Most opt for shopping over love-making as SAR's libido shrivels in downturn, poll reveals
Hard-working Hong Kong people prefer to shop or visit friends than have sex - and on the rare occasions they are in the mood they would rather make love in the office, a survey released yesterday showed.
The annual Durex Global Sex Survey 2001 showed 21 per cent of the SAR's adults preferred to spend their leisure time shopping, while only three per cent would choose to have sex.
For Hong Kong people, the office was considered the No 1 place to have sex - by 20 per cent of respondents - while 17 per cent opted for the beach.
Globally, the SAR's libido is limp. Out of 28 nationalities included in the survey, only the Japanese made love less often - 36 times a year. People surveyed in the SAR said they had sex 63 times a year on average, compared to last year's figure of 84, and this year's world average of 97.
Overall, 19 per cent the world's population preferred to spend leisure time having sex and 22 per cent going out with friends.
The figures show Hong Kong people were not very romantic and their moods were affected by the state of the economy, said Eleanor Mok Wai-ting, general manager of SSL Healthcare, manufacturers of Durex.
'They are very busy. More people are doing overtime and work on Saturdays and Sundays, so when they finally have a few moments of leisure time they prefer to go shopping or visit friends,' Ms Mok said. 'They think, 'I have to spend all day in the office. It would be better if I could have sex in the office and then get back to work again'.'
Hong Kong Sex Education Association vice-president Professor Ng Mun-lun said SAR people were unwilling to spend time to find out what partners wanted.
The survey also showed Aids was a concern for 92 per cent of Hong Kongers, with 53 per cent remaining faithful to one partner to safeguard against the disease. Hong Kong people have an average of 3.8 sexual partners in their lives, less than half the world average of 7.7. A total of 28 per cent of respondents globally had only had one partner, while 16 per cent had had sex with more than 10 people.
When choosing partners, 37 per cent of people worldwide were initially attracted to a person's personality, just under a fifth by looks and 11 per cent by a sense of humour.
In Hong Kong, the most popular form of contraception was shown as the condom (51 per cent), followed by the Pill (17 per cent). The survey also showed young people in the SAR having sex earlier, with the average age for first-time sex 16.7, compared to the world average of 18.
Most people preferred to learn about sex from magazines, doctors and friends. Younger people often got their education from school friends.
Durex surveyed 18,500 respondents aged 16 to 55 in 28 countries and territories, including 500 people in Hong Kong.
