Human sexual activity affects cognitive function, health, happiness and overall quality of life—and, yes, there is also the matter of reproduction. The huge range of benefits is one reason researchers have become alarmed at declines in sexual activity around the world, from Japan to Europe to Australia. A recent study evaluating what is happening in the U.S. has added to the pile of tear sheets, showing declines from 2009 to 2018 in all forms of partnered sexual activity, including penile-vaginal intercourse, anal sex and partnered masturbation. The findings show that adolescents report less solo masturbation as well.
The decreases “aren’t trivial,” as the authors wrote in the study, published on November 19 in Archives of Sexual Behavior. Between 2009 and 2018, the proportion of adolescents reporting no sexual activity, either alone or with partners, rose from 28.8 percent to 44.2 percent among young men and from 49.5 percent in 2009 to 74 percent among young women. The researchers obtained the self-reported information from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior and used responses from 4,155 people in 2009 and 4,547 people in 2018. These respondents to the confidential survey ranged in age from 14 to 49 years.
The study itself did not probe the reasons for this trend. But Scientific American spoke with its first author Debby Herbenick, a professor at the Indiana University School of Public Health–Bloomington, and Tsung-chieh (Jane) Fu, a co-author of the paper and a research associate at the school, about underlying factors that might explain these changes.
[An edited transcript of the interview follows.]
Given that research in other parts of the world has already indicated decreases in partnered sex, what do your recent findings add to the picture?
HERBENICK: Our study tracks the declines, too, and extends the research because Jane [Fu] and our larger team tracked sex behaviors in really detailed ways. We looked at penile-vaginal sex, partnered masturbation, and giving and receiving oral sex. And we saw declines across all categories. And we included adolescents, too. The decline in adolescent masturbation is interesting, and we were the first to include it. That one deserves a lot more attention.
What might explain declines among young people?
FU: We need more studies to tell us why. But for young people, computer games, increasing social media use, video games—something is replacing that time. During that period from 2009 to 2018, different types of social media emerged. This is always evolving, especially for younger people.
HERBENICK: We don’t expect there to be one explanation or one driver in these decreases. We fully expect that there are multiple things going on for different age groups, different partnership status, different genders. You don’t need those individual pieces to explain a big part of a notable decrease, but … each one [might] explain a percentage point or two.
Is there any contribution from increases in people expressing an asexual identity?
HERBENICK: We don’t know why more people are identifying as asexual, but I do think more people are aware of it as a valid identity. Even compared with when I started teaching human sexuality in 2003, I routinely had one student in my class who might identify as asexual. Now I have three or four. That’s striking to me. I love that young people are aware of so many different ways to put into words how they feel about themselves. For many of them, they feel that it’s okay to opt out of sex.
In your paper, you bring up increases in “rough sex” as potentially contributing to declines. Can you explain what you mean by rough sex, and how it could be playing a role in these changes?
HERBENICK: Especially for those 18 to 29 years old, there have been increases in what many people call rough sex behaviors. Limited research suggests that an earlier idea of this was what I would consider fairly vanilla rough sex: pulling hair, a little light spanking. What we see now in studies of thousands of randomly sampled college students is choking or strangling during sex. The behavior seems to be a majority behavior for college-age students. For many people, it’s consensual and wanted and asked for, but it’s also scary to many people, even if they learn to enjoy it or want it. It’s a major line of research for our team: to understand how they feel, what the health risks are and how that fits into the larger sexual landscapes.
FU: We have seen what seem to be real shifts in those behaviors. We don’t know to what extent that may be driving some people to opt out, but we do know that some people are feeling frightened and don’t know what to make of what’s being presented to them, especially young adults. They could consent to sex, but something like choking might happen without them being asked before. We see a lot of gender effects in a lot of behaviors for different nonheterosexual identities. For example, bisexual women experience a lot more of these aggressive behaviors.
HERBENICK: We have really been trying to untangle that, too, because it’s not clear from our research how much of those elevated rates are wanted and pleasurable or unwanted, because bisexual women also report higher rates of sexual victimization.
In the report, you note that there are probably multiple reasons that people’s sexual expression has changed.
