2024 sex trends are here! This coming year focuses on taking a holistic approach to sex and sexual intimacy, utilizing advances in tech to support mental, physical and emotional health. We can also expect developments in sex toys for more customizable intimacy and pleasure. Let’s have a look…
Sexual Wellness Ecosystems
While self care is a familiar concept, sexual wellness is being prioritized through one’s “sexual wellness ecosystem”—a holistic approach that recognizes that a healthy and satisfying sex life is intertwined with mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
There are several sex trends and tactics that we can expect to see more of as people continue to acknowledge all of the components that comprise one’s sexual wellness ecosystem.
Physical
While sexual wellness products are created to cater to individual preferences, there is no substitute for one’s relationship with their body. For those who want to dive further into their deepest wants and needs, many are turning to the latest sex trend ‘pleasure mapping’.
This practice involves intentionally exploring and taking note of where on your body you experience pleasure and the different ways in which you do. This can be explored through the use of toys or manual stimulation of the body.
“The goal is to be intentional, so you really want to listen and pay attention to your body. For those interested in pleasure mapping, I recommend starting by focusing on one specific part of your body, such as your chest, your legs or your genitals.
Take note of how each area feels as you explore different ways of stimulating the area, and then keep those feelings and sensations in mind when masturbating or having sex.”
Javay Frye-Nekrasova, Certified Sex Educator
Relationships
Many people are consciously shifting their relationship strategies to prioritize themselves. Therefore, relationship sabbaticals are on the rise. This sex trend involves taking short breaks from committed relationships to explore personal growth, goals, and self-discovery before returning to the partnership.
For those who are actively dating, authenticity reigns supreme as more singles are emphasizing genuine and real connections over superficiality. This includes individuals prioritizing being their truest selves in their interactions with potential partners.
Single or taken, people are also wising up to the recent phenomenon known as “therapy speak,” a shared experience which has taken off significantly since apps like TikTok have gained popularity. “Therapy speak” can look like overusing or mislabeling clinical terms and language to describe certain behaviors that one may learn from a therapist. Commonly misrepresented concepts used in therapy speak include: “gaslight, “O.C.D.” and “holding space.” While setting clear boundaries and prioritizing open communication is an important skill in relationships, singles have some hesitations around their dates overly leveraging “therapy speak.”
“When everything is labelled as problematic, it can take away from real violations and abusive behavior. It’s unlikely that all your exes were narcissists in a clinical sense, but we can all be narcissistic at times. Others will violate boundaries at times and so will you — we all do it.”
Dr. Jessica O’Reilly, Sex & Relationship Expert
Mental Health
Arguably, one of the most powerful sex trends stems from advancing technology that can facilitate more accessible and discreet avenues for sexual health consultations and therapy, providing support for a broader range of individuals. One example is TBDHealth, a virtual STI testing company, that removes the psychological barrier of going in person to receive testing. Additionally, more people are shedding the stigma of sex therapy and are attending sessions with their partners.
“Holistic sexual wellness will continue to trend due to the increase in self-help, people seeking out and receiving sex therapy services (which is also trending!), and the desire to remain connected. If more people knew they could buy a sexual wellness product that helps to decrease symptoms of anxiety and contribute to sexual pleasure, they would!”
Shamyra Howard, Sexologist
Harnessing Technology for Personalized Experiences
2024 sex trends will certainly include major advancements in sex toys and pleasure products such as unique customization features for sexual preferences and physical necessities.
“Sex toys have seen tremendous growth in the last several years, and I suspect part of the reason for this has to do precisely with the technological advancements.
Sextech is making toys easier than ever to use and infinitely customizable to your body and preferences. Just think about something like the rise of remote-controlled toys. This not only makes the toys more accessible and interactive, but it also makes it quick and easy to make adjustments and find what feels best for you.”
Dr. Justin Lehmiller, Researcher at the Kinsey Institute.
Leading the way in sex trends, app-enabled toys will offer an opportunity to customize a user’s experience like never before. With an app interface, vibration modes can be visualized and chosen with ease. This technology also allows users to create their own vibration patterns on a touch screen and save their favorite patterns for later. There are many toys like the Womanizer DUO 2 that have at least two motors, increasing the complexity of the toy. In addition, developing user-friendly apps helps remove barriers to entry for the user get the most out of their sex toys. Not only do app-controlled toys make it easier to customize vibration modes and play with a long-distance partner, they also allow users with mobility or physical disabilities to easily control their favorite toy.
