Why Americans Are Having More Satisfying Sex
They’re drinking less. This change is key to improving sexual satisfaction.
Posted June 1, 2026 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan
Many studies have correlated satisfying sex with a healthy lifestyle:
Researchers agree that all these recommendations are important. But if you focus on just one lifestyle change, which contributes the most to great sex? A recent Finnish study teased out the answer: limiting alcohol.
The researchers tracked lifestyle and sexual satisfaction for nine years using data from an ongoing study of the lives of working Finnish adults that included 10,671 participants. Two-thirds were women. Three-quarters were coupled. There is every reason to believe that the Finnish results also apply to Americans.
The researchers extracted data from 2003 and 2012. Those who embraced a healthy lifestyle in 2003 and maintained it reported significantly better, more satisfying sex in 2012 (p = 0.009). But as alcohol consumption decreased, sexual satisfaction increased the most (p = 0.001).
Americans Are Drinking Less
During the past decade, Americans’ alcohol consumption has slowly, steadily declined. In 2025, a Gallup survey showed that drinking in the U.S. has fallen to the lowest level since the organization began tracking alcohol consumption in 1939. Fewer Americans are drinking—just over half of adults—and when they drink, they drink less, an average of just 2.8 alcoholic drinks a week. Consequently, in recent years, alcohol sales have declined. Wine grape growers have torn out vineyards because they can’t sell their crops. Meanwhile, sales of non-alcoholic drinks have surged. Most bars and restaurants now offer a wide selection of non-alcoholic beers, wines, and “mocktails.”
Americans Are Having Less Partner Sex
Recent studies have also shown that Americans are having less partner sex. The most recent evidence comes from the General Social Survey (GSS) funded by the National Science Foundation. GSS has conducted in-depth population surveys since 1972. GSS investigators interviewed 9,504 Americans age 18 to 44 in 2000-2002 and again 16 years later in 2016-2018. During that period, every age group showed less partner sex.
But young adult men (18-34) reported the greatest decrease—down 7 percent. Young women also had less partner sex—down 4 percent.
Why the decrease? That’s not exactly clear. Many pundits point to obsession with social media and the loneliness it often provokes. Their thinking is that social media obsession leaves less time to meet real people who might become lovers.
In addition to social media, declining alcohol consumption may also help explain the nation’s decrease in sex. Alcohol is disinhibiting. When drinking, people are more likely to proffer sexual invitations, and those on the receiving end are more likely to say yes. With Americans drinking less, alcohol-fueled sexual negotiations are less likely to take place, and when they do, people are less likely to opt for sex.
Americans May Be on the Way to Better Sex
The Finnish report shows that as alcohol consumption declines, partner lovemaking becomes significantly more satisfying. Americans are having less sex, but they’re also drinking less. So, presumably they’re gaining more enjoyment from less sex. This just might signal a preference for quality over quantity. As future research clarifies this cultural change, I’ll blog about the findings.
Stenlund, S et al. “A Healthy Lifestyle Can Support Future Sexual Satisfaction: Results from a 9-Year Longitudinal Survey,” Journal of Sexual Medicine (2024) 21:304. Doi: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdae009.
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Michael Castleman, M.A. , is a San Francisco-based journalist. He has written about sexuality for 36 years.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.