HERBENICK: Various studies around the world have proposed different explanations, such as economic status. Lower income is associated with greater declines. One study looked at use of computer games among young people [as a possible explanation]. Some folks have tracked declines in alcohol use, and we know that [alcohol use] can be associated with disinhibition. We have seen, somewhat, [an] increase in sex toy use—from what we looked at, not a massive increase. If there is a change, it’s probably just going to contribute to one of the blips. I don’t expect it to be the explanation.
Do you have suggestions for people who might be reading this interview and wondering, “Should I do something with this information right now?”—maybe from the perspective of themselves, their partner or partners, or discussions with their children?
FU: For parents, it would be great to have open conversations with their children, especially teens, about sex. Sex in recent years looks very different, whether it’s the emergence of technologies or of new sexual behaviors. We hope that parents can play an active role in guiding their children, not just to warn them of the risk of various sexual behaviors but also to educate them on how to have meaningful relationships and eventually satisfying and pleasurable sex.
HERBENICK: For many of us, I think it is worth asking a few things: How do I feel about my sexual life? How does my partner feel? Ask them! Some people may look around and feel like the sexual interactions they do have are pleasurable, connecting, joyful and make up a satisfying sex life for them. Others might look around and say, “You know, 10 to 15 years ago, when we couldn’t stream as many fun shows on TV, we watched a lot less television, and we had sex more often. I wonder how we might have sex more often?”
More generally, could you elaborate a bit about how sexual activity with or without partners intersects with other aspects of health and what “sexual health” looks like?
HERBENICK: Sexuality is such an important part of life, and understanding changes that occur matters to how we understand what is shifting about the human experience. We know that sexual activity can help people to relax, fall asleep, reduce stress, feel intimate and connected and thereby improve their relationships—and may even help to boost their immune system. And sex can also just be fun, pleasurable and joyful—a way to express oneself in vulnerable ways. Sexual health is multidimensional and not just about the presence or absence of infections or disease but about the potential for pleasure, access to accurate information about sexuality, bodily autonomy and ability to have sexual experiences that are free from violence or coercion.
What sorts of effects on these behaviors do you already see or anticipate from the pandemic, which of course was not tracked in your study?
FU: We know that things are changing a lot when people are at home. Being able to work from home has allowed some long-distance partners to spend more time together or even live together. But for partners that do not live together and do not have that option of working remotely, difficulties in travel may lead to even less time together. For those living with their partner, more time spent together at home may not necessarily lead to more and more satisfying or pleasurable sex. Being quarantined, social distancing, financial difficulties, working from home could all lead to strains in the relationship. Loss of or the instability of childcare because of the pandemic can restrict the sex lives of those who are parents.
HERBENICK: Certainly people who do not live with partners have, by and large, been more constrained in partnered sex over the past two years, with some relaxation of that since the widespread availability of vaccines and vaccine boosters. But ultimately we don’t live in a vacuum, and our sex lives don’t occur in a vacuum, so there are myriad factors. The past two years have also brought lots of grief for people who have lost family members to COVID. Many people are dealing with long COVID and related health challenges, job loss and financial strain. And more people of all ages are dealing with anxiety and depression since the pandemic. So these all have influences on sexual interest and sex drive, too.
