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From robots to role play: study reveals German attitudes to sex

DPA/The Local
DPA/The Local - [email protected]
From robots to role play: study reveals German attitudes to sex
Photo: DPA/pro Sieben

A study by YouGov published on Friday gives new insight into the sex lives of Germans. Most are very satisfied with their life between the sheets - and they are more than willing to try out new things.

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How important is sex to you?

Men and women saw this question differently. While 43 percent of German men said that sex is very important in their lives, only one in five (22 percent) of women said the same.

Every tenth German man even said he was addicted to sex, while two in five said they need to have sex at least ten times a month. Three quarters of women said they didn't need so much sex in a month.

While almost half of men said they think about sex every day, only 16 percent of women said their minds drifted to carnal knowledge once in the average day.

Are you satisfied in bed?

Germans are generally very satisfied with their love lives - almost three quarters said that they have a good sex life.

“Among couples, a marvelous 86 percent say they have a good sex life in the first year of their relationship,” the study notes. After ten years together, two thirds of couples still said they were happy with their sex lives.

Singles weren't quite so fulfilled though - only 44 percent were content with their romantic adventures.

How experimental are you?

“The act of love lasts a sensual 15 minutes on average across Germany,” the report states.

And Germans are “very ready” to try out new things, the study adds. Some 17 percent told the authors that they had enriched their love life with role play, 16 percent had gone in for a “jaunty threesome”, 7 percent had tried group sex, and 6 percent had tried partner swapping.

How faithful are Germans?

Quite a lot of Germans admitted to being unfaithful. One in three said they had cheated on their partners. Men were more likely to see expectation of monogamy as unrealistic. Two in five men said that humans are not suited to monogamy. Slightly less women (28 percent) saw things the same way.

Photo: DPA

Males said they were most likely to have an affair because they wanted a new sexual experience or because they were not satisfied with the amount of sex they had. Women meanwhile said they needed confirmation that other men still found them attractive.

On the question of when an affair starts, there was also dispute. A quarter of women said kissing someone else was cheating. But 17 percent of men said that a kiss was a red line.

How much influence does pornography have?

Almost half of men consume pornography at least once a week against 7 percent of women.

“Interestingly, two thirds of couples told us that they have watched porn together at least once," the study authors said.

Of those who do watch porn, 75 percent said they choose to watch free material available on the internet, 18 percent said they buy DVDs, 10 percent said they buy porn mags, and 10 percent said they buy raunchy books.

How is technology changing sex?

Every third German man said he could imagine having sex with a robot, if it were technically possible and as long as it would feel real. Women weren't as convinced, with one in five saying they could envisage such a futuristic fling.

Love letters meanwhile are on the way out. While 55 percent of those over 55 have put quill to parchment on a romantic ode, that only applies to 28 percent of those below that age. The young prefer sexting, or sending pictures with x-rated content, according to the study.

What do Germans think about marriage?

The survey also seemed to confirm that Germans are cautious when it comes to the big questions in life.

One in three said introducing a test phase for marriages, whereby the union would come to an end if both partners don’t agree to renew it - would be an improvement. Nonetheless, 60 percent still found marriage in its current form to be good.

And the Teutons also generally said that sex shouldn’t be the decisive factor in wedlock. A total of 63 percent of German couples said an unsatisfying sex life is no reason to seek a divorce.

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