Are People Confident Enough to Have Sex With Lights On?

It turns out that the majority of people prefer lights on to see their partner clearly while making love. Pair (dating app to find the right person) revealed this fact in a poll conducted between 7/19/14 and 11/5/14.

The poll posed the following question: "Would you prefer the lights on during sex?" The results show that only 43% of participants would prefer to have sex in complete darkness.

90,372 people participated in the poll. From the USA — 82%, from Canada — 2%, from Britain — 5%, Australia — 3%, and other countries — 8%.

Dr. Kat Van Kirk, sex expert, claims that: "While it may be nice to be able to see your partner during intercourse, keeping it too illuminated can feel like an unflattering spotlight." He also suggests using dim light to set the right mood: "This means candles, firelight — anything that gives you a flattering glow while getting frisky."

It might be interesting that 47% of all the women polled enjoy sex with lights on, while 53% of women are not enthusiastic about the idea. The majority of men (67%), on the contrary, prefer a better view of their partner while having sex, and only 33% of men like it when the light is off.

Statistics prove that most men agree with David Wygant: 59% of men answered positively to the question. Women tend to be more shy, and that's why the majority (61%) of negative votes belongs to them.

Alex Cusper, Pair service analyst, is convinced that people prefer to have sex with the lights off because they're uncomfortable and ashamed of their bodies. There's no denying that negative body image may influence sexual life. The best thing to do is to believe that your partner finds you attractive. Accept your body the way it is — it's the first step to an exciting sex life.

Pair, a leading mobile dating service, regularly conducts research among its users. Learn more about finding the right people on Pair, explore Pair's Invisible Mode feature, read about how Pair keeps its community safe, and discover how not to lose the right people on Pair. Millions of people from the U.S., Canada, Britain, and Australia answer hundreds of questions every month. If you are interested in research on a particular topic, please contact us. Any reprint of the material should be followed by clickable links to the survey.