Shughuli ya kingono ya binadamu huathiri kazi ya utambuzi, afya, furaha na ubora wa jumla wa maisha - na, ndiyo, pia kuna suala la uzazi. "Hii ni moja ya sababu kwa nini watafiti wamekuwa na wasiwasi juu ya kupungua kwa shughuli za kingono ulimwenguni kote, kutoka Japan hadi Ulaya na Australia. """ Utafiti wa hivi karibuni unaochunguza kile kinachotokea nchini Marekani umeongeza kwenye rundo la karatasi za machozi, kuonyesha kupungua kutoka 2009 hadi 2018 katika aina zote za shughuli za kingono za washirika, ikiwa ni pamoja na ngono ya penis-vaginal, ngono ya anal na masturbation ya washirika. Matokeo yanaonyesha kwamba matineja wanaripoti pia kwamba hawajifanyii ngono ya kingono mara nyingi. "Utaratibu huo wa ""kuondoa"" utata wa kuondoa, unaofanana na utafiti uliochapishwa mnamo Novemba 19 katika Archives of Sexual Behavior." Kati ya mwaka 2009 na 2018, idadi ya vijana ambao waliripoti kuwa hawana shughuli za kingono, ama peke yao au na wenzi wao, iliongezeka kutoka asilimia 28.8 hadi 44.2 kati ya vijana wa kiume na kutoka asilimia 49.5 mnamo 2009 hadi asilimia 74 kati ya vijana wa kike. Utafiti huo ulijumuisha taarifa kutoka kwa utafiti wa National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSHBE) na majibu kutoka kwa watu 4,155 mnamo 2009 na watu 4,547 mnamo 2018. Wanafunzi waliohudhuria uchunguzi huo wa siri walikuwa na umri wa miaka 14 hadi 49. Utafiti huo wenyewe haukuchunguza sababu za mwelekeo huo. "Scientific American ilizungumza na mwandishi wake wa kwanza, Debby Herbeck, profesa katika Chuo Kikuu cha Indiana, Shule ya Afya ya Umma, Bloomington, na Tsing-Chiang Fu, mwandishi mwenza wa karatasi na msaidizi wa utafiti katika shule hiyo, juu ya ""sababishi za msingi"" ambazo zinaweza kuelezea mabadiliko haya." [Nakala iliyorekebishwa ya mahojiano hiyo inafuata.] Kwa kuwa utafiti uliofanywa katika sehemu nyingine za ulimwengu umeonyesha kuwa idadi ya watu wanaofanya ngono na wenzi wa ndoa imepungua, matokeo ya hivi karibuni yanaonyesha nini? "Hii ni kwa sababu utafiti wa Jane na timu yake ya utafiti ""ilikuwa na athari kubwa kwa tabia za ngono.""" Tulichunguza ngono ya kiume na ya kiume, kujigamba pamoja, na kutoa na kupokea ngono ya mdomo. Na tuliona kupungua katika makundi yote. Na tulitia ndani matineja pia. Kupungua kwa masturbation ya vijana ni ya kuvutia, na sisi tulikuwa wa kwanza kuijumuisha. Hiyo inastahili uangalifu zaidi. Ni nini kinachoweza kueleza kupungua kwa idadi ya vijana? "F.U.A: ""Tunahitaji utafiti zaidi ili kujua ni kwa nini." Lakini kwa vijana, michezo ya kompyuta, kuongezeka kwa matumizi ya mitandao ya kijamii, michezo ya video - kitu kinabadilisha wakati huo. Katika kipindi cha miaka ya 2009 hadi 2018, mitandao ya kijamii ilijitokeza. Hii ni daima kubadilika, hasa kwa ajili ya vijana. HERBENICK: Hatutarajii kuwa na ufafanuzi mmoja au dereva mmoja katika kupungua haya. Kwa kweli, kuna mambo mengi yanayofanyika kwa makundi tofauti ya umri, hali tofauti ya ushirika, na jinsia tofauti. Huna haja ya vipande hivyo vya mtu binafsi kuelezea sehemu kubwa ya kupungua kwa kuvutia, lakini... kila mmoja [aweza] kuelezea asilimia moja au mbili. Je, kuna mchango wowote kutoka kwa ongezeko la watu wanaojionyesha kuwa wasio na jinsia? "Hakuna mtu anayejua kwa nini watu wengi wanajiita ""aseksual"" lakini wanajua kuwa ni kitu cha kawaida." "Hata wakati