No sex, please – we’re staying socially distant

SIX people in 10 have had no sex in lockdown, a university survey has found.

The study found 39.9 per cent of UK adults had been sexually active during the Covid crisis, with self isolation and social distancing blamed for the lack of a love life.

Health experts from Anglia Ruskin and Ulster universities studied 868 adults to gather the effects the guidelines were having on relationships.

It found that younger, married adults and particularly men were claiming to be having sex while those who drank alcohol were also more active.

In the study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, scientists said that at the start of lockdown 33.5 per cent said they had sex at least once a week, but that rose to 47 per cent when locked down for more than 11 days.

Six in 10 people reported no sexual activity at all during lockdown.

Dr Smith said: “This low level of sexual activity could be explained by people currently feeling anxious and stressed owing to the pandemic and not being in the mood to engage in the act. Moreover, those who are not married or cohabiting may not be able to meet up with their sexual partners and similarly those who use online apps to facilitate casual sex will currently not be able to do this.”

Along with advice to stay alert, maintain social distance and wash hands regularly, lead authors Dr Lee Smith and Professor Mark Tully called on the Government to promote sexual activity to keep older Britons, in particular, healthy in body and mind.

They said that previous research had found regular sex helped promote well-being in older adults.