With everything that the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us about human contact - that it can be both dangerous yet is absolutely necessary to our well-being as individuals and as a society, it seems incongruous yet obvious that 2021 and 2022 have seen a rise in popularity of the sex party. But what exactly is it that everyone's apparently been getting up to?
Discover our latest podcast
What is a sex party?
Banned from 2020-mid way through 2021 for most countries (along side every other activity pertaining to large groups of people), sex parties, sometimes referred to as play parties, are group gatherings where sexual activity occurs. Unlike an orgy where all members typically participate, sex party go-ers are able to join or abstain from any number of sexual activities on offer. This means you can be as involved (or not) as you want to be.
Sex parties can hosted by individuals or companies, and cater to many different sexual tastes and orientations. For example two popular sex party organisers are Skirt Club, a popular women-only sex party based in London, and SNCTM, an exclusive members club that hosts sex parties in NYC and LA.
Why are they more popular than ever?
Group sex has never gone out of existence, and its record can be traced, according to Vice, back to Paleolithic cave paintings. Nevertheless, access to group sex was highly restricted during the pandemic, therefore making many experienced sex-party participants itch for the opportunity to get back to their previous pleasures.
While this makes sense, it doesn't explain the rise in popularity of this sex trend. However, thanks to Kinsey and Love Honey's research into the effect of the pandemic on sexual preference, we do know why this is happening.
According to their findings, over half of respondents said their sexual interests shifted during the pandemic, with 73% of those people also identifying as kinkierthan their pre-pandemic selves. More specifically, 20% of participants noted that they were now more interested in attending a sex party (having never been to one before).
These findings are in part due to a collective starvation of human connection, but the past few years have also been a reminder of the uncertainty of our existence. This has caused re-evaluations of all areas of life and has been a time of monumental change for many. Having been forced to be a little bit more real with ourselves, the pursuit of our desires, no matter what they may be, has never been a more deliberate or deliberated course of action, therefore leading many to find the courage to dive into the world of sex parties for the first time!
Sources used:
Mashable: 'People are more sexually adventurous right now — and more cautious'
Vice: 'The Sweaty, Sticky, Triumphant Return of Sex Parties'
Sex and Psychology: 'How The Pandemic Has Affected Interest In Threesomes And Sex Parties'
Read more:
⋙ These are the kinks and fetishes Brits fantasize about
⋙ 4 kinky sex positions you need to try today
⋙ 10 kinky sex positions for same-sex couples
⋙ Temperature play: The hottest (or coldest) kink you need to try
