Feeling like a late bloomer when it comes to sex? There’s hope

Nicole McNichols, who teaches human sexuality at the University of Washington, explained it’s part of a larger generational shift. Although the Covid-19 pandemic, social media and other factors have been blamed for the decline in young adults’ sexual activity, she notes that data pinpoints a more mundane reason: Fewer young adults are in relationships and fewer are drinking alcohol.

“The real questions is: Are these necessarily bad things? Maybe a lot of what used to pass for youthful sexual activity was alcohol-involved in ways that weren’t always healthy, wanted or fully consensual,” she said. “Its decline might say more about young women setting boundaries than about anyone missing out on something valuable.”