The COVID-19 Pandemic and Sexual Activity Among Young Adults

Using data from the 2013 through 2021 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Transition into Adulthood Supplement (PSID-TAS), this study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual activity among young adults. Particular attention is given to the mechanisms that might explain the decline in sexual activity during the pandemic. We find that fewer young adults report having had recent sexual intercourse during the COVID-19 pandemic relative to what would have been expected in the absence of a pandemic. However, we do not find a significant decline in the frequency of sexual intercourse among young adults who did have sex. A pandemic-induced decline in the likelihood of being in a romantic relationship, a decrease in the frequency of alcohol consumption, and an increase in parental coresidence explain the bulk of the decline in young adult sexual activity during the pandemic. In contrast, changes in young adults' employment and college attendance, self-rated health, and psychological distress do not explain the reduced sexual activity during the pandemic.