Earlier this year, the adult store Imbesharam.com, conducted what they called ‘The Great Indian Sex Survey’, to find out the answer to the question—What do Indians want in bed? Over 2000 Indians from across the country (all aged over 18, of course), answered dozens of questions about what goes on beneath the sheets—from our sexual curiosities to our sexual frustrations, from how often we do it to what we wish we could do more of, from oral sex to masturbation, from sex toys to porn, and more! It turned out that 67% of the respondents were male, 30% were female, and only around 1% each identified as non-binary or transgender.

The results of the survey were analysed by Leeza Mangaldas. Leeza is a Content Creator on YouTube and Instagram and she creates conversations around sexuality, gender, and the body. She says,

I was delighted to discover that we are much more sexually curious and openminded than we give ourselves credit for.

So, on to what the data reveals: here’s a selection of some of the most memorable statistics and Leeza’s fun, insightful take on them!

1. Sex On Our Minds

Anal sex illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign
Anal sex illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign

We have sex on our minds a lot! 95% of respondents said they THINK of sex at least once every day! But according to statistics, we’re not getting it nearly as often as we think about it. 60% of participants stated that they have sex less than thrice a month.

2. The Orgasm Gap

Orgasm Gap illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign
Orgasm Gap illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign

The orgasm gap is very real. 70% of male respondents said they orgasm every time they have sex, while only 30% of female respondents were able to say the same. Most women also said they’ve faked an orgasm at least once.

3. Importance of Partner’s Pleasure

Filming while having sex illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign
Filming while having sex illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign

The good news is, though, that 64% of respondents said their partner’s pleasure is a primary concern for them during sex—so let’s get comfortable figuring out how our pleasure works, and then let’s communicate that knowledge to our partners! Here’s a helpful hint for all genders: sex isn’t just about penetration. And if you or your partner have a vulva, it is well worth your while to figure out the clitoris.

4. Oral And Anal Sex

Oral sex illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign
Oral sex illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign

And speaking of looking beyond P-in-V sex, we seem to be super curious about oral sex, AND anal sex. Over 60% of respondents said they’d ideally like to give and receive oral every time they have sex. 31% said they’d already tried anal sex, while an additional 34% said they hadn’t tried it yet but would like to. Make sure you have condoms and lube on hand!

5. Sex In The Digital Age

Sending nudes illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign
Sending nudes illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign

We’re also using technology to help enable our sex lives. About a quarter of respondents said they’d met their current partner online, and over two-thirds had sent nude photos of themselves at least once, sometimes even to people they weren’t in relationships with.

6. Porn In India

Watching porn illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign
Watching porn illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign

India certainly has a penchant for porn. We’ve long been one of the world’s largest consumers of internet pornography, but what we’d really like is more Indian representation in porn. Indian actors, Indian settings, Indian languages.

7. Masturbation and Toys

Masturbation illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign
Masturbation illustration by @ThoughtOverDesign

And almost everyone likes a wank. 90% of participants said they masturbate at least once a month. While 73% of respondents currently masturbate using their hands, 85% wish they had access to sex toys. (AMEN—I think of my own sex life as two vastly distinct eras—pre and post vibrator).

Watch this video to catch the whole shebang!

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