London: Britons are not having as much sex as popular perception might suggest and most intimate relations that do take place are likely to be between established couples, according to official data on Wednesday.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) said 16 per cent of men under 70 and 12 per cent of women under 50 had had no sexual partners in the previous year.
The data also showed that 73 per cent of men had had just one partner with just 12 per cent having more than one. For women that figure was 81 per cent for one partner and 7 per cent for more.
The proportions of both men and women who did not have a sexual partner in the previous year was highest among those aged under 20 - 38 per cent and 36 per cent -- which goes some way to exploding the myth that all Britain's youth is sexually active.
One third (33 per cent) of all men and just over a quarter (27 per cent) of all women who were single had not had a sexual partner.
Sex experts said the figures were a better reflection of the nation's sexual activity than that which is often portrayed in the media. "We are constantly being presented with inaccurate data that everyone is 'at it like rabbits' which makes people feel worried," Dr Petra Boynton of University College London told the Daily Telegraph.
"Sex is overhyped in our culture and because we have a more sexualised culture - the media covers sex a lot more in terms of music, and 'sex and lifestyle' are huge commodities - people think they should be having sex more," the psychologist said.
"These are actually quite comforting figures. We are not a nation that sleeps around or takes risks."
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