Gen Zs sex recession is real, but not by choice. I should know Im living it.

It’s rough out here.As a 22-year-old member of Gen Z, I wasn’t surprised by a new study from The Kinsey Institute saying that my generation isn’t having sex. The study claims that it’s mostly financial anxiety responsible for our collective dry spell  — 43% said financial concerns made it harder to date or maintain romantic relationships.But it’s not quite that cut and dried.The reality is that while many Gen Z members would love to be getting it on, we just can’t get past some of the considerable consequences.It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Shows like Sex and the City, that we still binge — and our older friends and co-workers — regale us with wild tales of nights out that end up with a happy ending. But now that we’re here it feels like a fantasy.  Our (frugal, because we’re poor) outings start with a group of friends, and end that way, too.For our generation, we’re still asking, Will sexcapades ever happen after a wild night out?According to the Kinsey Institute, the answer is “nope.” The storied sex foundation surveyed 2,373 U.S.

adults aged 18–29 to understand how young adults are navigating sex, dating and relationships today.The key takeaway wasn’t exactly a shocker: Most young adults report low levels of sexual activity overall.The survey found 29% had zero partners in the last 3 months, while 19% have never had a sexual partner at all.But only 18% of study participants reported being “unsatisfied” with their sex lives, even though the majority of young people surveyed would happily jump at the chance to jump in bed with a Jacob Elordi lookalike, saying their sex drives are “moderate to high.” What’s stopping Gen Z from getting X rated?Reporting from the front line, I can tell you that the deterrent is different for everyone. Some fear having intimate details shared in a fraternity or sorority alumni chat with literally hundreds of people. Others want an emotional connection first, but don’t know ho...