When it comes to all things intimacy, 2026 is shaping up to be a year defined less by spectacle and more by substance. According to the Lovehoney Group’s 2026 Sex Trends Report, Australians are rethinking not just how they experience pleasure, but why. The data points to a cultural recalibration: away from excess and expectation, and towards intention, wellbeing and self-knowledge.
This isn’t a year of shock-value trends or gimmicks. Instead, it’s about maturity – emotional, relational and, for many women, deeply personal. Pleasure, it turns out, is being reframed as something purposeful, holistic and worthy of care.
Purposeful pleasure and the slow fade of the one-night stand
One of the clearest shifts identified in the Lovehoney Group report is what it calls “purposeful pleasure”. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are often framed as disengaged from sex. The reality is more nuanced. They’re not rejecting intimacy; they’re being selective about it. Frequency has lost its status as a marker of success, replaced by ideas of consent, emotional readiness and alignment with personal values.
This attitudinal shift has knock-on effects across generations. Alcohol-fuelled hook-ups, once a cultural shorthand for freedom and fun, are quietly losing their appeal. Nearly half of 18–24-year-olds report never having had drunk sex at all, a striking contrast to older age groups. The decline of nightlife venues, cost-of-living pressures and a growing discomfort with performative intimacy have all played a role.
For older women watching this unfold, it may feel like a full-circle moment. The idea that sex should be chosen, not stumbled into, resonates strongly with those who have lived through eras of obligation, silence or shame. In 2026, intention is not prudish – it’s powerful.
When technology becomes the third presence
Technology has always shaped romance, but artificial intelligence is introducing a more intimate layer. The Lovehoney Group report notes that AI is increasingly used as a sounding board for questions many people still struggle to voice aloud: How do I communicate my needs? Is this normal? How do I feel closer to my partner?
For some, AI functions as a low-pressure entry point—a place to rehearse conversations or seek reassurance without judgement. Interestingly, while older age groups remain more sceptical, the data shows that a majority of Australians are at least open to discussing sexual wellbeing with AI in certain contexts.
Still, the report is careful to underline the risks. As AI tools edge closer to emotional companionship, concerns around dependency, misinformation and privacy grow louder. Technology may assist intimacy, but it cannot replace it. The challenge for 2026 is learning where to draw that line.
Generation X steps into its moment
While cultural attention often skews young, Gen X women are emerging as one of the most quietly confident demographics in the sexual landscape. In their late forties through early sixties, many are renegotiating relationships with their bodies during perimenopause and menopause—this time with more language, support and autonomy than ever before.
The Lovehoney Group report highlights a growing openness among Gen X women to age-gap relationships, online dating and intentional self-pleasure. Far from a midlife crisis cliché, these choices are often grounded in wellbeing. Research cited in the report suggests that women in consensual age-gap or non-monogamous relationships report improved sexual functioning and fewer menopause-related symptoms.
More broadly, menopause is no longer being discussed solely in terms of loss. Pleasure is increasingly recognised as a legitimate tool for mood regulation, sleep support and quality of life. As Lovehoney Group’s Head of User Research and qualified sexologist Elisabeth Neumann notes, women who grew up during the pop-feminist wave of the 2010s are now applying those lessons to ageing itself – confidently and without apology.
Pleasure as part of wellness, not indulgence
Perhaps the most significant trend for 2026 is the continued integration of sexual wellbeing into the broader health conversation. Searches for “sexual wellness” are rising, and attitudes are shifting accordingly. A majority of Australians now associate self-pleasure with reduced stress and improved sleep, and more than 70 per cent say they would adjust their habits if advised to do so by a doctor.
This signals a profound reframing. Pleasure is no longer positioned as frivolous or private, but as functional and restorative. It sits alongside exercise, nutrition and mental health as part of a balanced life.
Crucially, this shift doesn’t demand constant desire or peak performance. Instead, it invites curiosity and self-awareness. Whether pleasure is shared or solitary, frequent or occasional, the emphasis is on agency – on choosing what supports your body and your life stage.
A quieter, richer future
The Lovehoney Group’s 2026 Sex Trends Report paints a picture of a culture growing up. Sex is becoming less about validation and more about connection; less about excess and more about care. For older women in particular, this moment feels affirming. After decades of being told when, how and why desire should exist, the narrative is widening. In 2026, pleasure doesn’t need to shout. It simply needs to matter.
