Sweden is losing its sex drive … so it’s time for some really probing questions

The spice is going out of life for Swedes, it seems. They are just not making love as much as they used to, according to the government, which wants to know why. It has ordered a major study of people’s sex lives to see what is dampening the nation’s ardour. Public health minister Gabriel Wikstrom said: “Sex is not, and never has been, a purely private matter. Sex is also an issue of human health and from that perspective, a political issue.”

It’s important to investigate whether that is the case and if so what the reason is

Public health minister Gabriel Wikstrom thinks stress may be to blame

The last thorough study of Swedes’ sex habits was 20 years ago, Mr Wikstrom said. Since then, reports in tabloid newspapers have pointed to a decrease in sexual activity. If stress and other health issues was affecting Swedes’ sex lives, he noted, “that is also a political problem.” He has asked the Public Health Agency of Sweden to carry out the study and prepare a report by 2019.