nilipoanza kufundisha ngono ya kibinadamu mnamo 2003, nilikuwa na mwanafunzi mmoja katika darasa langu ambaye angeweza kujitambulisha kama ""aseksual.""" Sasa nina tatu au nne. Hilo linanishangaza. """Ninafurahi kuwa vijana wanajua njia nyingi za kuelezea jinsi wanavyojisikia juu yao wenyewe." Kwa wengi wao, wanahisi kwamba ni sawa kuamua kutofanya ngono. Katika karatasi yako, wewe kuleta juu ya ongezeko la "jinsia kali" kama uwezekano wa kuchangia kupungua. Je, unaweza kueleza maana ya ngono mbaya na jinsi inavyoweza kuwa na jukumu katika mabadiliko haya? "Hata hivyo, kwa wale wenye umri wa miaka 18-29 ""kufanya ngono kwa njia mbaya"" ni jambo la kawaida." "Utafiti mdogo unaonyesha kwamba wazo la awali la hii lilikuwa kile ningeona kuwa ngono mbaya ya vanilla: kuvuta nywele, kupigwa kidogo kwa mwanga. """ Katika utafiti uliofanywa kwa maelfu ya wanafunzi wa chuo kikuu, watu wengi walijeruhiwa na kuuawa wakati wa ngono. Tabia hiyo inaonekana kuwa tabia ya wengi kwa wanafunzi wa umri wa chuo kikuu. Kwa watu wengi, ni makubaliano na alitaka na aliuliza kwa, lakini pia ni ya kutisha kwa watu wengi, hata kama wao kujifunza kufurahia au wanataka. Ni mstari mkubwa wa utafiti kwa timu yetu: kuelewa jinsi wanavyohisi, ni nini hatari za afya na jinsi hiyo inafaa katika mandhari kubwa ya ngono. "F.U.A. - ""Tumeona mabadiliko ya kweli katika tabia hizo." Hatujui ni kwa kiwango gani hiyo inaweza kuwa inawaongoza watu wengine kuchagua nje, lakini tunajua kwamba watu wengine wanahisi hofu na hawajui nini cha kufanya na kile kinachowasilishwa kwao, haswa watu wazima vijana. Wanaweza kukubali kufanya ngono, lakini jambo kama vile kuzama huenda likatokea bila wao kuulizwa kabla. Kuna athari nyingi za kijinsia katika tabia nyingi kwa utambulisho tofauti wa watu wasio wa jinsia moja. Kwa mfano, wanawake wa jinsia mbili hupata tabia nyingi za jeuri. "Hata hivyo, kwa sababu ya utafiti wetu, haijulikani wazi ni kiasi gani cha viwango hivyo vya juu vinatamaniwa na kufurahisha au havitakiwi, kwa sababu wanawake wa jinsia mbili pia wanaripoti viwango vya juu vya unyanyasaji wa kingono. """ Katika ripoti hiyo, unabainisha kwamba huenda kukawa na sababu nyingi ambazo zimesababisha watu kubadilisha jinsi wanavyojieleza kingono. "Herbenich: ""Hakuna utafiti wowote unaoonyesha kwamba kuna uwezekano wa kuwa na matatizo ya kiuchumi." Mapato ya chini huhusianishwa na kupungua kwa kiasi kikubwa. Uchunguzi mmoja ulichunguza matumizi ya michezo ya kompyuta miongoni mwa vijana [kama ufafanuzi unaowezekana]. Watu wengi wamekuwa wakitumia kileo kwa muda mrefu na wanajua kuwa kileo kinaweza kusababisha matatizo ya akili. Tumeona, kwa kiasi fulani, [ongezeko] katika matumizi ya vitu vya ngono - kutoka kwa kile tulichotazama, sio ongezeko kubwa. Kama kuna mabadiliko, ni pengine tu kwenda kuchangia moja ya blips. Sidhani kama hilo ndilo ufafanuzi. "Je, una mapendekezo kwa watu ambao wanaweza kuwa kusoma mahojiano haya na kujiuliza, ""Je, mimi kufanya kitu na habari hii sasa hivi?""Labda kutoka mtazamo wao wenyewe, mpenzi wao au washirika, au majadiliano na watoto wao?" "Mwanzo: ""Kama mzazi, ni muhimu kuwa na mazungumzo ya wazi na watoto wao, hasa matineja, kuhusu ngono." Ngono katika miaka ya hivi karibuni inaonekana tofauti sana, iwe ni kuibuka kwa teknolojia au tabia mpya za kingono. """Tunatumaini kwamba wazazi