One-third Of Adults In The UK Are Awkward Talking About Sex, Even With Their Partners

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JAKARTA - Talking about sex can feel awkward. Even when it's with your partner. In a survey of 2,000 sexually active adults, a third of participants admitted it was difficult to discuss intimacy with their partners.

Some partners wait an average of five months from the start of a relationship before actively discussing sex, desire or discomfort.

And one-fifth said they would not discuss sex at all during a relationship.

The survey, conducted by Durex, also found that nearly half of adults experience frequent physical discomfort during sex due to dryness of the female sex organs.

However, more than a third would not talk about it even though dry sex organs are normal.

"For women, who can experience natural dryness of up to two-thirds of months, it may have to use lubricants," Lindsay Forbes, of Durex, said as quoted by the Daily Star, Wednesday, November 11.

“Indeed, nine out of 10 women say sex feels better with lubricants. Yet it remains disproportionately stigmatized - in part, because we feel uncomfortable even talking about the problem, much less doing something about it. "

The poll also showed that adults are so eager to tackle the problem of intimate dryness that 27 percent cope on their own. And with half of those surveyed seeing sex as a 'taboo' topic, it left adults feeling awkward, embarrassed and avoiding the topic altogether.

If they felt they could discuss sex topics more openly, 34 percent chose to talk to friends. Meanwhile, 20 percent decided to discuss experiences of sexual discomfort with their mother.

Nearly a quarter of those surveyed felt uncomfortable talking openly about sex because they didn't want to upset other people. Meanwhile 15 percent do not know how to deal with the problem.

But it's not just sex that people find difficult to talk about, because masturbating (27 percent), using sex toys (17 percent) or discussing pornography (14 percent) are also considered taboo.

It also appeared that 61 percent of those surveyed through OnePoll had used lubricants during sexual activity. However, 15 percent considered this to be something used for adventure, as opposed to helping to dry out the sex organs.