#Sexualculture

A July 2025 study shows that voluntary celibacy—choosing to abstain from sexual activity for personal or cultural reasons—has become more common, especially among women. The research challenges the notion that dating apps and sex-positivity have made abstinence obsolete. It reveals nuanced shifts in attitudes toward intimacy across generations.

Many adults, particularly women, are intentionally taking breaks from sex for weeks, months, or longer. Motivations include personal growth, spiritual alignment, healing from past experiences, and prioritizing health and well-being. The trend suggests that sexual choice can be a form of empowerment rather than a sign of dysfunction.

New research published in July 2025 has found that voluntary celibacy—choosing to abstain from sexual activity for personal, cultural, or psychological reasons—has become notably common, especially among women. The study, highlighted by Psychology Today, offers a fresh look at shifting sexual behaviors and attitudes in contemporary society.

Celibacy is often assumed to be rare in the age of dating apps and sex-positivity movements, but the new findings challenge this stereotype. In recent years, changes in societal values, evolving gender dynamics, and personal considerations about health and well-being have contributed to a marked increase in voluntary sexual abstention, particularly among women. The implications stretch beyond individual choices, touching on issues ranging from mental health to relationship expectations in Thailand and around the world.