Worrying reason so many people are having less sex now

There's no denying the world has changed drastically over the past three decades, but it seems these changes have started to effect people's sex drive.

Studies suggest that people are having less sex now than 30 years ago, with sex drives decreasing for the majority.

And it's not just single people it's been impacting.

Even those in committed relationships are having less sex, and there's several explanations for the major shift in bedroom action.

"Over the years, we have noticed a drop across every demographic," says Soazig Clifton, academic director of The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle (Natsal).

"There are fewer cohabiting couples than there were in the 90s, for example, so that could help explain the reduction in sex drive, but even when we looked specifically at that group, there was a decrease."

Research shows sex drive has decreased over the years (Getty Stock Image)

Natsal found that in 1990, people aged 16 to 24 reported having sex on average five times per month, but by 2010 that figure had dropped to three times per month.

Some of the steepest declines in sexual frequency occurred among married, cohabiting or older couples, though reasons behind this can be hard to determine.

No data has yet concluded the exact reason, Clifton states, but different studies have tried to understand why the shift has happened.

The digital world is understood to play a huge role, as people find it more difficult to switch off and are faced with more choice of things to do instead of pay attention to their partner.

Another potential factor is stress levels as they are understood to be higher now than 30 years ago, says GP and sex therapist Dr Ben Davis.

"There's tech obviously, but there's also an increase in stress, depression, loneliness. All of these will add to a reduction in sex drives," he says.

Aside from the digital world and daily stress, there's also the possibility of low testosterone levels.

Interest in testosterone levels has increased in recent years, with it becoming a talking point online and something that can now be supplemented.

Testosterone, also known as androgen, is a vital sex hormone produced by both men and women, though it is understood to naturally decline after the age of 30.

Prescriptions for testosterone have surged in recent years, with the latest data from the NHS Business Authority, compiled by the Care Quality Commission, showing that prescribing rose by 135% between 2021 and 2024.

Several reasons could explain a lack of sex drive (Getty Stock Photo)

Addressing the decline in testosterone levels, Prof Geoffrey Hackett, consultant urologist and member of the British Society for Sexual Medicine (BSSM), said, "Testosterone levels in men are definitely reducing.

"The rise in obesity, type 2 diabetes, the increasing number of people leading more sedentary lives — all of these reduce testosterone levels. And declining testosterone levels will be a factor in why our sex drive is diminishing."