Artificial Intelligence
Last year, the world really began to explore and embrace AI. Now, many of us are using programs like ChatGPT for our everyday tasks. According to recent data, ChatGPT currently has approximately 180.5 million users, and the website generated 1.5 billion visits in September 2023 alone.
AI algorithms can be used to create personalized experiences that adapt to individual preferences, and we predict that technology will be applied to several parts of the sexual wellness industry in 2024. This could apply to various aspects of sexual health and wellness, from customized fitness routines to mental health support. The future of sextech is all about empowering people to explore their sexuality, and AI has proven to be a valuable tool to help do so.
That being said, only so much can be done with this technology at this time, because sexual wellness, or more specifically pleasure focused, searches or content are often deemed explicit in many AI platforms. For instance, when asked to share sex positions, ChatGPT responded with, “as an AI language model, I adhere to a set of ethical guidelines that prevent me from engaging in explicit or adult-oriented discussions.”
It’s also imperative that sextech companies ensure that technology complements, not overshadows, the human side of intimacy. While blending technology with sexual wellness opens doors to tailored and immersive experiences, it’s vital for us to remember the human element in the equation. Because of this, brands must continue to focus on engineering to ensure the physical product is just as useful as the technology behind it.
While we traditionally think about technology as pertaining to wires, power, and computers, that is not the only type of technology that is a part of sextech. Advancements in engineering and design through real user testing and feedback are technical innovations that help users more easily and successfully use their toy.
After celebrating 15 years of We-Vibe’s iconic wearable couple’s vibrator, the brand is continuing its tradition of physical innovation with the new Sync O product—the first toy in the couples’ vibrator range to feature an insertable O-ring that helps the wearable vibrator stay in place. This “O” shaped ring can be squeezed together to slip into the vagina, and gently pushed against the vaginal walls to stay in place. Like a menstrual cup, this o-shape remains in place, even during more vigorous movements. While we use traditional technology to enhance the experience, ultimately innovations, like Sync O, are created because of the human experience.
Acknowledging Aging
A holistic sexual wellness ecosystem also includes sex at every age. Despite stereotypes and popular media representations, we know that older people are still having sex. According to our recent global survey, the average libido ranking of those 55 years or older is only 19% lower than that of people 54 years and younger. Aging and sex are often ignored in popular forms of media and are even treated and viewed as a joke, leading to 53% of people over 55 years old believing that the media does not paint a realistic picture of sexuality.
Sex as we age changes, and it is important to acknowledge that our bodies, libidos, and preferences can transform as we age. According to the National Institute of Aging, more than 1 million women go into menopause each year, yet the topic has remained generally unacknowledged by society up until recently. Over the past year there has been a growing recognition that menopause has been misunderstood both in the media and in the healthcare system for years. This shift comes as many Gen X-ers are beginning to experience menopause.
“The relationship between sex and menopause is a topic that will become more and more popular over the years. Many people are learning about it on social media, either from therapists working with clients who are experiencing menopause or who are experiencing menopause themselves.
Menopause is another topic that is still seen as relatively taboo, and people experiencing it want to know how they can still have great sex during menopause. It’s important that they have access to information that shows that they can.”
Shamyra Howard, Sexologist
Outercourse
Despite the progress we’ve seen in the sexual wellness industry, the orgasm gap between men and women still remains. According to a recent Lovehoney Group survey, the global masturbation gap has widened from 47% in 2022 to 57.7% in 2023. Research also shows the lack of clitoral education and clitoral exploration contributes to women in relationships only orgasming 65% of the time during sex, versus their male partners, who orgasm 95% of the time, every time they have sex.
The tide is changing as more people are discovering, or rediscovering, the clitoris through solo and/or partnered play. This will continue as part of 2024 sex trends, and the sextech industry is taking note. Brands like Womanizer and We-Vibe are constantly working to lessen the orgasm gap by consistently updating their products based on consumer feedback. For example, Womanizer’s Autopilot 2.0 function, which makes the product alternate between intensity levels and allows the user to relinquish control, is just one of many features that were recently revamped by our tester panel’s feedback.
Overall, 2024 sex trends base themselves in a clear understanding of people’s need to synthesize pleasure, health and the ubiquitous nature of technology. Here’s to a year of deepening our connection with self, others and the ways we experience pleasure.
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