Wit & Wisdom with Tom Greene

Are We In a (Sex) Recession?

Something totally unexpected happened in the US following the Pandemic era. People stopped having sex. That's right. We're at an all time low for sex and an all time high for a bunch of other things that aren't terribly healthy. It raises the question: Are We in a Sex Recession?

Duration:: 12m
Broadcast on:: 07 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

Welcome to Witten Wisdom with Tom Green, where each week we post thought-provoking questions to start thought-provoking conversations. So let's jump right in. In last week's episode, we raised the question, "What happened to patriotism?" See, it seems like people have lost interest in some of the things that once made the country great. Things like family, friendship, and faith in a higher power, and of course, patriotism. But this week we're raising a different question. The question this week is, "Are we in a recession?" But not the kind of recession you're thinking of. This week I'm asking the question, "Are we in a sex recession?" You're going to love this one. Stay tuned. It seems like I've been writing and speaking a lot lately about the pandemic. Not about what happened during the pandemic, but what happened after the pandemic, because some really strange things happened. For example, people stopped having sex. And that's how I came up with the title for this episode, "Are we in a sex recession?" Regardless of how you feel about the pandemic, I think we can both agree that time period was really tough on everybody. And we'd like to pretend that 2020 never really happened. It was a tough period. The country and maybe the world have collective PTSD from all the masking and the jabbing and arguing. Not to mention the lockdowns and the social distancing. Things that don't lend themselves towards an active sex life. It reminded me of going to college in the 80s. Back when everyone was worried about getting AIDS, it was the world's most effective sexual speed bump. But according to sex experts, the 1980s were actually pretty hot and bothered. Nearly 50% of adults reported that they were knocking boots every week. But alas, those were the salad days. Basically boom-boom started a slow decline that continues even today. Yes, the decline in sexual relations was underway long before two weeks to stop the spread. In fact, you can trace the sexual session back to the early 1990s. Let me explain. Back in 1990, about half the country was doing the weekly slap and tickle. By 2021, that number dropped to 35%, meaning that one third of the country lost interest in creating the proverbial sheet monster. No wonder people are grumpy these days. So what happened in the late 80s that caused everyone to stop being thirsty for sex? Actually, there are five distinct clauses of the declining boom-boom rate, and you're not going to believe what number four is. Let's jump in. Number one, the little blue pill. Okay, it's not that little blue pill. Get your mind out of the gutter. In 1987, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the blockbuster drug, Flexitine Hydrochloride. Also known as the branded anti-depressant, Prozac. It was a game changer for millions who suffered from anxiety and depression, and it still helps millions of people today. But within two years, American pharmacies were filling 65,000 scripts each month, and within five years, four and a half million people had taken it. But the game-changing anti-depressant had some side effects. The most pronounced side effects were decreased desire in sex in both men and women, delayed or no orgasm in women, and delayed ejaculation in men. Sorry to get graphic, but those are the side effects. Yes, ironically, while the second little blue pill, Viagra, actually enhanced sexual performance, the first little blue pill, Prozac, dampened America's sex drive, starting around 1987. And the success of Prozac led to an enormous number of anti-depressants that got filed and approved by the FDA. In 2021 and 2022, 83.4 million anti-depressant scripts were described in the United States, which is a 34.8% increase from 2015 and 2016. This was the 60 year in a row that anti-depressant prescriptions increased with a 5.1% increase over the 2021-22 rate. As I mentioned earlier, these medications have been game changers for millions of people, but they haven't come without major side effects, specifically killing the drive or desire for sexual relations in adults. 