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Study Links Late-Life Virginity to Inequality and Genetics

9/23/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A large-scale study by the Max Planck Institute analyzed over 400,000 British adults aged 39–73.
About 1% reported never having had sex in adulthood.
Late-life virginity correlates with socioeconomic inequality, physical strength, and gender ratios.
Genetic factors account for 15% of the variation in lifelong sexlessness, amid biological, social, and psychological influences, with no value judgments.

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Story summary

A large-scale study by the Max Planck Institute analyzed over 400,000 British adults aged 39–73.
About 1% reported never having had sex in adulthood.
Late-life virginity correlates with socioeconomic inequality, physical strength, and gender ratios.
Genetic factors account for 15% of the variation in lifelong sexlessness, amid biological, social, and psychological influences, with no value judgments.