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Swedes, yesterday. Shutterstock/IVASHstudio

Are Swedes having less sex? Their government wants to know

Health issues affecting Swedes’ sex lives could be a political problem, the country’s health minister has said.

WORRIED THAT SWEDES aren’t having enough sex, the country’s government wants to analyse the bedroom activities of its citizens in a major new study.

It’s been 20 years since the last in-depth study of the sex habits of the Scandinavian welfare state, so Public Health Minister Gabriel Wikstrom says it’s high time for another survey.

One of the goals of the investigation, set to be completed in 2019, is to find out whether there’s any truth to Swedish tabloid reports that Swedes are having less sex than they used to.

“It’s important to investigate whether that is the case and if so, what the reason is,” he wrote today in an opinion piece in the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.

If stress and other health issues are affecting Swedes’ sex lives, he said, “that is also a political problem”.

Morgan Eklund, an official in Wikstrom’s office, said the minister was referring primarily to a 2013 survey of 3,000 people by the Aftonbladet tabloid, which found that lovemaking is on the wane in Sweden – a country with a reputation of being sexually liberated.

Eklund said the survey was not scientific enough to be used as the basis of government policies “but it points in a direction that can be interesting to follow up”.

In a separate article on the government’s website, Wikstrom said the Social Democratic-led government needs better information about people’s sex habits to guide its policies related to sexual and reproductive health.

“Sex is an area that strongly influences people’s health, so we can’t just talk about things like, for example, venereal disease, but also things that are positive and lust-filled about sex,” Wikstrom said.

The study will be carried out by the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

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41 Comments
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    Mute ...
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:12 PM

    Go on home to your sexy wives !

    178
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    Mute Yeah Ok
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:13 PM

    If the Swedish government need someone to go over to Sweden and have lots of sex with lots of sexy blonde Swedish women I’m game. Willing to do my bit to help the world.

    151
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    Mute Peter Fechter
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:06 PM

    I think Sweden might just have bigger fish to fry than Coitus right now…and for many years to come….

    121
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    Mute Sue
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:10 PM

    There is probably a lack of consensual sex going on in fairness.
    But at least society isn’t too white anymore! Yucky Caucasians!

    97
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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:17 PM

    It’s funny I spend half the year surrounded by Approx 1,500 Swedes and none of them seem to think they have the issues you regularly highlight! Maybe living there they know something you don’t

    27
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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Jul 29th 2016, 5:05 PM
    40
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    Mute Roly Burkinshaw
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    Jul 29th 2016, 7:11 PM

    Plenty of sex going on …if being held down in an ally and gang raped by 6 Muslims counts ??

    37
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    Mute Dan Wikström
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    Jul 29th 2016, 10:41 PM

    We’re to busy having our coffee breaks (Fika) and judge people who earn more than us. And wish someone else would do something about it.

    6
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    Mute sean byrne
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:08 PM

    No sex please, we’re multicultural.

    100
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:51 AM

    Multiculchies you mean?

    1
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    Mute Methodical Insanity
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:46 PM

    Might have something to do with the fact that they’ve spent decades demonising traditionally “masculine” behaviour and possibly even broken the native Swedish men to the point were they’re probably afraid they might be considered a sex offender for daring to so much as even flirt with a woman. Meanwhile, they’ve imported an actual real life rape culture, let it run wild and free, and done everything in their power is done to cover this up. There seems to be plenty of sex happening in Sweden. It just isn’t consensual and Swedish men aren’t usually getting any.

    87
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    Mute Dan Wikström
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    Jul 29th 2016, 10:42 PM

    Call me feminine again, and I swear I will hit you with my handbag. Behave.

    19
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    Mute Joey_Westland
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:16 PM

    If you’re talking about sex then you’re not getting any.

    80
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    Mute Tommy Gunn
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:27 PM

    The imported enrichers are having loads of “sex”with local Swedish women

    62
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    Mute Dave Smith
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:57 PM

    Sweden has broken their men , they are ladyboys now compared to their Viking heritage. Maybe their women are hoping to get some action from the new invaders?

    61
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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:09 PM

    So, does the Swedish government want to encourage its citizens to have more sex? if so, I wonder how they’ll go about that.

    55
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    Mute Gerry with a J
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:39 PM

    I’d imagine they’ll just do what our government do to us and f*(k them when they’re least expecting it.

    79
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    Mute Joey_Westland
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:40 PM

    Tax incentives.

    11
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:48 AM

    No, it will be an excuse to add more migrants to their population?

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:22 PM

    Swedish Blondes having less sex!!! I think the country needs more Psychiatrists for the male population.

    44
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    Mute Matthew Whelan
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:37 PM

    There just worried if they’ll be a minority in 40 years to come!

    44
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    Mute Cillian McCormick
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:13 PM

    But their wives are so sexy.

    43
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    Mute Les McQueen
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:43 PM

    Until they become your wife….

    58
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    Mute Aidan Holland
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    Jul 29th 2016, 5:57 PM

    I actually find this incredibly sad men in Sweden now are probably afraid to talk to woman due to the radical feminist movement in that country. The one bright spot is there a new kind of men in Sweden now and believe me girls they wont take no for an answer

    39
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    Mute John Ward
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    Jul 29th 2016, 5:50 PM

    Swedes eh? Well, that’s a turnip for the book!

    28
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    Mute Dan Wikström
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    Jul 29th 2016, 10:43 PM

    Radish-ing news, isn’t it? :o

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:47 AM

    I’m thinking of melons now after that…

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    Mute Dan Wikström
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    Jul 29th 2016, 10:37 PM

    Swede here! I’m not sure this article is entirely true. I have sex constantly.
    I wish I wasn’t alone when i do, though. :/

    27
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    Mute Jack Bowden
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    Jul 29th 2016, 6:15 PM

    I’m no sociologist but I think when electricity becomes available in a country the birth rate plummets 20 to 30 years later. Education and contraception are the main reasons but people sitting around watching television and on computers instead of having sex doesn’t help.

    27
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    Mute Joey_Westland
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    Jul 29th 2016, 5:33 PM

    Tyrn off the Red Light probably has something to do with it.
    And feminists.

    21
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    Mute Patrick Gough
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    Jul 29th 2016, 5:41 PM

    If it’s a jailable offence to have paid for sex I’m not surprised nobody is taking a chance

    15
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:44 AM

    Plenty are still doing it here…

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    Mute Garreth Byrne
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    Jul 29th 2016, 7:25 PM

    In some countries of Western Europe there is too much sex and not enough babies born to maintain the population level. Some societies aren’t reproducing themselves and depend on continued immigration to keep the economy functioning. The Swedish Government should be taking a hard look at the birth rate.

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    Mute Austin Rock
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    Jul 29th 2016, 9:21 PM

    Or bring in millions of migrants.

    9
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    Mute Frank's Cat
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:10 AM

    *Rolls up sleeves* Time to help our Swedish cousins…

    11
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:50 AM

    Sex with cousins, yikes…

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    Mute Austin Rock
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    Jul 29th 2016, 9:20 PM

    probably will end up lowering the age of consent to 5

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    Mute Joey_Westland
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    Jul 29th 2016, 11:52 PM
    4
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    Mute Sean Walsh
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    Jul 29th 2016, 11:35 PM

    Down with that sort of thing

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:52 AM

    They can’t see what they are doing in the winter, then there is the cold and in the summer they can’t do it in sunlight?

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:44 AM

    50 shades of Sweden?

    1
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