Body image issues no doubt impact our sex lives — and now dating app Pure has evidence. Pure surveyed 2,000 American adults of all genders and ethnicities and found that body insecurities are the ultimate cockblock.
Fifty-nine percent of women bailed on sex due to insecurities, compared to 20 percent of men. While anyone can have a negative outlook on their body, girls and women are taught from a young age to be critical of how they look; we’re bombarded of images on social media, TV, movies, and elsewhere what we “should” look like.
Meanwhile, most people (78 percent of women and 64 percent of men) never bailed on their partners after seeing them naked, and 81 percent of all Americans never declined sex because their partner’s body size and shape didn’t meet their expectations. Of course, that means that some people have declined intimacy due to these reasons, but it’s promising that those folks are in the minority.
How to work on your self-esteem with these helpful tips
Most Americans don’t care about body hair, either: 73 percent of American women and 61 percent of men have never been turned off by their partner’s body hair. The vast majority, 94 percent, don’t see stretch marks as a turn-off, either. Good to know that natural occurrences, like hair and skin scars, don’t matter to most people!
While participants may have body insecurities themselves, they agree that this can cause strife in partnerships. Almost all participants — 94 percent — believe that body image issues lead to relationship struggles. Over half (55 percent) even believe that someone can’t have a happy relationship or sex life if they’re dissatisfied with their body. And 83 percent believe both partners must share a similar level of body positivity for a relationship to work.
What’s more is that Americans love body confidence: 91 percent of American women and 72 percent of men prefer self-confidence in their partner over them having a “perfect body.” A whopping 97 percent believe feeling good about their body improves sex, dating, and relationships. So check out Mashable’s tips on improving your self-esteem — it may lead to better sex.
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“When I was younger, there was a time when I was under a lot of stress and exhausted. My body was suddenly covered with psoriasis-like wounds and spots. I felt ugly and vulnerable,” explained Pure CEO Olga Petrunina in the study press release. She waited for her boyfriend to return from summer break and was nervous about his reaction — but he didn’t even notice.
What to do when body image is affecting your sex life
“The best part is that it was all gone after I stopped worrying about it,” she continued. “So sometimes, it’s in our head. Self-confidence can be a game-changer.”
