3 sex and dating trends you need to know for 2025
Mid-way through January, we start hearing about how so many of us have failed at our New Year's Resolutions. All is not lost if your grand plans to try Dry January or finally get more consistent with your training have already been ditched: now is a great time to turn over a new sexual leaf.
In even better news, 2025 brings with it a more evolved understanding of intimacy, according to sexual wellness brand Satisfyer. 'Equality, a conscious approach to sensuality and an increased focus on emotional connections are shaping many people's attitudes,' say the experts behind its 2025 Sex Trends report.
3 top sex trends for 2025
1. Erotic escapism
Escapism is one of the key buzzwords of recent years – and now the trend is finding its way into your sexual wellness.
The trend has roots in the current appetite for smut: A Court of Thorn and Roses, the sex-packed fantasy book, made author Sarah J. Maas the bestselling author of 2024, while sex-positive films like Babygirl and Anora are putting eroticism back in the cinema.
Engaging with sex in an escapist way, via other people's stories or insights, can help unlock new desires in ourselves. It's also a safe way to discover these newer elements of pleasure.
If you want to live out your escapism, fantasy games and role-play can help you escape real life. 'Erotic escapism is an invitation to rediscover your own sexuality in a creative and pleasurable way,' note Satisfyer's experts.
2. Micro-romance
If you've been struggling with dating, you're not alone. Headline after headline tells us how hard it is to meet people out there – and in response, people are moving away from longevity and towards intense but short-lived commitments.
If that sounds like a toxic situationship, you're way off. This is all about consenting, honest short-term partnerships, rather than being played. They have emotional depth, highlighting the move away from superficial encounters and towards conscious self-care and emotionally authentic connections.
3. Karezza
Derived from the Italian word for 'tenderness', this trend is all about focusing on the journey not the destination. Meaning, orgasm-focused intimacy is out and mindful, slow touch is in.
'Karezza invites you to experience sexuality from a new perspective, in which the process of union is more important than the goal of climax,' say the experts at Satisfyer.
That's not to say orgasm is bad. Rather, it's about taking orgasm off its pedestal to harness the other benefits of touch, like relaxation and closeness. Rather than chasing the finish line, enjoy the race – ironically, you may find that banishing the need to climax and the anxiety that comes with it makes it so much easier.
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