Sex is known to be (often) a moment of passion and pleasure. But then again, we've all experienced moments that are embarrassing, unsettling or even downright anxiety-inducing! But some fears are more common than others and affect many people.
Discover our latest podcast
The Superdrug chain conducted a survey of 1000 Europeans and Americans. The aim of the study was to understand the most common worries that arise during sex. So what are the most common fears when it comes to sex?
The most common fears about sex
To arrive at their conclusions, the experts asked respondents to give a score out of 10 for certain fears. Lack of practice came dead last, with a score of 4.2, tied with the fear that your body hair could be repulsive to your partner. Next, embarrassing moments scored 4.5, followed by premature ejaculation in men, 4.7, and unsuprisingly an unwanted pregnancy was a major concern for participants with a score of 4.8.
Towards the top ranks , we find the fear of not being a good lay and of catching a sexually transmitted infection (4.9). And finally, the two most recurrent fears are the fear that your partner is not truely attracted to your body and that he or she will not feel pleasure during sex. How oddly wholesome.
Negative experiences involved
These fears do not just drop out of the blue. Indeed, 1 in 5 of the people surveyed explained that their anxieties had started following a negative experience. Fortunately, however, communication with your partner can be a good way to reassure oneself and put behind past trauma. In fact, 54% of respondents have discussed this with their partner. Women are more likely to talk about it than men (59% compared to 51.3%).
