Feeling frisky? Experts say winter months are a hotbed for intimacy, but it comes with a downside
Upticks in 'condom sales, STD rates and internet searches for pornography and prostitution' all point to a rise in libido, according to a Washington Post article
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Do you find yourself feeling friskier during the winter months? Psychology scholars writing for The Washington Post say a number of reasons could be behind the change.
The article, written by Arizona State University associate professor of psychology Michael Varnum and University of British Columbia graduate student of psychology Ian Holm, discussed the behavioral shifts in terms of psychological changes and how they echo in other members of the animal kingdom.
"People seem to get friskier in the winter months. Researchers know this from analyses of condom sales, sexually transmitted disease rates and internet searches for pornography and prostitution, all of which show biannual cycles peaking in the late summer and the winter months," the article reads.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER SYMPTOMS, CAUSES AND WHEN TO SEEK HELP FOR THE MOOD DISORDER
Experts say intimacy is more common during the winter months. (iStock)
Conception rates are also noted as being higher during chillier months, with births peaking in September.
While no true consensus exists as to why the shift takes place, there are several popular theories.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Researchers have suggested many explanations, including health advantages for infants born in late summer, when food may historically have been more plentiful, changes in sex hormones altering libido, desires for intimacy motivated by the holiday season, and simply increased opportunities to engage in sex," the writers explain.
An article from The Daily Star from last year made similar claims about opportunities for intimacy during colder months, stating that people want to snuggle up more to combat the cold, and the closeness presents opportunities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Condom sales are higher during cold weather months, according to an article from The Washington Post. (Credit: iStock)
"Heat in the summer can make us feel lethargic and sleepy whereas the cold brings us close together in the evenings in front of the TV and at bedtime when we cuddle up," IllicitEncounters sex and relationship expert Jessica Leoni told the outlet in part.
At the same time, there's also an uptick in affairs, she claimed.
Data from IllicitEncounters, a controversial extra-marital dating site based in the U.K., indicated a surge in sign-ups comes as time falls back in the colder season, according to The Daily Mirror.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The dating site claimed that a 2016 survey of 500 people showed 79 percent agreed cheating was easier in the winter and 60 percent said they had more time to do so.
SLEEP PROBLEMS WORSEN DURING THE WINTER, US ADULTS SAY IN NEW SURVEY
Colder weather is believed to open up opportunities to grow closer to romantic partners. (iStock)
"The clocks going back afford us more time in bed, but they allow for a lot more when it comes to adultery. Pitch black afternoons aren’t exactly joyful, especially for those who wait long hours at home for their partner to return from work, and it’s in these moments of upsetting reflection that someone may realize how fractured their marriage is," Christian Grant, an affiliate of the site, told the outlet at the time.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As a result, they decided to warm up their cold, dark afternoons, with a steamy affair being the perfect remedy."