Sexual Trends for Better Sex

If you’re trying to spice things up in bed, turning to the most popular sex tips, which can be found on places like TikTok and sex educator blogs, is a great way to get ideas.

These sexual tips might be as simple as practicing sexual mindfulness, including more foreplay, or changing up the scenery with a trip somewhere new. But if you want a bigger picture of how other people are being intimate, you’ll want to consider the top sex trends.

Sexual trends aren’t really about the latest pet names, lingerie designers, and innovations in sex tech. Instead, they’re really popular ways to reach new heights, help your partner do the same, and maybe even overcome erectile dysfunction (ED) or premature ejaculation (PE) issues.

The Hims 2022 nationwide sexual survey asked what Americans were into in bed these days, and from their responses, we’ve created a portrait of the top sex trends today.

In April 2022, we conducted a survey to gather additional information beyond what the “most popular” tabs on adult sites can show us.

More than 7,000 participants weighed in and delivered some surprising insight. For instance, about one in five said their sex life would improve with more sex. In addition, nearly three-quarters of participants said they were most interested in exploring sexual trends they hadn’t previously tried.

Curious what those sexual trends are or if your own chosen trend made the list? These are the ten most common sexual trends, according to our survey.

Roleplay

Thirty-one percent of respondents said roleplay was on their list of things to try in sexual relationships. For the survey, we defined roleplay as “engaging in a fantasy scenario,” including acting like strangers or exploring power dynamics, like teacher and student. 

Nearly a third of people surveyed had at least one roleplay scenario they wanted to try with a partner.

Dom/Sub Relationships

Dom and sub relationships (also known as dominant and submissive) are defined by a consensual power imbalance between sexual partners. Respondents — specifically 17 percent of them — were on board with agreeing to cede or take power in intimate relationships.

Interestingly, it’s somewhat challenging to determine the portion of the population that’s into dom/sub relationships and BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism). Research puts the number somewhere between 2 and 62 percent of the population — it turns out that the wording of the question makes a huge difference. So, if this type of relationship is your preference, we can’t really say how many other people might be willing to join you.

Sexual Voyeurism

Another 17 percent of participants wanted to watch others engaging in sexual acts without their knowledge — a practice known as (sexual) voyeurism.

In a survey of a representative sample of Americans (adults aged 18 to 87 across ethnicities, genders, and income levels), voyeurism fantasies were of interest to a whopping 60 percent of participants. That’s more watching than doing when it comes to pursuing fantasies.

Sugar Relationships

Surprisingly, there’s another sex trend that 17 percent of respondents to our survey say they want to participate in. Sugar relationships — one partner giving financial or material support to another in return for intimacy or companionship — were in the top half of the list of trends to try.

Solo Polyamory

Relationships were optional for the 13 percent of respondents who wanted to engage in solo polyamory, the practice of having multiple partners without a monogamous relationship as an anchor or goal.

And according to that representative survey of Americans, more than two-thirds of respondents fantasized about this in their spare time. Just remember that having multiple sex partners does mean you’ll have to be more careful with things like birth control and healthcare.

Consensual Exhibitionism

Consensual exhibitionism is the practice of being seen naked or engaged in sexual activities by others. For 12 percent of survey respondents, it was on the list of intriguing trends to try. 

According to that study of fantasies we mentioned, roughly 42 percent of people may be into it, which means you could be closer to like minds than you know.

Digital Legal Sex Work

At least 12 percent of respondents were interested in exploring platforms and apps like OnlyFans, which have become increasingly popular since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Many people in this group seem to welcome the idea of producing sexual content legally for pay and (potentially) avoiding sexually transmitted infections. The content might include nudity, sexual acts, or other intimate behaviors —  it’s all based on what the content creator wants to do.

Cuckolding

Our survey found that 10 percent of respondents were interested in a sexual trend known as cuckolding. In cuckolding, one partner watches their partner “cheat” with someone outside their relationship for the enjoyment of all involved. The key to your emotional well-being here is that the “forced-to-watch” partner consents to everything.

Foot Fetishism

Finding feet sexy for physical or visual stimulation made the top ten list as well. We probably don’t need to explain too much about foot fetishes — at least not to the nine percent of survey respondents who said it was a kink they wanted to try.

