What Does Sex Look Like In 2022? 5 Sex Trends On The Rise
Ethics will be a crucial consideration in our sexual lives
Most people visit the Lovehoney website searching for sex toys.
They are a “global leader in sexual happiness” and ship sex products across the world from their warehouses in the U.K., USA, and Australia.
I visit Lovehoney for a very different reason.
They release a plethora of sexual information and data, and as I have said before, there is nothing sexier than data.
Recently they researched the sexual wellness report on their predicted sex trends for 2022.
“We hope that our findings, based on our research and attention to the sexual wellness market, can help more people think about sexuality in new ways and bring more (and better) orgasms to humankind,” Johanna Rief, Head of Sexual Empowerment at Lovehoney.
Let’s look at some of these trends that will hopefully lead to more (and better) orgasms for every person reading this.
1. Going green
My partner works as a sustainability consultant offering businesses advice on how to reduce their carbon footprint and be better environmental corporate citizens.
It seems in addition to energy efficiency and waste reduction; she may need to add sex toys to her reports. Lovehoney is seeing an increased interest from their consumers regarding the manufacturing processes and chemicals used for their products.
Sex product companies are moving towards stricter environmental standards.
“For many, eco-conscious sex involves opting for toys that are rechargeable and made with high-quality materials that last for years and even decades,” says sexologist and relationship expert Dr. Jessica O’Reilly.
A quick Google search for eco-friendly sex toys provides various options, including biodegradable sex toys and vibrators made out of recycled materials. Some companies will plant trees for every product sold, ensuring your orgasms can be carbon-neutral.
There is a big focus on food and the ingredients we put into our mouth, so it makes sense that we would also like to know what we put into our other orifices.
For those who want their sexual pleasure to help save the planet, VICE has done a thorough review on the best eco sex toys.
Your masturbation could save a forest.
2. Ethical Non-monogamy
Last year, a poll found that 32% of American adults said that their ideal relationship is non-monogamous to some degree. For millennials, that number increased to 43%.
Ethical non-monogamy (ENM) “is the practice of taking part in romantic relationships that are not completely exclusive between two people.” It can involve romantic and/or sexual connections.
Justin Lehmiller, social psychologist and research fellow at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, says that “Google searches for the terms ‘polyamory’ and ‘open relationships’ have increased, which demonstrates that there’s more interest in this topic.”
He says the rise of “more inclusive dating apps have also played a role” and “there are more options for meeting and connecting, so it’s not as much of an underground scene as it was in the past.”
People are turning to relationship models that work best for them even if they aren’t perceived as traditional.
Sex and relationship therapist — and Lovehoney Group’s sexual wellness expert Christine Rafe says, “there is a huge amount of power and freedom in creating our own version of relationship(s), one that allows maximum connection, pleasure, and fun.”
3. Masturbating each day keeps the doctor away
A global clinical study was conducted to determine whether masturbation can help ease period pain.
The report was released with the title “menstrubation,” a portmanteau of menstruation and masturbation.
The results were evident.
Ninety percent of study participants recommended masturbation to combat period pain, while 42 percent said they would masturbate in preference to taking medication.
Seventy percent said regular masturbation had a long-lasting impact on lowering their pain intensity during a period.
There are many other health benefits to masturbating.
Masturbation promotes the release of the brain’s opioid-like neurotransmitters (called endorphins), which give us the feeling of physical and mental wellbeing. In addition, it can release tension and stress, promote sleep and enhance self-esteem.
If it also worked as a COVID vaccine, we would see 100% vaccination rates — and lots of boosters.
4. More inclusive sexual wellness (and farting)
One trend that Christine Rafe wants to see more of is more inclusivity around sexual pleasure.
“Disability services historically haven’t included open discussion around sexual development and pleasure as part of their offering for clients. Fortunately, with more mainstream acceptance of sex-positive education and promotion of sexual wellness products and services, we are starting to see these conversations being encouraged within the disability sector.”
The sexual wellness industry is slowly adapting and developing more products, and there is also more education being provided.
Dylan Alcott is an Australian wheelchair tennis player, motivational speaker, and radio host. He has had a spectacular tennis career winning 15 singles Grand Slam tournaments.
Recently he has been using his media profile to raise awareness of sex with a disability — something he found hard to find information on when he was younger.
“Googling sex and disability, there was nothing there. You’d watch porn and think, ‘Well, I can’t do that!’ That adds to insecurities you already have. But one thing I’ve learned is that people can have sex in any way. And obviously, I must be doing something right if I’ve managed to lock down someone like [current partner and sexologist] Chantelle.”
Alcott regularly talks about his sex life, saying he is “proud to talk about it and break down those barriers.”
His partner Chantelle Otten is just as candid. In one interview, she said, “the first time I slept with Dyl, he was spooning me, and I popped [farted] on him.”
Aside from her penchant for flatulence, she admits to a wonderful sex life.
“A lot of people think people with a disability don’t have sex, but I’m having the best sex of my life, and it’s important for me to say that.”
5. Pleasure on the run
Before you leave home, you will need to do a quick tech check.
Apple Watch? Tick
Oura Smart Ring? Tick
Google Smart Glasses? Nope, they were a flop.
We-Vibe toy connected to the We-Connect app? Absolutely!
In 2020, the digital fitness wearable and wellbeing device market generated around 10.8 billion U.S. dollars. And the sex toy industry is riding the increase of wearable tech sales.
Consumers see technology as an integral part of their lives — whether it comes to their fitness, communication, or even sexual pleasure. As a result, more products are being designed to be used on the go.
The We-Connect App allows We-Vibe toy users to pair and control their favorite products with their smartphones. Users can permit people to manage their toys via the app, regardless of their location. And this includes total strangers.
Last year, John Oliver highlighted the rise of remote-controlled devices on his show Last Week Tonight. He focused on the QIUI Pear Flower Anal Plug Male Chastity Belt Remote Control — an anal sex toy that allows a person to control it remotely via the internet.
As Oliver said, “that product could essentially give the internet control over your anus. Which doesn’t seem great. Assholes are like opinions: letting the internet be in charge of yours is a really bad idea.”
Sex tech is even being showcased at CES — “the most influential tech show in the world,” where the global technology giants release previews of their upcoming products.
At a recent CES event, Morari Medical exhibited a prototype of a wearable transdermal-based patch designed to fix premature ejaculation.
Worn between your anus and testicles, it “contains elements that, when activated, interfere with the nerve signals from the penis to the brain to delay an ejaculation.”
So if you want to be entirely on-trend in 2022 with regards to your sexual wellness, ensure you masturbate with an eco-friendly, wearable, technically advanced sex toy while being in an ethically non-monogamous but inclusive relationship.
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