wanaweza kuchukua jukumu la kuongoza watoto wao, sio tu kuwaonya juu ya hatari ya tabia mbalimbali za kingono, lakini pia kuwaelimisha juu ya jinsi ya kuwa na mahusiano ya maana na hatimaye ngono yenye kuridhisha na yenye kufurahisha." "Hawa ni watu ambao wanajiuliza maswali kama haya: ""Nina maoni gani kuhusu ngono yangu?""" Mshirika wangu anajisikiaje? Waulize wao! Watu wengine wanaweza kutazama karibu na kuhisi kama mahusiano yao ya kingono ni ya kufurahisha, ya kuunganisha, ya furaha na kuunda maisha ya ngono yenye kuridhisha kwao. "Wengine wanaweza kutazama na kusema, ""Unajua, miaka 10 hadi 15 iliyopita, wakati hatukuweza kusambaza vipindi vingi vya kufurahisha kwenye TV, tulitazama televisheni kidogo, na tulifanya ngono mara nyingi zaidi.""" Najiuliza jinsi tunaweza kufanya ngono mara nyingi zaidi? Kwa ujumla, unaweza kuelezea kidogo juu ya jinsi shughuli za kingono na au bila washirika zinavyokutana na nyanja zingine za afya na jinsi "afya ya kingono" inavyoonekana? "Herbenich: ""Nafsi ni sehemu muhimu sana ya maisha, na kuelewa mabadiliko yanayotokea ni muhimu kwa jinsi tunavyoelewa kile kinachobadilika kuhusu uzoefu wa kibinadamu." Tunajua kwamba shughuli za kingono zinaweza kusaidia watu kupumzika, kulala, kupunguza mkazo, kuhisi karibu na kushikamana na hivyo kuboresha mahusiano yao - na inaweza hata kusaidia kuongeza mfumo wao wa kinga. Na ngono pia inaweza kuwa ya kufurahisha, yenye kufurahisha na yenye furaha - njia ya kujieleza kwa njia dhaifu. Afya ya kingono ni ya pande nyingi na sio tu juu ya uwepo au kutokuwepo kwa maambukizo au magonjwa, lakini juu ya uwezo wa kufurahisha, upatikanaji wa habari sahihi juu ya ngono, uhuru wa mwili na uwezo wa kuwa na uzoefu wa kingono bila vurugu au kulazimishwa. Ni athari gani za tabia hizi unaona au unatarajia kutoka kwa janga, ambalo bila shaka halikufuatwa katika utafiti wako? "Mwanamke mmoja alisema: ""Mambo yanabadilika sana wakati watu wanapoishi nyumbani." Kufanya kazi kutoka nyumbani kumeruhusu washirika wengine wa umbali mrefu kutumia wakati zaidi pamoja au hata kuishi pamoja. Lakini kwa wanandoa ambao hawaishi pamoja na hawana chaguo la kufanya kazi kwa mbali, ugumu wa kusafiri unaweza kusababisha muda mdogo zaidi pamoja. Kwa wale wanaoishi na mwenzi wao, muda mwingi ambao wanatumia pamoja nyumbani huenda usisababisha ngono yenye kuridhisha au yenye kufurahisha zaidi. Kujiweka karantini, kutokuwa na mawasiliano, matatizo ya kifedha, kufanya kazi kutoka nyumbani, yote yanaweza kusababisha mvutano katika uhusiano. Kupoteza au kutokuwa na utunzaji wa watoto kwa sababu ya janga hilo kunaweza kuzuia maisha ya ngono ya wale ambao ni wazazi. "Hakika watu ambao hawaishi na washirika, kwa ujumla, wamekuwa na vizuizi zaidi katika ngono ya washirika katika miaka miwili iliyopita, na kupumzika kwa hiyo tangu upatikanaji wa chanjo na booster chanjo. """ Lakini hatimaye sisi si kuishi katika utupu, na maisha yetu ya ngono si kutokea katika utupu, hivyo kuna sababu nyingi. Miaka miwili iliyopita pia imeleta huzuni nyingi kwa watu ambao wamepoteza wanafamilia kwa COVID. Watu wengi wanakabiliwa na COVID ndefu na changamoto za afya zinazohusiana, kupoteza kazi na shida ya kifedha. Watu wengi wa umri wote wana wasiwasi na kushuka moyo baada ya janga hilo. Kwa hiyo, yote haya yana athari kwa maslahi ya kingono na hamu ya ngono pia.