NO SEX please, we’re British — our relationships thrive without it.
More than half of the adult population (51%) have not had sex in the past month, according to a survey, with more than a third of those aged 25 to 34 being celibate for that period. Among couples with children, 43% said they had not had sex in the previous month. For those without, it was 26%.
The findings, in a YouGov poll of 6,500 people aged over 16 for a report called The State of the UK’s Relationships 2015, to be published tomorrow, indicate that while society is becoming increasingly sexualised in public, a large minority are happy to take it or leave it in their own lives.
Nearly seven in 10 of the adult population (68%) do not rank physical attraction and the quality of their sex lives among the top three factors determining the strength of their relationships. Honesty and good communication rank higher.
The report, prepared for Relate, Relationships Scotland and Marriage Care, concludes: “While sex can play an important part in an intimate relationship and can be the match that lights the fire, whatever our age, sex is rarely the fuel that keeps the fire going.”
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While the research uncovered an apparent rise in infidelity, the strength of most relationships shines through. For 43% of couples, the best relationship they have in their life is with each other. Half say they rarely or never argue and 87% say their relationship is good.
Overall, 46% of heterosexual respondents said they were happy with their sex lives, compared with 38% of lesbian, gay or bisexual people polled.
Chris Sherwood, chief executive of Relate, said: “Our findings will reassure people who feel that they are missing out because they are not having the sort of sex lives portrayed in Fifty Shades of Grey.”