The Big Sex Survey

The Big Sex Survey. Hello everyone, I hope you are well. In today’s post, I will be sharing a press release of the big sex survey. A new sex survey from Hana, a daily contraceptive pill available online and in pharmacies without a prescription, has highlighted the nation’s lack of body and sexual confidence, including that 60% of U.K. women and people with uteruses feel self-conscious when having sex.

A new survey of 2,000 women, trans men and non-binary people living in the U.K. conducted by Hana – a daily contraceptive pill available online and in pharmacies without a prescription – finds that whilst people value open and honest communication, they find it hard to discuss their own sexual needs and desires.

• 60% of people surveyed feel self-conscious when having sex
• 66% said they prefer to have sex with the lights off
• 60% of respondents have faked an orgasm
• 15% said they found expressing their sexual desires ‘embarrassing.’
• 69% of the women surveyed believe society is judgemental of women who have multiple sexual partners and nearly two-thirds (63%) believe the community is more accepting of men who enjoy sex.

The Big Sex Survey

With social media promoting filtered beauty standards and porn presenting an unrealistic and often extreme view of sex, a new survey from Hana (www.Hana.co.uk), a daily contraceptive pill available online and in pharmacies without a prescription, discovers how women and people with uteruses in the U.K. feel in regards to body positivity and sexual confidence.

The Big Sex Survey created by Hana – the U.K.’s number one progestogen-only pill available to buy over the pharmacy counter and online without a doctor’s appointment – sought the views of over 2,000 women, trans men and non-binary people living in the U.K. The survey aimed to discover the nation’s attitudes towards sex, contraception and relationships.

Kate Evans, UK Marketing Director for Hana, says: “We have always been passionate about women and people with uteruses feeling empowered and confident in their bodies, relationships and most importantly, their choice of contraception. We wanted to find out more about the nation’s attitudes to and feelings around sex, particularly in regards to sexual confidence and body positivity, so we can continue to help provide better education and access to contraception when women need it most.”

Don’t look at me!

When it comes to body confidence, the results were sobering. Over 60% of people surveyed feel self-conscious when having sex, and 66% said they prefer sex with the lights off. Whilst the prominent advice people gave for healthy sex and relationships was ‘open and honest communication’, the research revealed that 60% of respondents had faked an orgasm.

“Communicate, don’t fake orgasms and don’t be afraid to be vocal about what you want and encourage your partner to do the same,” says a respondent to Hana’s Big Sex Survey.

When it comes to expressing sexual desires, 29% said they were very open about what they liked, 33% were honest with people they felt comfortable with, and 15% said they found expressing their sexual desires ‘embarrassing’.

“My attitude towards sex has changed as I’ve aged. I am more confident talking openly about sex with my friends and sexual partners. This is because it is more widely discussed in public, from stand-up comedy to advertising campaigns. I am all for embracing our sexuality more,” says Natalie Methu, a 28-year-old T.V. producer living in London.

Sex in the media

Media representation can have significant consequences regarding body image and how women and people with uteruses feel about their sex lives. An accompanying survey by Hana in 2022 found that two-thirds of women (63%) believe these forms of entertainment misrepresent what sex is. Half (52%) of women also agree that female pleasure is rarely portrayed. Two-thirds of women (63%) think that T.V. shows and films misrepresent what sex is, whilst half (52%) think they rarely talk about female pleasure.

The way television portrays sex can also make us think that this is the way it ‘should’ be. This survey found that 1 in 10 women get information about sex from T.V. shows, which is concerning as over a third of women (37%) worry that they’re not good at sex compared to what they see on television and in films; this is even higher among 18–24-year-olds (45%).

Other key Stats

• 69% of the women surveyed believe society judges women with multiple sexual partners, and nearly two-thirds (63%) believe the community is more accepting of men who enjoy sex.
• 6 out of 10 women (60%) also believe that society places greater importance on men being satisfied during sex.
• 18–24-year-olds are more likely to feel sexually pressured and be slut-shamed. Sadly, over a third of 18–24-year-olds (35%) have felt obliged to have sex with someone when they’re not ready, with a similar number (33%) being slut-shamed for a sexual encounter.
• Just a third of women (33%) believe that society is accepting of women talking about their sexual preferences
• Just under half of the women (43%) have been body-shamed before
• A quarter of 18–24-year-old women (24%) believe their sex lives have improved because of porn
• Two-thirds of women (67%) think porn sets unrealistic expectations of sex
• 75.84% of respondents have sex because they enjoy it.
• 25% of respondents have sex because ‘that’s what you do in a relationship.’

Sexual Health

Our 2022 survey found that over half (53%) of women and people with uteruses have never had an STI (sexually transmitted infections) test. Sexual health is a big part of sexual empowerment and keeping yourself and your partners safe.

“My attitude to sex has changed a lot – I think that’s true for many young women. When I was younger, I think I wasn’t as wary regarding STIs. Now, I would be doing STI checks and asking my partner to do one too to ensure I’m doing everything I can to be safe,” says Stephanie Smith, a 21-year-old shop worker.

The Key To Happy And Healthy Sex And Relationships

We asked our respondents what their one piece of advice for happy and healthy sex and relationships was. Most people mentioned communication, but trust, self-confidence and enjoying the ride were also crucial.

Being honest about what you like and advocating for pleasure is crucial for developing sexual confidence. As a respondent to the Big Sex Survey said: “Be honest about what you want and don’t accept selfishness,” 

Worrying about your body and what you look like can get you out of the moment and stop you from enjoying sex. In the wise words of two respondents to our survey: “DON’T WORRY ABOUT YOUR BODY AND JUST DO IT!” and “Don’t be self-conscious and relax and enjoy it,” an anonymous response from Hana’s Big Sex Survey.

Nourishing, trust-filled relationships can be vital to growing and maintaining your confidence – inside and outside the bedroom. “Trust is built and earned, but once you trust someone, stop self-doubt. Sex is supposed to be enjoyable, and if you trust someone, they don’t care how you look or if you have flab you don’t like or make a weird sex face. Trust makes for good sex,” an anonymous response from Hana’s Big Sex Survey.

I hope you enjoyed that.

Talk soon