No Sex Please

Seriously...

• Episode: No Sex Please
• Website: Seriously...
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02pc9qx/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:30:34
• Published: 2018-07-20 16:00

Why are the Japanese having less sex? Chie Kobayashi and Ruth Evans investigate. Kunio Kitamura, the head of Japan's family planning association is worried he may soon be out of a job. The birth rate, condom use, the pill, abortions and sexually transmitted diseases are all declining. He says, "The only explanation is that Japanese people are having less sex." A recent report reveals that a record number of couples are living in sexless marriages. A third of men interviewed said they were too tired for sex, and a quarter of women said they found sex troublesome. Another survey of single Japanese aged 18-34 found that the proportion of virgins had increased significantly over the past decade - almost 45% said they had never had sex. Chie Kobayashi and Ruth Evans look at the complex reasons behind these trends, and the alarming implications for Japan's dramatically falling birth rate - the country's population of 127 million is expected to drop dramatically to around 86 million by 2060. A Ruth Evans production for BBC Radio 4.