Your bag is empty.
Welcome to Playboy’s Gen Z Sex Survey. In partnership with The Kinsey Institute and the sexual health brand Julie, we talked to 2,373 adults ages 18 to 29 about their sex lives to get to the bottom of the so-called sex recession, and to get more insight on what’s really going on in the bedroom. Check out the full survey results here. This survey also appears in our Fall 2026 print issue. To have Playboy delivered to your door, subscribe here.
Gen Z may be anxious, but, oddly, there are lots of things they are less concerned about, such as unplanned pregnancy, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, HPV, and more. Because for some reason, Gen Z rarely wraps it up.
According to Playboy’s Gen Z Sex Survey, only 39 percent of single young people reported typically using a condom during sex. When asked how often they’d used protection during vaginal sex in the last three months, the second-most common response from singles was “Never” (even more had not had vaginal sex at all). Just 21 percent said they had used a condom most or all of the time.
Nearly three-quarters said they could easily get their hands on a condom. And, fascinatingly, drinking more alcohol did not appear to influence whether participants used one.
So why won’t Gen Z wrap it up? Two-thirds of singles said it’s their or their partner’s preference. Discomfort and reduction of pleasure have been obstacles to usage forever, but that’s only part of the story. Gen Z just doesn’t seem to care that much about sexually transmitted infections (STIs): 35 percent of singles who don’t use condoms said they trust their partner and aren’t worried about STIs. Less than 15 percent underwent regular STI testing. Same goes for pregnancy: 20 percent of single and partnered participants said contraception was not at all important to their sexual decision-making. Fifteen percent used no method of contraception or protection at all. Just one-quarter use doctor-prescribed birth control—the same number that use the pull-out method. It’s not clear why they feel invincible when barely over half said it would be easy to access STI testing, emergency contraception, or abortion services if needed.
To summarize, Gen Z is having less sex, but also riskier sex. I have a few theories why.
Peer pressure. If your partner doesn’t usually use condoms, you might not insist on it. As teenage and young adult sex becomes less common, the ones still doing it are also probably the biggest risk-takers. Case in point: 1.2 percent of participants said they had used morning-after pills 10 or more times in the past three months.
The nature of relationships now. The survey asked participants only if they were single or in a relationship. That leaves a large gray area of situationships, talking stages, fuck buddies, slam pieces, etc. with whom you might develop a sense of trust and safety, while not being in a “relationship.”
Porn. Thirty-eight percent of Gen Z and 45 percent of single Gen Zers reported having their needs fulfilled by digital sexual content. This famously does not include condoms very often. An 18-year-old today has had effectively unfettered access to internet porn their entire adolescence and, as a result, may not view condoms as a normal part of sex. Meanwhile, only 61 percent said it would be easy to access reliable sexual health information. Just 17 percent get answers to these questions from a healthcare provider, and a minuscule 1.2 percent from school. The most common source, for 54 percent of participants, is Google.
There is one tiny ray of hope: When asked “Should I use a condom?” Google replies, “Yes, you should use a condom.”
For the full breakdown of The Playboy 2026 Gen Z Sex Survey with the Kinsey Institute and Julie, go to sexsurvey.playboy.com.