Lockdowns and curfews were rock bottom
The research shows that only 1 in 5 young people had a new date during the curfew period. In addition, 1 in 5 young people did not have themselves tested for STDs because of corona. However, most young people only had sex if there was a relationship with someone they had known for some time. They also stayed longer with their partner, because there were no opportunities to meet anyone else.
According to Hanneke de Graaf, researcher at Rutgers, young people experienced the lockdowns and the curfew as a low point. “That had less to do with the lack of sex, but a lot more with the lack of opportunities to meet new people and to fall in love”, says De Graaf. Most young people described the past two years as ‘boring’ and a third of them suffered from depressive feelings. “For them, it’s vital to continue to physically meet and explore.”