Changes in Sex Life among People in Taiwan during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Roles of Risk Perception, General Anxiety, and Demographic Characteristics

Ko, Nai Ying; Lü, Wei; Chen, Yi Lung; Li, Dian‐Jeng; Chang, Yu Ping; Wu, Chia Fen; Wang, Peng Wei; Yen, Cheng Fang

doi:10.3390/ijerph17165822

Cited by 60 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Other relevant psychological issues included: increased appetite, reduced libido and higher level of anxiety for health. This corroborates previous evidence [ 16 , 41 – 43 ]. Among these, health anxiety has been demonstrated to be modulated by psychological flexibility [ 16 ], while eating more seems to be a typical stress related response [ 44 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Cognitive and mental health changes and their vulnerability factors related to COVID-19 lockdown in Italy

et al. 2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic and government imposed social restrictions like lockdown exposed most individuals to an unprecedented stress, increasing mental health disorders worldwide. We explored subjective cognitive functioning and mental health changes and their possible interplay related to COVID-19-lockdown. We also investigated potential risk factors to identify more vulnerable groups. Across Italy, 1215 respondents completed our Qualtrics-based online-survey during the end of a seven to 10-week imposed lockdown and home confinement (from April 29 to May 17, 2020). We found subjective cognitive functioning and mental health severely changed in association with the lockdown. Under government regulations, cognitive complaints were mostly perceived in routine tasks involving attention, temporal orientation and executive functions—with no changes in language abilities. A paradoxical effect was observed for memory, with reduced forgetfulness compared to pre-lockdown. We found higher severity and prevalence of depression, anxiety disorders, abnormal sleep, appetite changes, reduced libido and health anxiety: with mild-to-severe depression and anxiety prevalence climbing to 32 and 36 percent, respectively, under restrictions. Being female, under 45 years, working from home or being underemployed were all identified as relevant risk factors for worsening cognition and mental health. Frequent consumers of COVID-19 mass media information or residents in highly infected communities reported higher depression and anxiety symptoms, particularly hypochondria in the latter. If similar restrictions are reimposed, governments must carefully consider these more vulnerable groups in their decisions, whilst developing effective global and long-term responses to the cognitive and mental health challenges of this type of pandemic; as well as implementing appropriate psychological interventions with specific guidelines: particularly regarding exposure to COVID-19 mass-media reports.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Cognitive and mental health changes and their vulnerability factors related to COVID-19 lockdown in Italy

et al. 2021

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“…Interestingly, some survey studies investigated sexual function during restrictive social distancing and found how risk perception of COVID-19 was negatively associated with frequencies of sexual activities [38][39][40]. In particular, a higher general anxiety during COVID-19 was showed to have a negative impact on sex life and frequencies of sexual intercourse, decreased satisfaction with sex life and frequencies of sexual activity [41]. These results could explain the use of pornography as an escape from the reality and sexual life crisis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pornography habits: a global analysis of Google Trends

et al. 2020

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As the COVID-19 spread globally, social distancing, self-isolation/quarantine, and national lockdowns have become crucial to control the pandemic. However, these measures may also lead to increases in social isolation, loneliness, and stress, which can alter the consumption of pornography habits. The aim of the study was thus to explore the interest pattern in pornography and coronavirus-themed pornography during the COVID-19 outbreak. Google Trends® was employed to determine the most popular porn websites (Porn, XNXX, PornHub, xVideos, and xHamster), and coronavirus-themed pornography worldwide and in six nations with different COVID-19 outbreak and self-isolation recommendations. We analyzed every search trend on Google® from January 9, 2020 to May 25, 2020 using "joint point regression analysis". Comparisons of week relative search volume (WRSV) and temporal patterns were analyzed to assess the change of interest in search terms during nations lockdowns. Paired t-test was used to compare WRSV values among the porn websites during the national lockdowns and the equivalent timespan of the weeks in the previous 4 years. The research trend of almost every keyword increased with significant inflection points for those nations with a straight "stay at home orders" (China, Italy, Spain, and France). "PornHub" and "Porn" showed the highest increase of interest worldwide with an average weekend percentage change (AWPC) of 4.9 and 3.8, respectively. The mean WRSV for keywords in USA and Sweden did not show a similar increase as the other nations. The WRSV percentage change with the historical data had a peak during the straight nations' lockdowns (p < 0.01). All the nations had a significant increase in WRSV coronavirus-themed pornography for each keyword (p < 0.01) with an AWPC, ranging worldwide between 18.5 and 61.8 (p < 0.01), after the beginning of selfquarantine. As strengths this study uses a big data technology to collect worldwide trend of interest, however, data are anonymous and do not allow analysis of subpopulation groups. In conclusion, we demonstrated an increased interest in pornography and coronavirus-themed pornography after the outbreak of COVID-19 in nations with a straight "stay at home orders".

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“…For example, partnered people who were more knowledgeable about COVID-19 (e.g., knew more about the ways of transmission), and those who engaged in more protective behaviors against infection (e.g., adhered to social distancing), reported a decrease in intercourse and oral sex frequency during the pandemic (Hensel et al, 2020). Moreover, people who perceived more risks related to COVID-19 were more likely to report negative changes in sexual activity during the pandemic (Ko et al, 2020). Following these findings, risk perception and motives for security might be crucial to regulate health in a time when health risks are heightened, determining sexual behavior and predicting sexual risk-taking.…”

Section: Health and Well-being During The Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual Motives for Security Influence Sexual Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Rodrigues¹,

Balzarini²,

Zoppolat³

et al. 2021

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Amidst a global pandemic, people’ survival needs become salient and the ability for people to regulate feeling and actions might be particularly relevant to protecting oneself from harm. Regulatory Focus Theory (Higgins, 1998) proposes that people pursue their goals by having a focus on prevention (i.e., motivated by security) or promotion (i.e., motivated by pleasure). Prior research indicates that people focused on prevention (vs. promotion) are more likely to engage in health-protective behaviors, including sexual health behaviors, because they perceive more threats. Extending this reasoning to the sexual activity of single people during the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a pre-registered longitudinal study (N = 174) examining the role of regulatory focus on people’s sexual behaviors. As hypothesized, results showed that single people who reported having a more prevention focus at the onset of the pandemic perceived greater threats caused by the pandemic two weeks later, which, in turn, predicted less frequent sexual activity and engagement in sex with fewer sexual partners the following two weeks. These effects were consistent even when controlling for promotion (i.e., pleasure motivations), personality, gender, and sexual orientation. Findings are discussed considering their implications for the sexual functioning and sexual health of single people.

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Changes in Sex Life among People in Taiwan during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Roles of Risk Perception, General Anxiety, and Demographic Characteristics

Cited by 60 publications

References 53 publications

Cognitive and mental health changes and their vulnerability factors related to COVID-19 lockdown in Italy

Cognitive and mental health changes and their vulnerability factors related to COVID-19 lockdown in Italy

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pornography habits: a global analysis of Google Trends

Individual Motives for Security Influence Sexual Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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