Single and looking to mingle? This year’s Sex+Dating survey had over 500 respondents and only 63% are happy with their current relationship status. So if you’re looking for a dating guide, we’ve got you covered.
DATING POOL
Over half of this year’s respondents identify as female, and a quarter of all survey-takers are students. Sadly transgender and gender-queer readers made up less than 1% of respondents. More than 70% of readers identified as straight, while 2% aren’t sure right now what their sexual orientation is.
Thankfully what everyone does know is their relationship status. Close to 50% of you are either single or looking for new play partners. Maybe that’s why so few Haligonians are having enough sex. There were more than 70% of you who are having less than the ideal amount of regular sex. Last year, close to 45% of you had between two and 10 sexual partners. One respondent claims to have had between 24 and 51 sexual partners in 2014, and we ask that person to give us a call sometime.
In a typical week, 29% of you don’t have any sex at all. A smaller amount (27%) say they only masturbate once a week. Meanwhile, over 8% of you are too busy masturbating every week to even keep count.
LET’S CYBER
We’ll give the benefit of the doubt and assume 75.5% of readers are telling the truth when they say they’ve never lied on their Internet dating profile. Maybe that’s why Tinder first dates only end with sex about 10% of the time.
Almost a third of readers have developed a crush on someone because of their Instagram. But when it comes to meeting people, old fashioned still wins out. Barely 15% of you say the Internet or Tinder are the best ways to meet new people (though that figure jumps up to 25% when it comes to the best method for hooking up).
Some local businesses also got the nod when it comes to write-in entries for the best method for hooking up. “Gus’,” one respondent wrote. “Charlies,” said another.
PLAYING THE FIELD
Over 73% of readers say they’ve had a one-night stand, while almost 61% have had sex on a first date. About the same percentage have done the deed without knowing their partner’s full name.
That said, it was almost an even split for Haligonians between having great sex with someone you can’t stand and bad sex with someone you love. The love side squeezed out a 3% win.
Many readers had thoughts on whether Halifax was a good city to be single in, with close to two-thirds voting yes.
“There’s plenty of other singles and lots of students switching out each year to keep things fresh!” one reader wrote.
“We’re a transient town,” said another reader. “People have often left partners to pursue life here, or aren’t looking for a commitment before they move on to the next place.”
Didn’t see that mentioned in the Ivany Report. Though some were still unimpressed with Halifax’s options.
It’s too small to date someone (at least within the queer community) that no one else you know has hooked up with.”
“The men here all have a saviour complex,” another reader writes, “and it’s hard when they meet someone who doesn’t need (immediate) saving.”
SPECIAL ACCESSORIES
Halifax largely remains uninspired by pornography. Only 51% of readers have viewed porn for educational purposes, and 64% say it hasn’t improved their love life. That said, 72.4% of you have still viewed porn over the last year as a watcher, and two-thirds of readers have used a sex toy with a partner.
“By watching online porn at a time when I was not having sex, I felt less sexually frustrated,” wrote one reader.
“Blow jobs!,” enthused another. “Learned how to give the perfect BJ from videos at a sleepover when I was 16.”
When it comes to sex, Halifax would prefer you leave its asshole alone. Over 48% of you want to avoid the asshole entirely during sex. But don’t worry, there’s still some room for adventure.
About 33% of you aren’t into bondage/BDSM, but roughly the same amount are curious to try it out. And over 92% of you haven’t experimented with sexual cos play, so get on that. Hell, despite Google being right there 82.5% of you still don’t know what Beyoncé meant when she sang about “surfbort.” So what’s the next kinky thing Halifax wants to try?
“I want to be spanked,” says one reader. “Properly, while bent over a lap and with a bare hand and with a paddle.”
“Still recovering from the last kinky thing I tried,” wrote another.
“Smoking weed and eating Kraft dinner by candlelight after sex.”
TRUE ROMANCE
For better or worse, over 78% of you are looking for one partner for life. And no wonder, since historically 55% of you say your current monogamous partner has been the best sex of your life. That emotional connection means a lot, as over 70% of readers would rather a partner cheat on them physically (as long as feelings aren’t involved) than emotionally.
When it does comes to dating, out for a casual drink is the ideal for 46% of you. The best date strategy? Surprise, it’s be curious about the other person you’re out with. Common interests are the best topics to discuss for 71% of readers, but whatever you do, don’t play with your phone. Almost 27% of respondents voted that as the most common first date mistake.
Overall, no sense of humour (26.6%) and lack of intelligence (27.3%) were the biggest deal breakers for getting into a relationship. That said, there was...some variety in terms of Halifax’s fantasy date.
“Getting trashed at a punk show at Gus’, going home for weird drunk sex,” wrote one reader.
“Las Vegas with a pilot,” added another.
“Come over, build blanket fort, hotbox blanket fort, sex, whiskey, snuggling, TV,” fantasized one of you, “rinse, repeat for approximately a week. Also, maybe eat some food.”
For some of you, the ideal date is the one-night kind.
“It was great, degrading, messy drunk sex,” one reader wrote. “The kind you can only have with a stranger because you wouldn’t want to have to look them in the eye forever after.”
“He was a Crossfit instructor,” someone else wrote, “and he threw his hip out while doing me from behind on a really beautiful walnut coffee table.”
“I ended up marrying him,” another reader added. “Longest one-night stand ever.”
WHAT FLOATS YOUR BOAT?
Only 16.5% of you have hooked up with someone double your age, but 38% of you would ask out a person up to 10 years older. There’s an almost even split between those who have and those who haven’t had sex with a co-worker. Three-quarters A quarter of readers have even gotten down at the office.
Given the military presence in town—and how good they look—it’s not surprising almost 75% of you have dated someone who works in a uniform. Since almost 22% of respondents live in the north end, it’s also not a surprise that an equal percentage claim north end hipsters are the most appealing Haligonian “type.” Dapper suit-wearing folk were second-place at 14.6%.
Write-in types found most attractive included “Hipster Bears,” “older guys acting like younger guys,” “Indie-rock bands” and “people from Dartmouth.”
Hipsters were paradoxically also one of the least appeal appealing Halifax type, with 14% of votes. The clear winner in that category though at 33% were “bros.”
Write-in nominations for least appealing Halifax types included “ass hats,” “SMU business students” and the “DDS 2015 Gentlemen’s Club.”
On average, respondents thought Haligonians were as attractive as the rest of Canada. Though more than 36% say we’re hotter than the rest of the country (take that Ottawa). What would make us more attractive? Over 140 readers (and the Ivany Report) say a better attitude. We could also use more confidence (13.2%), better style (17.7%) and maybe a better bod (9.5%).
Want to see everything? Click here for the Sex+Dating survey’s full results.
