Men say their sex lives have gotten better during the pandemic, but women don't agree
The pandemic has been a marked period of stress for many couples, but according to an eharmony report, the time inside may have come with some unexpected benefits.
The eharmony "Happiness Index: Love and Relationships in America" report polled 2,000 people, in partnership with survey company Harris Interactive, to see how relationships are faring during the pandemic.
On average, the findings showed 39% of people in relationships said their sex lives had actually improved in the past year. However, there was a stark gendered divide between how many men and women reported a better pandemic sex life.
While 50% of men in relationships said their sex life had improved during the pandemic, only 29% of women could say the same.
More sex doesn't equal better sex
Nedra Glover Tawwab, a relationship therapist and owner of Kaleidoscope Counseling, told Insider this trend might be linked to the differences between what some men and women consider good sex.
In addition to reporting an improved pandemic sex life, 45% of men said they were having sex more frequently compared to 29% of women.
"Having sex doesn't mean that your sex life is healthy necessarily, but for men, perhaps their idea of having an improved sex life is improved frequency," Tawwab said.
"For women, they may have a different concept of the sexual experience. So certainly more frequent sex for men could be seen as a positive thing for the relationship."
Relationships that survived the pandemic got stronger in the last year
As more people get vaccinated, singles, in particular, are preparing for the rise of post-pandemic dating in the summer months of 2021.
The increase in outdoor activity could feel foreboding for partnered folks, but Tawwab is optimistic about their future.
"I think the attachment piece will keep people together and they will learn to navigate this new post-pandemic world together," Tawwab told Insider. "I don't think there'll be this massive breakup."
The data found that 71% of people polled were glad to have a romantic partner during the pandemic, and 58% of people reported their relationship had gotten stronger in the last year.
"Being able to have someone in the pandemic, being able to thrive in the pandemic, I don't think that people would just throw that away because they're vaccinated," Tawwab said.