Top of the South calls BS on sex survey
A survey that claims people in the top of the south have less sex than other regions has been described by Marlborough residents as ‘‘nonsense’’.
The survey of more than 1500 people across the country claims that people in Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman have sex one to three times a year on average.
Polling company Colmar Brunton asked its online research panel about their sex lives for Adulttoymegastore’s Kiwi Sex Survey, and claimed to have matched demographic profiles for age, gender and region.
But both residents and an expert in sexual health are doubtful about whether the survey accurately reflects the sexual habits of each region.
‘‘Was it a rest home survey?’’ a Marlborough resident asked on social media.
"I think it probably has more to do with marketing than social conscience." Dr Charlene Rapsey, University of Otago lecturer and clinical psychologist
‘‘That’s ridiculous, surely not,’’ another said.
The survey claimed people living in Hamilton were having the most sex, at three or more times a week on average. Auckland came in second, and Northland was third.
People in Hawke’s Bay were supposedly the most sexually satisfied, having sex once or twice a week, followed by Canterbury.
However Canterbury was getting the second-to-least amount of sex, beat only by the top of the south, the survey said.
University of Otago lecturer and clinical psychologist Dr Charlene Rapsey, who teaches sexual health, said she considered the survey results ‘‘interesting’’.
‘‘The overall survey is represen- tative of New Zealanders in terms of age and gender, but it’s not clear that is the case for the separate regions.
‘‘The finding that people in Marlborough have sex one to three times a year is odd. I’m interested to know how many people in Marlborough were included in the survey, how old they were, were they in relationships, and so on. Did they survey 10 older people? Of course older people have sex too but you have to know who was included in the survey before you can make any big claims.’’
Rapsey said a reliable Australian survey done each decade, the Australian Study of Health and Relationships, found the average Australian had sex 1.84 times a week, ‘‘roughly what this sex sur- vey found’’.
She supported the survey’s goal to ‘‘spark conversations about sex’’ and ‘‘highlight the importance of sex in our lives’’, but said she was suspicious of the motivation.
‘‘I think it probably has more to do with marketing than social conscience.’’
Rapsey was disappointed the survey ranked people by how sexy they were, she said.
‘‘I think open discussion about real sexuality is an important part of encouraging healthy, enjoyable sexuality, and also sexual violence prevention. It is really important that all of us, children, young people, and adults feel comfortable discussing sexuality, consent, and bodies.
‘‘On the other hand, seeing people as sexual objects that can be given a score out of 10 just contributes to a culture that promotes sexual violence.’’
The Adulttoymegastore could not be reached for comment.