According to the Dutch statistics office CBS, sexual activity has increased among people aged over 75. The health and lifestyle monitor report showed that 27% of people in this age group

reported being active between the sheets in the past year in 2022, compared to 16% in 2014. Interestingly, sexual activity decreased among all other age groups, especially among those aged between 16 and 25. In 2014, 74% of young adults reported having sex in the past year, but this number dropped to 70% more recently.

Tanja Traag, a senior researcher and sociologist at the CBS, noted that the increase in sexually active older people was linked to a rise in those still living with a partner. This figure increased from 46% to 51%. She explained that "this group is more sexually active than people living alone" and that "older people are also more comfortable in their own skins." The survey did not explore how many times during the year people were sexually active, but Traag suggested that the lower figure among the youngest people was because young adults were waiting longer before having sex for the first time.

Interestingly, men aged between 25 and 45 were the most likely to report that they had been sexually active in the previous year. Meanwhile, an increasing number of people said they were celibate in 2022, growing from 25.5% in 2014 to 30%. However, there was a dark figure in the survey - one in eight participants did not want to disclose whether they had been sexually active recently, rising to 24% of the over 75s.

During the pandemic, Rutgers, a sexual health group, ran a short-lived campaign encouraging young people to remember how to flirt and have a "summer of love." Unfortunately, the campaign was interrupted by more coronavirus restrictions on human contact.

In conclusion, the increase in sexual activity among older people is likely due to a rise in those still living with a partner, as well as a greater sense of comfort in one's own skin. The decrease in sexual activity among young adults could be due to waiting longer before first having sex. It is important to note that there are still barriers to discussing sexual activity openly, particularly among older people. Finally, it is interesting to see how the pandemic has affected sexual behavior and awareness, with campaigns such as Rutgers' "summer of love" being interrupted by COVID-19 restrictions.