Brits are having sex with pals rather than one-night stands, research shows

ROMPING with pals has replaced one-night stands as Covid makes friends with benefits more popular.

There has been a dramatic fall in singletons looking for one-off sex since the pandemic hit two years ago, researchers say.

GettySex with pals has replaced one-night stands as Covid makes friends with benefits more popular[/caption]

But so-called situationship romps — where friends have sex without the romantic commitment — are more common, the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle found.

Experts say the number of people having one-night stands has fallen from eight per cent to four per cent in ten years.

Research was carried out throughout the pandemic, including during national lockdowns, local lockdowns and periods when rules were eased.

Co-leader of the study Professor Kirstin Mitchell, from the Institute of Health and Well Being at Glasgow University, said: “The restrictions in place in the early part of the pandemic fundamentally altered the opportunities people could have to have sex.

“Covid 19 restrictions led to significant shifts in sexual repertoires, frequency and satisfaction, mostly for those not cohabiting and young people.”

The study also found two thirds of people had sex with someone in their support bubble during the lockdowns.

Only 22 per cent said the pandemic had not affected their sex lives.

Researchers interviewed 6,500 people aged 16 to 59 in July 2020 and the same number in April last year.