Asians rate sex lives so-so

Asia's lovers rate sex far less highly than those elsewhere around the globe, spend less time having intercourse and are not as likely to reach orgasm, according to a survey released Tuesday.

The international survey of more than 26,000 people in 26 countries found Asians ranked themselves among the least satisfied with their sex lives.

The Global Sexual Wellbeing Survey was conducted by condom-maker Durex and released at this week's World Congress on Sexual Health in Sydney.

The survey found most people around the globe had sex 106 times a year, with the Japanese the most infrequent on 48 and the Greeks putting in an Olympian effort on 164.
It might explain why respondents from Japan were the least satisfied with their sex lives, with only 10 percent ranking it as exciting, well behind the global average of 49 percent, led by Nigerians on 78 percent.

Hong Kong (32 percent), Australia (40), Singapore (41), Thailand (42) and New Zealand (43) were also among the bottom 10 nations in the exciting sex life stakes.

India's lovers were the world's quickest, taking 13.2 minutes per session compared to the global average of 18.3 minutes, with the ranking again topped by Nigeria, on a leisurely 24 minutes.

Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Australia were also well below the world average for time spent on intercourse.

However, China's lovers were the seventh most lengthy in the world on 20 minutes, a heartbeat behind Malaysia's on 19.9.

Only 24 percent of respondents from Hong Kong and China reported always experiencing an orgasm during sex, the lowest in the survey, followed by Japan on 27 percent and Singapore on 36.

On average, 59 percent of respondents strongly agreed that sex was important to them, with the lowest rankings coming from Thailand on 38 percent, Japan (39) and Hong Kong (48 percent).

Gabrielle Morrissey, a sex expert from Australia's Bond University, said the survey reflected cultural issues to sex in Asia.

"Work is a lot more important than sex in many Asian countries and the survey shows that it's ranked a low priority in the life-work balance and can suffer as a result," she told AFP.

"It's very much lifestyle-driven, there are also negative attitudes to sex and myths that can have an impact."

Morrissey said improved sex education and communication between couples could improve sex lives in the region.