woman laying in bed\" width=\"1000\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/lonely-after-lockdown.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/lonely-after-lockdown-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/lonely-after-lockdown-768x442.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/lonely-after-lockdown-600x346.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>Self-love offers a helping hand <\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If having casual sex has become more difficult, it seems that for many Brits <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/9-things-to-know-about-masturbation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">masturbation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has given them a helping hand in self-pleasure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly <\/span><b>50% of respondents admitted to increasing masturbating habits<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with 1 in 3 people admitting to masturbating more than twice as much as three years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More interestingly, women are masturbating more than men. Our survey revealed that <\/span><b>29% of women are masturbating five times more than before as opposed to just 12% of men<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These findings come as no surprise &#8211; last year a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2020\/06\/02\/people-are-masturbating-lockdown-cant-have-sex-people-who-dont-share-household-12794824\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by sex toy brand LELO, discovered that 56% of people masturbated once a day in lockdown resulting in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/best-sex-toys-and-how-to-use-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sex toys<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sales skyrocketing by 73% since the lockdown began.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At a time like this, Dr Claudia is not surprised that people are masturbating more because \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">masturbation is easy<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d. Unlike physical intimacy with another person, masturbation means, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you don\u2019t have to deal with another person\u2019s desires, moods, willingness, preferences, communication style, bad breath\u2026 and it\u2019s a common self-soothing strategy when faced with increased stress. If you\u2019re home more, you have more opportunity.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">masturbation is completely normal and healthy, no matter how much you want to do it,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d according to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/sex-expert-gigi-engle-on-masturbation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sexologist Gigi Engle<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there are some risks linked with excessive masturbation habits on a person\u2019s sex life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a relationship, this may not go down well, agrees Dr Claudia, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">there will be spouses whose feelings get hurt by a mate choosing masturbation over them.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d However, that is likely \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a relationship issue that goes deeper than how much masturbation is happening<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2982 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/vivastreetuk.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-masturbation.png\" alt=\"Dr Claudia Six speaks on increased masturbation habits after lockdown\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-masturbation.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-masturbation-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-masturbation-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-masturbation-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dr-claudia-on-masturbation-600x338.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For singletons, self-pleasure may cause them to lose interest or not feel as eager to pursue a sexual relationship with someone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with an increase in masturbation, porn consumption has also seen an increase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our survey revealed that more than half of Brits admit to watching more porn compared to three years ago, with <\/span><b>1 in 3 watching TWICE as much porn<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Media regulator <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ofcom.org.uk\/research-and-data\/internet-and-on-demand-research\/online-nation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ofcom<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> also revealed that half of UK adults watched more online porn during the COVID-19 outbreak.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to their findings, in 2020 26 million people viewed adult content with adult sites like PornHub attracting a larger audience than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.barb.co.uk\/viewing-data\/weekly-viewing-summary-new\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mainstream television channels<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as Sky One and ITV4.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Adult sites &amp; apps are the way forward<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When asked where they go to look for casual sex, <\/span><b>hook-up sites &amp; apps were by far the most popular with 56% of singletons using these types of platforms to get laid<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When asked how this compares to three years ago, <\/span><b>35% said they are much more likely to use hookup sites\/apps now<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> compared to three years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While our lifestyles became busier from heavy workloads, busy social calendars and financial worries, many of us also lack confidence, making finding a sex partner online an easier option.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2983 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/vivastreetuk.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-attitudes-to-relationships.png\" alt=\"Johnny Cassell speaks on new attitudes towards relationship since lockdown\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-attitudes-to-relationships.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-attitudes-to-relationships-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-attitudes-to-relationships-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-attitudes-to-relationships-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/johnny-cassell-on-attitudes-to-relationships-600x338.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>Pandemic-era sex is here to stay\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the new COVID variant now a concern in the UK, it looks like more Brits will continue to have less sex &#8211; alas the age of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/escort\/gb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">casual hookups<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will continue to die a slow death.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Johnny believes that \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">we may be looking at a love revolution.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d With all the changes we\u2019ve experienced since the pandemic, such as working from home, perhaps lockdown has taught us a lesson about relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we currently experience a change in consciousness, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">people crave what lockdown has taken from them; stability and security,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d he says, which is not sustainable in casual hookup relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the meantime, to prevent the current climate from impacting your sex life, when it comes to dating, Johnny advises that \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">if you\u2019re worried about screwing up &#8211; let it happen! Once the novelty has worn off, you\u2019ll feel comfortable in your own skin again.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1 in 3 Brits are having less sex compared to 2018 (pre-pandemic) A third say it\u2019s harder to build physical connections 59% of people \u2018worry\u2019 about casual dating post-lockdown 1 in 3 people admit to masturbating MORE than TWICE as much as before Is the UK in a sex recession? According to our latest survey, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"CBBTypography":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[223],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-2976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sex-and-relationships"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2976"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivastreet.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=2976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}