While the media portrays our culture to be more sexually risqué than ever before, a new survey suggests that Americans are having less sex with their partner than ever before.

After surveying more than 26,000 Americans regarding their sexual habits, researchers found that the average adult had sex nine times less per year in 2010 to 2014 compared to the years 1995 to 1999.

Married couples were among the worst! They had sex 16 fewer times a year in the years 2010 to 2014 than they did between 2000 and 2004.

Surprisingly, the millennials—famous for casual sex and “hooking up”—are actually having less sex than their parents and grandparents did when they were the same age.

Some reports suggest they traded the addiction to sex for an addiction to cellphones.

Is it Age?

Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, performed the study. She said, “In the 1990s, married people had sex more times per year than never-married people, but by the mid-2000s, that reversed, with the never-married having more sex.”

The study did find that age may have something to do with it, and sexual frequency was found to decrease with age. After 45, sexual frequency dropped to 60 times per year, from 80 times per year in their twenties. After 65, that number dropped to 25 times per year.

Overworked?

People might be quick to blame increased working hours. Surprisingly, the study found that people who worked more hours actually had sex more often.

Unhappy?

“Older and married people are having sex less often—especially after the year 2000,” Twenge said. “In a previous paper, we found that the happiness of adults over age 30 declined between 2000 and 2014. With less sex and less happiness, it’s no wonder that American adults seem deeply dissatisfied these days.”

Ayurvedic Aphrodisiacs.

In one study, 50 healthy women were either given a placebo or 300mg of an extract of ashwagandha twice daily for eight weeks. The ashwagandha group reported increased arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction compared to the placebo group.

In men, whole ashwagandha root powder has been shown to increase testosterone levels, increase sperm count, and motility of sperm, while blocking oxidation and boosting antioxidant levels in the seminal fluid of otherwise healthy subjects. Numerous studies suggest that ashwagandha helps support healthier sperm in support of optimal fertility. Researchers believe that these benefits were likely due to the anti-stress or adaptogenic benefits of ashwagandha.

While ashwagandha seems to support healthy reproductive function by boosting a healthy response to stress, the Ayurvedic herb that may be more responsible for boosting libido and performance may be gokshura (Tribulus terrestris), commonly called Puncture vine or Goat’s head.

Historically, it was used as an aphrodisiac for both men and women. Studies have found it to boost testosterone levels, increase libido, erection, and sexual frequency, which seem to support its use in India and China as a reproductive tonic.

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Author: Dr. John Douillard
Image: Tumblr
Editor: Lieselle Davidson