Sexual wellness – LELO presents the results of research conducted in collaboration with AstraRicerche
LELO, the leading brand in the sex toys market, presents the results of quantitative research carried out in collaboration with the AstraRicerche Institute, with the objective of understand Italians’ relationship with sexuality and explore the impact that good sexual relationships have on their wellness. A sample of 1,000 people aged 18 to 65 was interviewed online. Analyzing the main data emerging from the interviews reveals an interesting cross-section of Italy grappling with its sexual-affective needs and desires, more or less satisfied.
Valentina Cosmi, psychotherapist and sexologist SISP and LELO consultant, provides her interpretative contribution on the most relevant and unexpected data:
“Generally speaking, it’s truly astonishing to see how aware the interviewed population is of the importance of having a satisfying sexual-affective life. As well as the necessity and weight – in a positive sense – of being able to access sexuality education. It proves fundamental to increasingly promote the spread of a culture that knows how to associate knowledge-wellness-play-sexuality“
Sex, a big emotion!
The majority of Italians associate sexuality with concepts related to the emotional sphere: intimacy and complicity, pleasure, desire, sentiment. The sexual sphere is important for more than 80% of respondents, with a direct impact on their serenity and happiness. These are indeed the feelings most expressed by Italians (respectively 44.4% and 36.7%). In particular, men consider sexuality more relevant as they age, while women show a decline after 45 years of age.
A clear desire to experiment and make new discoveries in the sexual sphere emerges. The data is particularly positive among men aged 18 to 44 and among young women (18-24 years).
Feeling free to dare is especially important for young women, who compared to their male peers express a clear preference for the unusual: 57.6% of the former vs. 34% of the latter.
“For several years now, both studies and clinical practice have emphasized how young women care about their own pleasure and sexual wellness. Girls today are more curious to experiment and understand, they discuss among themselves not only, as has always happened, topics related to the menstrual cycle or contraception. But, above all, about their own pleasure and what is able to enhance and stimulate this pleasure,” confirms Dr. Cosmi.
Sexual health and wellness: how are Italians doing?
Despite the positive feelings experienced towards their sexual life, a full 44.5% of Italians declare having experienced or still experiencing problems related to sexuality, such as:
- Desire-related problems 39%
- Psychological problems 31%
- Arousal problems 28%
- Physical pain 26%
- Difficulty reaching orgasm 23%
However, the majority of those who have experienced these problems (53.6%) have not consulted any doctor. Those who instead (only 15.4%) have contacted a doctor declare not having resolved their problems, with a significant component of women aged 18-24 (33%). But, warns Cosmi:
“Not addressing or not resolving a sexual dysfunction creates psychological, emotional and relational costs that increase with the increasing time the person experiences the difficulty“.
Sexual wellness: petween prejudices and fantasies
81.5% of Italians declared having felt blocks or limitations, imposed by themselves or others, regarding what they would have wanted to do or say in the sexual sphere:
- More men (86% vs. 77% of women)
- More 18-34 year-olds with an average of 87.3%
- And in particular, talking about sex with people explicitly remains taboo for many (29.4%)
Other taboos highlighted by the sample are related to:
- Sexual fantasies and most transgressive thoughts (23.5%)
- Masturbation (22.8%)
- Use of pornography (20.1%)
- Stating the number of sexual partners had in one’s life (14.6%)
Failed in sexual education
Sexual education is confirmed as lacking in Italy, yet the majority of Italians believe it’s important for young people to be adequately informed. Striking in this case is the gap of more than 30 percentage points between the level of importance attributed by young women (74.2%) compared to that attributed by young men (37.7%). In line with clinical practice, as Dr. Cosmi observes, young women generally prove more curious and open about sexuality:
“Women over the years have been able to evolve and make their idea of sexuality and sensuality evolve. Today, they seem less frightened and more oriented toward understanding themselves and their own bodies. Unfortunately, stereotypes are still hard to die according to which female sexuality would be less instinctive and more oriented toward romanticism, compared to male sexuality more animated by instinctual and ‘necessary’ inescapable aspects (nothing could be more false). This aspect often still leads women to think about men’s needs rather than their own“.
A full 40% of Italians declare never having received sexual education, with prevalence in the 55-65 age group. 23% of sexual education comes from school, a figure slightly higher than the second main source of information: peers, at 21.3%.
With 37.7%, the Internet is in first place among the main sources of information on sexual topics; followed by social media (25%) and professional figures (23%).
“Unfortunately, even today most information regarding sexuality is provided by channels that are not always ‘adequate’. In particular, resorting to pornography or an idea of sexuality and genitality focused on performance and oriented toward performance only increases taboos, prejudices and harmful stereotypes for everyone,” emphasizes Cosmi.
Sex toys: wellness allies
Future projections show positive intention toward purchasing and using sex toys. About half of those who know about sex toys declare being willing to use them in the future (49.4%): especially men and women between 18 and 44 years, women residing in central Italy and in large cities.
Among the 35% of users, most are men aged 25 to 44 and in couples (65.4% of sex toy users do so in a stable relationship). Generally, use is more widespread in large cities in the Northwest, among graduates and among higher classes.
In particular, it’s interesting to note that men demonstrate knowing and using sex toys more than women (with knowledge percentage 90.9% vs. 85.5% and usage 40% vs. 29.7%). Today, the information Italians seek about sex toys still seems to concern their functioning, which reveals the importance of accompanying the consumer to correct use. Both for information and purchase, online channels prevail.
Why sex toys are good
Those who don’t use sex toys instead report motivations probably linked to lack of sexual education and product knowledge, while those who use them testify to various benefits for their sexual wellness, such as:
- Making sex more playful (37.2%) and more satisfying (35%)
- Igniting fantasy (34.8%)
- Breaking monotony (34.3%)
- Even better self-knowledge (26.1%)
“Sex toys today can be considered valid help for rehabilitation situations (post-traumatic, post-partum, etc.), they can be used as support for treating sexual dysfunction. Even more they can represent a playful, ludic and absolutely safe way to know oneself, explore oneself and help the other who accompanies us in the wonderful journey of discovering sexuality and sensuality!” concludes Cosmi.
About LELO
LELO is the leading company in creating products for intimate life with unmistakable design. With its launch in 2003, LELO revolutionized the aesthetics and perception of personal massagers. Now it dedicates the same care to quality and innovation in creating luxurious accessories for intimate life and scented massage candles. Leloi AB is the Swedish company behind LELO, also owner of the PicoBong brand within the LELO group. Its offices extend from Stockholm to San José, from Sydney to Shanghai.
