How Global Warming Affects Your Sex Life

Global warming is something that should be taken seriously, because it’s probably impacting your life in more ways than you can imagine. And the latest global warming news from economists warns that climate change can affect your sex life — and not in a good way. According to a new working paper released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, “hot weather leads to diminished coital frequency.” In short, hotter temps, less sex. To reach that conclusion, three economists dug into 80 years of data on fertility and temperature in the U.S.. What they found was, when the temperatures were 80 degrees Fahrenheit or more, a large decline of births followed over the next 10 months. An extra “hot day” led to 1,165 fewer deliveries across the country.

In a paper to policymakers, the researchers from Tulane University, the University of California-Santa Barbara, and the University of Central Florida gave three major points to consider:

Birth Rates Don't Bounce Back After Heat Waves

According to the economists, this is a major problem for developed countries who already have low birth rates. It’s also bad for a country’s economy. In the U.S., for example, a lower birth rate would mean less workers to pay Social Security benefits for retired individuals.

More Fall Pregnancies = More Summer Babies

Infants born in the summer experience a higher rate of poor health. While the reasons are “not well-established,” one possibility the researchers noted was a “third-trimester exposure to high temperatures.”

But Air Conditioning May Prove To Be A New Aphrodisiac

As the economists pointed out, previous research has shown that air conditioning has helped offset some fertility losses related to heat since the 1970s.

If the researchers are proved to be correct, the one thing you’ll be looking for in your next partner is whether or not they have a working air conditioning unit. Which, if you think about it, makes sense. After all, the colder months are called “cuffing season,” because scientists believe people have evolved to seek mates during the winter months — and it happens to be the most fertile time of the year.

Now that we know global warming can have an effect on our sex lives, here are three other random things that can affect sex frequency:

1. Your IQ

A 2013 study by sex toy retailer, Lovehoney found that those with “elevated” levels of intelligence had higher sex drives. The study analyzed sales figures from students attending top universities in the UK. While it was found that students with higher IQs may have above normal sex drives, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re having more sex.

In fact, in a 2011 article for Psychology Today, sociologist Rosemary Hopcroft said, “Intelligence is negatively associated with sex frequency … It’s a bit dismaying.” According to experts, there is a “high concentration of teen virgins at the top of the intelligence” due to the fact that the smartest kids think through the potential consequences.

2. Your Shaving Habits

It is officially the beginning of Movember, so you’re more likely to see a bunch of guys participating in the whole no shave trend. But as a 2003 University of Bristol study found, that won’t exactly help their sex life. In a study of 2,438 middle-aged Welsh men, it was found that men who didn’t shave every day enjoyed less sex.

3. Your Spirituality

While you wouldn’t normally connect spirituality with sexuality, apparently it’s sexy to be spiritual. A 2009 University of Kentucky study took a sample of 353 undergraduate students and surveyed them on their religiousness, spirituality, and sexual practices. As the study found, women who were more spiritual reported to having more frequent sex, higher levels of arousal and desire, as well as much better orgasms. Amen to that.

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