CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

Are Americans Experiencing a “Sex Recession”?

America is saturated with sexuality. Advertising and the media endlessly promote sexuality through fashion, cosmetics, news articles, TV and online programs, movies, celebrity promotions and advice columns. The sexualized self in all its forms parades down city streets; poses at bars, cafes and restaurants; and is on display at the workplace, parties, dance clubs and all manner of public and private get-togethers. And the sexualized self finds excitement, if not pleasure, in privacy or with another, be s/he/them in the flesh or a media fantasy.

Over the last half-century, as the culture wars raged, the U.S. became a sexualized country.  An unprecedented number of consenting adults are engaging in sexual practices that were once identified as immoral, perverse, and illegal. Pre-marital sex is common; couples living together outside of marriage is accepted; masturbation is now accepted as a normal activity if done in a non-obsessive manner; homosexuality is no longer illegal, a pathology; and even “sex work” – i.e., prostitution – is being decriminalized in some cities and states.

Armed with the relative anonymity of a credit card, a PC or smartphone and the Internet, sex has been mainstreamed. Most importantly, sex toys have been rebranded as “sex-wellness” products and major retailers are jumping into the growing market. They range from high-end specialty chains like Nordstrom and Brookstone, to mass-market outlets like Walgreens and Target, and even to crusty down-market Wal-Mart.  And the sexual marketplace is estimated to be $75 billion business.

A recent YouGov survey of 1,107 adults conducted between May 22-25, 2026, offers a snapshot of America’s current sexual culture.  It found that 81 percent of those surveyed have had sex and that nearly half (46%) had sex between the ages of 16 and 20 years of age.  It also found that more than half (55%) report being in a relationship, be it marriage, with an unmarried partner or in casual relationships.........

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