10 Sex Trends You Can Expect to See in 2019

2019 is here! And while 2018 had some shining moments in the sex world, from CBD lube to a long overdue emphasis on the female orgasm, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming year. Here are 10 sex trends that might be on the way.

Adult Sex Ed - for Everyone

Dr. Jill McDevitt is CalExotics’ resident sexologist and has been teaching adult sex education, almost exclusively to female attendees. But lately it's shifted, and men attendees have skyrocketed from 1% to 35%. “I imagine in 2019, with a bigger cultural emphasis on #metoo, body-positivity, self-care, and self-help, adults taking it upon themselves to enroll in workshops and courses – especially men – will be super big,” says McDevitt.

A Celebration of Sexuality Across the Lifespan

Joan Price, author of several books, including "Sex After Grief: Navigating Your Sexuality After the Loss of Your Beloved" (coming Summer 2019), hopes that 2019 will bring a trend of celebrating and normalizing older-age sexuality. “No need to panic that sex is over because our bodies, minds, and relationships start to change with aging,” says Price. “No, sex isn’t over – it’s the start of a new sexy stage in our lives. Let’s educate ourselves about the changes we can expect and how to overcome and compensate for them in order to go forward with lifelong sexual pleasure.”

More Romance

“Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but we have a major kindness and empathy deficit in our culture right now, from our politics to dating,” McDevitt said. “Over the past 5-8 years, it's been the dating norm to make obscene sexual remarks within seconds of meeting a potential partner, sending unsolicited photos of your genitals, being verbally abusive when someone declines a date, ghosting, flaking, making a date with dozens of people and then ditching when someone better comes along, and generally treating people like they are disposable and being careless with their emotions.” McDevitt hopes that people are getting sick of it and that in 2019, putting your best foot forward and being sweet, kind, and romantic will make a comeback.

The Return of the Condom

Sex product expert and founder of Rouse Condoms, Scott Petinga, believes that due to the mass proliferation of STDs, 2019 will ring in the return of the condom. “We are not talking about your mom or dad’s condoms – new brands are fun and sexually pleasing in ways no one could have imagined.”

Sexual Wellness

“Love, affection and sexual intimacy contribute to healthy relationships and individual well-being,” says Sunny Rodgers, clinical sexologist and certified sex coach. Sexual wellness can include intimacy, age concerns, health benefits, lifestyle enjoyment, and overall pleasure. “I think that more people will be discovering the benefits that a healthy sex life can bring.”

Mindful Sex

From the client conversations Rodgers’ has been having this year, she believes that a modern version of Tantric sex in the form of mindful sex will be popular in 2019. “This means being consciously in the moment and connecting on a deep level with partners via breath synchronization, mediation and sensate touch,” says Rodgers. (FYI: Sensate Focus sex therapy was devised in the 1960s by Masters and Johnson. It mandated that intercourse was not allowed and couples were instructed to touch each other with the aim of discovering what feels good without the performance pressures that often dominate a sexual encounter.) “Mindful sex also means keeping those thoughts about work, family, life obligations, etc., out of your bedroom!”

Read: Can Mindfulness Improve Your Sex Life?

Public Attention

According to Derek Newton, founder of simpatic.us, dressing or behaving in public so as to attract sexual attention, especially from an attracted gender, is up 28% over the past six months, mostly among women, and is likely to trend in 2019.

Sex Tech

“From sex-specific ‘fitness trackers’ that measure fun biometrics like orgasm contractions and semen volume to high-tech streamlined sex toys like the CalExotics Lock-n-Play Remote Panty Teaser that snaps into the crotch of underwear and can be quietly controlled by a partner, McDevitt thinks and hopes sex tech will be even bigger in 2019.

The Death of Gender-Reveal Parties

“Gender is a complex social, cultural and personal identity so you can’t reveal a fetus’ gender, especially not by looking at their genitals,” says McDevitt. “We know that strict, binary gender assignments and rules about what boys like and what girls like causes a lot of harm – to trans kids, gender non-binary kids, every little boy who likes to dance and every little girl who likes to play with cars. I'm hoping these things die big in 2019.”

Galactic Sex

One sex trend that Rodgers’ sees on the horizon in 2019 is galactic sex. On December 13, 2018, Virgin Galactic reached outer space as set by U.S. standards. Richard Branson said on CNBC's "Power Lunch" that he is planning on being a Virgin Galactic passenger in 2019 and says tourists will go up quite soon after that. “Passenger tickets are currently for sale around the world from Virgin Galactic accredited ‘Space Agents’ and at $250,000 per ticket, this might make it the most expensive Mile High Club yet!” says Rodgers. “Because, you know, ‘Sex in Space’ is going to happen!”