Compulsive Sexual Behavior and Changes in Solitary Sexual Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The aim of with this brief report is to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic differentially impacted solitary sexual behaviors in those with and without clinically significant compulsive sexual behavior (CSB). A total of 944 individuals in the United States completed an online cross-sectional survey in October 2020. Participants were asked to retrospectively report their frequency of masturbation and pornography use during the pandemic and prior to the pandemic. Participants also completed assessments of CSB, depression symptoms, and experiences of financial stress caused by the pandemic. Individuals who screened positive for clinically significant CSB reported statistically significant increases in masturbation and pornography use during the pandemic. Those who screened negative for CSB reported no significant increase in masturbation and a very small, statistically significant increase in pornography use. Those screening positive for CSB also reported significantly higher levels of depression symptoms but did not report increased likelihood of experiencing financial distress due to the pandemic. This suggests that increases in masturbation and pornography use reported by some, but not all, recent studies on sexual behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic may be driven by individuals with CSB. Future research on sexual behaviors during the pandemic should assess CSB to further clarify its relationship with sexual behavior changes.

"Sex Seems Less Important When You Are Worried About a Deadly Virus." A Content Analysis of Reported Reasons for Changes in Sexual Behavior and Satisfaction During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The purpose of this study is to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted various sexual behaviors and levels of sexual and relationship satisfaction by performing a content analysis of participants' (N = 1051 American adults) responses to open-ended survey questions. Results revealed a variety of impacts that increased, decreased, or otherwise qualitatively changed sexual behavior and satisfaction. Major themes included emotions and mental health, changes in routines, social distancing and fears related to COVID-19, and changes in romantic relationships. These findings are contextualized within the emerging quantitative research on COVID-19 and sexuality, and areas for future research based on these findings are discussed.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sexual Behaviors: Findings From a National Survey in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Studies from the first months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting lockdown and social distancing measures have shown that there have been decreases in sexual frequency and relationship satisfaction. AIM: To evaluate the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual behavior, relationship satisfaction, and intimate partner violence in the United States using a large national convenience sample. METHODS: About 1,051 participants across the United States were recruited in October 2020 to complete a cross-sectional online survey. OUTCOMES: Participants were asked to retrospectively report their sexual behavior frequency, relationship satisfaction, and intimate partner violence during the pandemic and prior to the pandemic RESULTS: There was a small but significant decrease in some retrospectively-reported partnered sexual activities, and men reported a small increase in masturbation and pornography use. There was no evidence for a change in relationship satisfaction or intimate partner violence, but both men and women reported a small decrease in sexual pleasure, and women reported a small decrease in sexual desire. The sexual behaviors with greatest reduction were casual sex, hookups, and number of partners, and the most diminished as aspect of sexual functioning was sexual enjoyment. Depression symptoms, relationship status, and perceived importance of social distancing emerged as predictors of these reductions. Less than half of individuals who engaged with casual sex partners before the start of the pandemic ceased this behavior completely after the start of the pandemic. Individuals waited on average 6-7 weeks before reengaging in casual sex. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: These results inform public health response to the effects of the pandemic and add to our understanding of how the pandemic has continued to impact sexual behavior. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This is the first known study to evaluate sexual behavior several months into the COVID-19 pandemic using a large national sample. However, the results of this study are limited by its convenience sampling method and cross-sectional design. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the changes in sexual behavior observed in the early months of the pandemic have continued, with small but significant decreases in many partnered sexual behaviors and a small increase in men's solitary sexual behaviors. Gleason N, Banik S, Braverman J, et al. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sexual Behaviors: Findings From a National Survey in the United States. J Sex Med 2021;18:1851-1862.