Objectophilia

To the average person, objectophilia may sound taboo, dangerous, or otherwise obscure. But six percent of people were interested in the idea of a sexual relationship or romance with inanimate objects — not so dangerous or obscure.

While the object in question might include sex toys, everything from dolls to office equipment could technically qualify. Oral sex, anal sex, and other types of sexual experience with objects can be a great way to find new sexual pleasure. Just remember that flared bases and non-toxic substances are essential.

Each person’s sexual preferences are both valid and — as you probably already know — not always appealing to everyone else.

Still, the state of sex these days is full of choice and opportunity. Just a quick exploration of PornHub and other popular sites will demonstrate the variety of new sex trends you may not have been aware of, along with the different kinks other people are dedicating their lives to.

For many people (sexually active or otherwise), there’s some confusion about a couple of terms that describe sexual behaviors: kink and fetish.

Fetishes and kinks are often considered interchangeable, with a fetish viewed as a “stronger” attachment and attraction. But there’s another way to define certain kinks: as a sexual orientation.

In fact, some have argued that BDSM is actually more of a sexual orientation toward control and power than a trend or a simple kink.

Experts generally argue that both definitions are valid, and the scientific consensus seems to be that both are acceptable ways of seeing BDSM.

In general, you probably understand that orientation is far more “intense” a connection to identity than a trend. So, while there are valid reasons why terms like trend, orientation, and kink may overlap, they’re not quite the same.

If you prefer to identify that way, go for it, but for our purposes, trendy kinks can be something you explore without necessarily being something you are.

Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation are two of the most common sexual problems in men. ED is prominent in men over 40 and increases in commonality with age.

Premature ejaculation is considered the most common sexual disorder in men — between 30 and 75 percent experience PE, according to some experts.

Sexual trends aren’t miracle cures for these conditions or an otherwise bad sex life — they can only help what’s already working get even better.

Thankfully, there are sex tips and trends that can augment both conditions, and there are even ways to sidestep the symptoms of ED and PE at home. Here’s what to consider.

Practice Adaptive Sex

Generally speaking, the best way to combat sexual disorders and dysfunction — an unofficial catch-all term for common health conditions that affect bedroom performance — is to practice adaptive sex.

Adaptive sex can be helpful for anyone from the physically impaired to those who have damage to the nerve endings of their genitals to those who just need a little more foreplay, lube, or other preparatory self-care practices to have the best sex they can.

Using Toys  

If you’re a well-meaning sexual partner, you already know that toys should be more like teammates than competitors. Bringing toys into the bedroom is one of the easiest ways to spice things up on the path to better sex.

Both women and men can enjoy an array of enhanced pleasures from toys and devices, from penis pumps to vibrators. In fact, vibrators can do a lot for men, from increasing erectile function and arousal to improving ejaculatory function. 

Pre-Sex Masturbation

Self-pleasure is contraceptive-free, STD-free, and something you’ve probably been practicing since high school.

That’s all good news because the best way to have better orgasms is to have more orgasms. It turns out that a little pre-sex masturbation can relieve more than stress before a big night.

Specifically, masturbating one to two hours before having sex can decrease the chances of premature ejaculation.

Think of it as a penile pregame. Just don’t do it too much — we’ve heard that’s possible.

Pelvic Floor Exercises

Speaking of games, the best way to perform on game night is to practice and stay fit in the lead-up. This works for your sex life, too.

Pelvic floor exercises (also known as Kegels) have lots of potential to reduce symptoms of premature ejaculation. There are still questions about the best way to do them, but if you’re curious, experts point to this plan.

Whether your interests align with or deviate from the things we’ve mentioned here, the most important takeaway from this data should be that you’re not alone in wanting to try new things.

Sexual trends come and go. At the end of the day, it’s about living your best sex life, and that’s something you and your partner(s) need to chart for yourselves. So here’s the big-picture advice we’ll leave you with: be bold.

Learn new ways to have better sex, and try them out with a consenting partner. And if your relationship is currently lacking in the sex department, talk to them — and maybe a therapy professional — about what’s coming between you.

On the other hand, if the thing coming between you is you coming too early, maybe introduce something like a benzocaine wipe into your sex life rather than a new trend. 

Your sexual health and sexual wellness should always be on your priorities list. Treating erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation, seeking help for intimacy issues and performance anxiety — those are trends everyone can get behind.

Explore sexual health resources at Hims today.