2. The Never-Marrieds The late 1980s started a steady decline in the relative marriage. It's common sense, but if someone's sleeping next to you every night, it's a lot easier to make the beast with two backs. Less than 1% of heterosexual married or cohabitating respondents had zero sex in the last year. So I think it's safe to say that married people have more sex than single people. In 1980, about 13% of Americans had never been married. Today that number is closer to 35%. That alone is the big reason why people are not playing hide the remote controls regularly these days. I wrote about this in a piece called "Is Marriage Dead?" You can find it on my website. It's a good read. 3. Testosterone Perhaps the biggest driver of the sex recession is a precipitous drop in the male testosterone level. Testosterone is the male hormone that regulates sex drive. And US men's testosterone level started declining in the 1980s. The trend is not related to age. According to Reuters, the average male testosterone level is dropping by 1% a year. To put that in perspective, that means that a 65-year-old man today has a testosterone level that's 24% lower than a 65-year-old man in 2000. If you have any ideas of why this is happening, I'd love to hear from you. I'm absolutely clueless. But the declining male hormone levels are impacting the deflouring age. In 1989, only 7% of American men were virgins at age 30. Say that number is 27% according to the Washington Post. That's right. One in four American men are virgins at the age of 30. Now that's a shocking statistic. Perhaps unrelated but interesting nonetheless, sperm counts in the US have also dropped 50% since the 1970s. Again, I have no idea why this is happening. But if you have any ideas, feel free to hit me up. I'm curious. Number four, flying solo. The 50 to 59 age cohort started their sexless climb around 2000, when only half the country had access to the internet. But as you know, the internet changed everything, including sex. Access to superfast internet service exploded in the years following, and that superfast internet access brought an endless supply of, you guessed it, porn. Now here's an interesting fact. Did you know that America is the largest consumer of pornography in the world? That one stunned me. In April 2024, Pornhub was the 10th most visited website in the US, with 1.13 billion visits per month. That's 37 million visits a day. The average screen time is 9 minutes and 41 seconds. See, it took 68 years for the airlines to reach 50 million users on their websites. But according to Pornhub, one of the world's largest providers of pornography, it took just 19 days in business for Pornhub to reach 50 million users. I don't mean to be crude, but access to high-speed, high-definition porn is definitely impacting the rate of sex relations in the United States. Number 5. Fear of going out, or Fogo. Back before the pandemic, most people suffered quietly with a condition known as FOMO. Fear of missing out. That is, none of us wanted to miss a cocktail party, a networking event, or a night out with friends. Today, it's different. Today most people in the 50 to 59 age cohort suffer from Fogo. Fear of going out. See once we all got used to sheltering in our day jammies and showering once a week, maybe, we got lazy. Going out in public turned into an awful lot of work, especially for those who are single. And today, one out of every four single American women hasn't had a sex partner in two or more years. Well over one in ten hasn't had a sex partner in over five years. Those over age 50 saw a dramatic increase in the number of people reporting no sex in the last year. I can't show you the graph in a podcast, but trust me, that line is going straight north. So let's do a quick recap on the reasons why people are experiencing such a dramatic reduction in the slap and tickle rate. First, the introduction and explosive growth of antidepressants are a lifesaver, but a sex killer. Second, people just aren't getting married as often as they used to. And if you're not married or seriously committed, it's a lot harder to find a regular sex partner. Third, the testosterone levels of the American male are crashing. Testosterone is the male hormone that regulates sex drive. Fourth, American men consume an enormous amount of porn, more than any other men in the world. The age 55 to 65 cohort consumes as much porn as the 18 to 30 age cohort, crazy. And lastly, following the pandemic, people are spending a lot more time at home alone, and less time socializing with others. Speaking of being alone, I'm a team of one, a research and write only for the joy of producing thought-provoking content like this. I rely on referrals to grow my audience. If you know someone who would enjoy listening to Witten Wisdom, I hope you'll share it with them, and encourage them to sign up. You've been listening to Witten Wisdom with Tom Green. Thanks so much for tuning in. We'll be back in two weeks with another episode, and another thought-provoking conversation. But in the meantime, remember, nothing beats nice. [Music], and I'll be back in two weeks with another episode of "The New Year.". [Music], and I'll be back in two weeks with another episode of "The New Year.". [Music], and I'll be back in two weeks with another episode of "The New Year.". [Music], and I'll be back in two weeks with another episode of "The New Year.". [Music], and I'll be back in two weeks with another episode of "The New Year.". [Music], and I'll be back in two weeks with another episode of "The New Year.". [Music], and I'll be back in two weeks with another episode of "The New Year.". [Music], and I'll be back in two weeks with another episode of "The New Year.". [BLANK_AUDIO]