A year without sex: How losing intimacy has changed lives

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “There's a temptation: ‘If I find someone attractive, will I be able to stay socially distant?’,” says Burke. open image in gallery Even for those with a live-in partner, lockdown isn’t necessarily an easy time to be intimate Burke has observed a “polarising” effect on her clients who are in relationships, with many couples either having sex a lot more due to their commuting time being freed up, or having less interest in intimacy due to “not being stimulated in other areas of their lives”. “I feel like I know him like the back of my hand and this is because we’ve done nothing but talk during the lockdown,” he says. “It's about not feeling guilty or not feeling like you've got to be sexual because that's what's expected of you.” It’s unclear when measures restricting us from meeting new people might be lifted but it seems likely it will be at least several months, rather than weeks.