Changes in sexual behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from the General Social Survey

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had widespread implications on various aspects of life; however, there is a paucity of longitudinal data regarding its impact on sexual behavior. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on changes in frequency of sexual activity and partner dynamics in the United States, we utilized data from the General Social Survey (GSS). This biannual survey of adults in the United States, provided responses from 12,791 participants, enabling a comparative analysis of sexual behaviors between pre-COVID-19 (2016 and 2018, n = 5215 respondents) and COVID-19 periods (2021 and 2022, n = 7576 respondents). Sexual behavior was evaluated using variables "sexfreq" (frequency of sexual encounters) and 'partners' (number of sexual partners). Overall, the percentage of respondents reporting more than one sexual partner in the last year decreased from 13.8% pre-pandemic to 9.8% during the pandemic (p = 0.002). The percentage of participants who reported engaging in sexual activity at least monthly decreased from 63.9% pre-pandemic to 58.9% during the pandemic (p = 0.02), and those reporting at least weekly sexual activity also decreased from 35.8% to 30.6% (p = 0.001). On sub-group analysis, men showed no change in the frequency of sexual activity compared to pre-pandemic levels; however, men engaged with fewer partners, with a decrease from 18.6% reporting more than one sexual partner to 11.7% (p = 0.001). Among women, specifically non-married women, there was a significant decrease in frequency of sexual encounters-from 49.2% to 40.5% for sex at least once a month (p = 0.006) and from 29.2% to 21.1% for sex at least once a week (p = 0.001). Non-married women also showed a decrease in the number of sexual partners from 58.7% to 50.6% (p = 0.01) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed sexual behaviors and partner choices, leading to fewer sexual partners and less frequent sexual activity, particularly in non-married women.