1% of people never have sex. Not because of religious choice, not always because of asexuality. It just doesn't happen. There are 690 people in the UK alone, enough to almost fill a city the size of Palermo. A study of over 400 adults sought to understand why. The results confirm some embarrassing stereotypes (the nerd with glasses) but debunk the idea of a "virginity gene." Genetics only counts 15%. The rest is a mix of intelligence, loneliness, geography, and, in males, weak arms. Yes, you read that right: physical strength matters. But the story is more complicated than that.
The portrait of the nerd finds scientific confirmation
An international team led byUniversity of Amsterdam analyzed data from over 400 people aged between 39 and 73 years old UK Biobank database, plus approximately 13.500 Australians. The picture that emerges from This study published in PNAS He looks exactly like what many imagined. He's worn glasses since childhood, has above-average intelligence, and has little social life. The nerd stereotype, in short, has scientific basis. The flip side: these same people have higher incomes, better education, and fewer alcohol, tobacco, and drug addictions. It's becoming a moral dilemma.
How do you explain Brendan Zietsch, co-author of the study and professor of Psychology at theUniversity of Queensland:
These traits can compromise romantic experiences during adolescence. And an adolescence devoid of romantic experiences can undermine self-confidence in adulthood.
The isolation and introversion that stem from a lack of experience could contribute to this situation. A vicious cycle that starts early and feeds on itself.
Weak arms and early glasses: the (embarrassing) factors that matter
For men, particularly curious factors emerge. less strength in the arms It correlates with a sexless life. Wearing glasses from a young age also plays a role. Then, of course, there's geography: living in areas with a lower percentage of women It mathematically reduces the probabilities. An explanation as practical as it is embarrassing for science.
Other parameters related to a sexless life in men? Snoring, less cell phone use, and the belief that life has no meaning. For women, the dynamic is different: working hours and general socioeconomic conditions matter more.
The "virginity gene" doesn't exist (but genetics do matter a little)
Genetics, as mentioned, explains up to 15% of the difference between those who have sex and those who don't. There isn't a single "virginity gene," but hundreds of genetic variants with minimal effects. It's a complex mosaic, as he explains Karin Verweij, co-author of the study: "It's not a question of genetic determinism. Genes interact with environment, experiences, and cultural context."
The study used the Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS), a technique that analyzes millions of data points distributed across the human genome. Genetic analyses have also identified unexpected correlations. Asexuality is genetically linked to higher education, greater intelligence, and higher socioeconomic status. A result that leaves even researchers themselves perplexed.
Virginity and context: the "evolutionary" paradox that science cannot explain.
Those who don't have sex tend to feel more nervous, lonely, and unhappy. They receive fewer visits from friends and family. But he earns more, has a higher education, works longer hours, and has fewer addictions. From an evolutionary perspective, intelligence and resources should attract mates. But they don't. "These findings are counterintuitive, especially from an evolutionary perspective," the researchers admit in the study. "Obvious explanations are not evident."
Un previous Italian study from 2017 had already observed similar trends among university students. The proportion of virgins dropped from over a third in 2000 to less than a fifth in 2017, but some patterns remain stable: the relationship between Body Mass Index and virginity has a U-shaped trend for men (more virgins among underweight and overweight men), while for women it increases linearly with BMI.
From Incels to Reality: What Science Really Says
Understanding the reasons for asexuality is also important in light of the behavioral problems that can arise from the absence of sex. Several of the so-called incel (involuntary celibates) accuse women of being lonely because of their physical appearance. As psychologist Marco Crepaldi explained to us, this group shows worrying characteristics that can lead to radicalization.
The results of the study, however, suggest that Asexuality is determined by a combination of voluntary and involuntary factors, with significant differences between men and women. "Some of our results are difficult to explain through asexuality," explains Zietsch. "For example, the link with the local ratio of men to women and the negative association with male strength. Our results likely reflect a mix of voluntary and involuntary asexuality."
The (partial) confirmation of the Celentano effect
Previous studies had already found correlations between unemployment and lack of sex, supporting the famous verses of the song "He who doesn't work doesn't make love" by Adriano Celentano, winner of the Sanremo Festival in 1970. The singer explained that it was a provocative text aimed at highlighting the discomfort in private life that the absence of work can cause. Science, decades later, incredibly proves him right. At least in part.
But the overall picture remains complex and nuanced. "No one should judge people who don't have sex, whether by choice or inadvertently," the researchers emphasize. The goal of the study was not to stigmatize, but to better understand an aspect of human life that has implications for mental health, relationships, and social participation.
The phenotypic associations detected “are mostly small in magnitude, revealing subtle patterns rather than obvious differences.” In other words: There is no perfect profile of a person who will never have sex.There are trends, correlations, and patterns. But sexual life, like everything human, remains too complex to be reduced to formulas.
As we said when talking about the future of sexTechnology is radically changing the way we interact. But for the 1% of the population, the issue isn't technological. It's genetic, environmental, social. It's everything and nothing at once.
