Jessica Valenti
Bad Sex, Consent, and Other Reasons Behind the ‘Sex Recession’
Let’s not overlook the obvious
Americans are having less sex: Teenagers are having sex for the first time later, young adults are on pace to have fewer sex partners, and adults as a whole are having intercourse approximately 10 fewer times per year. The most recent cover story of the Atlantic calls it a “sex recession” — complete with pictures of a bird and bee looking away from each other sadly. The sweeping piece looks at everything from the rise of masturbation and pornography to hook-up culture and Tinder as possible explanations.
One of the most likely reasons people are having less sex, however, is only given passing mention: Women are able to say no more freely.
No, I’m not talking about a Lysistrata-type protest or even a decrease in sexual assault, which actually remains at epidemic levels. Instead, it’s that American women’s cultural and political power has grown exponentially over the last 30 years, and it’s likely that people are having less sex for the same reason they’re delaying marriage and children: It’s what women want.
In part, the decline in sex is because Americans are more likely than in past years to be single, and single people have less sex than those who are…
