ArticleBMJ open2019
Prevalence and types of sexual inactivity in Britain: analyses of national cross-sectional probability survey data.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Relationship Between Sexual Attitude and Sexual Function Among Iranian Women and Men During Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Socio-demographic determinants of sexual inactivity among reproductive heterosexual married women in Bangladesh: evidence from BDHS data 2022.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- Sexual dysfunction, depressive symptoms, and perceived impact of HBV infectivity among noncirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis B: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Choosiness as a Predictor of Sexual (In)frequency in Single Heterosexual Adults.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Factors associated with lifetime use of commercial sex work services among Japanese men aged 20-49: findings from a quasi-representative national survey, 2022.Sexually transmitted infections · 2024Article
- Changes in Penile-Vaginal Intercourse Frequency and Sexual Repertoire from 2009 to 2018: Findings from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior.Archives of sexual behavior · 2022Article
- Trends in Frequency of Sexual Activity and Number of Sexual Partners Among Adults Aged 18 to 44 Years in the US, 2000-2018.JAMA network open · 2020Article
- Sexual Inactivity in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesTo examine how prevalence and context of sexual inactivity varies across the life-course, assess dissatisfaction with sex life among those who are sexually inactive and identify associations with factors that may represent reasons for sexual inactivity.
designAnalysis of cross-sectional probability sample survey data.
settingBritish general population.
participants14 623 participants (n men: 6045 unweighted, 7245 weighted), aged 16-74 years, of the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), undertaken in 2010-2012.
main outcome measuresSexual inactivity, defined as not reporting oral, vaginal or anal intercourse in the past year and further categorised into those who were sexually inexperienced (had never had sex), single or in a relationship.
resultsOverall, 15.9% (weighted n 1155/7245) of men and 22.2% (1646/7410) of women were sexually inactive (p<0.001). The proportion of sexually inactive individuals who were sexually inexperienced was larger among men than women (26.3% (304/1155) vs 16.3% (268/1646)), while the proportion who were singles was larger among women (49.8% (820/1646) vs 40.4% (467/1155)). Sexual inexperience was the most common type of sexual inactivity in early adulthood, with this declining with age. A minority of those who had sexual experience but were sexually inactive-34.8% (293/842) of men and 23.6% (319/1349) of women-reported being dissatisfied with their sex lives. Associations with sexual inactivity was observed for a range of sociodemographics and sexual behaviours/attitudes, for example, religion, ethnicity, Body mass index, height, employment status and index of multiple deprivation; these associations varied by type of sexual inactivity and gender.
conclusionsWhile sex is important for well-being, a non-negligible proportion of the population at all ages are sexually inactive, yet many are not dissatisfied with their situation, with implications for sex and relationship counselling.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.