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Death, Sex & Money

Why You’re Not Having Sex

Death, Sex & Money

Slate Podcasts

Business, Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Careers, Relationships, Sexuality

4.67.6K Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2024

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The dating app Bumble recently declared in advertisements that “a vow of celibacy is not the answer.” The ad campaign, which was met with a swift backlash, seemed to be responding to a prevailing notion that people are having less sex than they used to. Back in 2015, we asked our listeners why they weren’t having sex, and their reasons varied. Disability, religious beliefs, S.T.I.s, and differing libidos were all cited as factors. This week, we revisit those stories and reflect on sex and abstinence at a time when those things continue to spark debate. Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus. And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

In late April, the dating site Bumble rolled out an ad campaign urging people to get on with it.

0:09.0

It being sex.

0:11.2

In billboards and online ads, Bumble urged, quote, a vow of celibacy is not the answer.

0:18.0

Within weeks, Bumble was apologizing.

0:21.0

We made a mistake, the company said. The internet had pushed back hard on the

0:26.7

ad campaign, saying there's plenty of reason for people to opt out of sex right now. Some

0:31.9

just aren't into it. Others suggested that opting out

0:35.1

is the correct response, as reproductive health laws are changing so swiftly

0:39.1

across the United States, and not having sex is also increasing over the long term.

0:45.0

Maybe you've heard this about young people.

0:48.0

For example, according to UCLA's California Health Interview

0:52.0

Survey, 38% of young Californians, ages 18 to 30, reported having

0:58.3

no sexual partners in the previous year.

1:01.0

38%, that's a decade high.

1:03.6

Back in 2011, it was 22% of young people

1:06.8

reporting no sexual partners.

1:09.2

There was also an increase in not having sex

1:11.7

for older California adults ages 35 to 60 in that survey as well.

1:17.0

Just not quite as big a change as for younger adults.

1:20.6

And a different study in 2021 found declines in all kinds of partnered sexual activity between

1:27.1

2009 and 2018.

1:30.1

That was in a self-reported survey of people ages 14 to 49.

...

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