The most surprising places Aussies are having sex

We're certainly getting creative

If variety is the spice of life, it’s time to shake up the menu because for almost all Aussies the bedroom is the top place they’re getting it on. But for the adventurous few, you better believe they’re having fun out from under the sheets, and here’s exactly where they’re doing it. 

When the Body+Soul 2024 Sex Census revealed that nine in 10 Aussies, a whopping 93 per cent, regularly have sex in a bed, experts weren’t surprised.

“It’s very similar to what I see in my practice,” Desiree Spierings, a sex therapist and relationship counsellor tells Body+Soul. “When I ask, the most commonplace is definitely the bedroom.” 

For most, it “brings a sense of comfort”, while for those in long term relationships it just becomes the norm. “They get a little less creative and they just stick to the standard way in which they have sex and part of that standard way is the location,” the sexpert explains.

We are very pleased to report, however, that not all Aussies are keeping things in the bedroom. A fearless few are taking fornication to a whole other level (sometimes literally – on the balcony anyone?). And we’re here to spill the beans on exactly where they’re getting jiggy with it.

In the shower or bath 

Steam, soap and a whole lotta sexy suds is what you’re going to get here and 13 per cent of Aussies know it. 

“I love the bath or the shower and the way I suggest it to couples is to use it as a way of initiating sex,” Spierings says. “Especially in long term relationships, the spontaneous desire for sex might dissipate, but it doesn’t mean that once we start kissing or hugging that we start to get in the mood for it.” 

Instead of spontaneous desire, we have responsive desire, which is more about experiencing desire as a reaction to sexual intimacy. 

“So a bath or shower can work like a bridge from feeling a bit of distance between you to being physical together,” the sex therapist says. “You could say, ‘Hey, do you feel like having a bath with me?’ and it’ll then feel a little less daunting to start rubbing each other’s back or washing each other and it’s a way of bridging that gap and initiating intimacy, and then you can see where it leads to.”

13 per cent of Aussies are having sex in the shower or bath. Image: Unsplash

In another part of the house

It turns out that plenty of us aren’t bothered with privacy (let’s just hope those aroused Aussies don’t have housemates!). 

While seven per cent of us are getting kinky in the kitchen, six per cent are cleaning up in the bathroom or the loo, and four per cent are going at it in the garage. But the imagination doesn’t end there because a further 13 per cent are doing it elsewhere in the home.

“It sometimes helps, actually, with access,” Spierings points out. “So if people are a bit more restricted in what they can do, sometimes lying down and having to hold up their weight might be a bit harder, like in the bedroom. 

“Using a seated position, like on the kitchen bench, can provide easier access sometimes. So I feel like being a bit more creative in places can really help you if you're a bit more restricted in your movements.”

Don't forget to spray and wipe after. Image: iStock

On a balcony/deck/backyard

Yes it’s still in the home but gosh this location needed it’s own heading because sweeties, we couldn’t be prouder of the four per cent of you getting out into the great outdoors (ok, outside your door at least). 

“We're doing something sneaky and maybe someone might be watching, so yeah, there is that factor that some people find a turn on,” the expert says.  

“Some people really want all the curtains closed and the lights off when they have sex, whereas other people are a bit more risky.”

Your garden or mine? Image: Pexels

In the car 

Spierings was “not surprised’ and nor were we, because as our Body+Soul 2024 Sex Census tells us, car sex is the second biggest fantasy among Aussie adults (after a threesome, obviously). But it turns out that it’s not just hot (as we say, crack a window). For many, it’s the only place they can get a little alone time, and nine per cent of Aussies are revving their engines in the car. 

“It’s a new place, it’s a new space, but sometimes I notice in my practice that couples use it as a way of getting away from the household, especially if there's children in the home,” explains Spierings. “So they’ll drive somewhere private if they're on a date, or at the end of the day, rather than coming home where all the kids are, they’ll use the car to find privacy.”

Or just a space they can loosen up in. “So often I say that the brain is the main sexual organ, rather than our genitals, because so often people say they can’t relax into sex because their brain isn’t having sexual thoughts,” the relationship counsellor says. “They might be thinking about their to-do list or the kids walking in on them so they find it difficult to get into the mood. That’s why the car is a great option.” 

Just be careful though that it doesn’t end in an offence of obscene exposure. “Park somewhere where you can't be seen, but that factor is also part of the thrill of it for some people,” Spierings says. “Being out and about and the risk of getting caught.”

In the car, on the car, you name it. Image: iStock

At work

When we take into account that nine per cent of Aussies are fantasising about doing the deed with a work colleague and heck, even three per cent are envisioning their boss in the buff, we weren’t shocked to learn that three per cent are having sex at work.

“I think there is definitely a bit of a culture from what I hear from clients about office parties and after work drinks,” says Spierings. “And I think it’s about that risk of getting caught. Hiding in an office is a bit of a risque scene.”

Of course, it doesn’t come without serious fall outs. “I’ve also heard about people getting caught so it’s not always great as an outcome in terms of employment and losing jobs.” 

But don’t worry, it’s not all late night liaisons. Our Body+Soul 2024 Sex Census confirms that the office is the second most common way to meet a partner. “Unlike dating apps, the office gives you the opportunity to really get to know each other before jumping into the bedroom and you can actually build a friendship first,” the sex therapist explains. 

Three per cent of Aussies have had sex at work. Image: iStock

In public

Despite it being the country’s fourth most popular fantasy, with 20 per cent of Aussies daydreaming about it, just three per cent are getting their kicks in public.  

“I do hear people talking about having done it in public quite a bit in my sessions,” the relationship counsellor says. “But it always comes up in the honeymoon phase when there’s this hormonal cocktail that tends to increase our sexual drive and we just can't keep our hands off each other. 

“But in the space of a new romance, I actually hear this quite a lot, that people are having sex in public or more risqué places.” 

Shall we take this down a side street? Image: iStock

Why we need to get out of the bedroom

With familiarity comes a decrease in sexy hormones and we go back to our standard level of sexual desire, which is often a lot lower than when we first meet our partners. So there’s a lot less libido and a lot less risqué behaviour going on and people fall into a standard sex formula of doing the same thing at the beginning, in the middle and at the end. 

Which means there’s plenty of room to spice things up and get out of your boring bedroom rut. Whether it’s sex toys, sex positions, or sex locations. 

“What I tend to look at is what couples can introduce into their sex life because you can be creative in so many ways and spicing it up definitely brings some oomph to it,” Spierings says. “And introducing new and novel things also really spikes desire and attraction for each other. 

“So I look at spicing up the sexual menu, so to speak, and to not always have the same stuff on the menu. Just like with food. We don't always want to eat spaghetti bolognese, even if It's our favourite. We want to have different options.”

Originally published as The most surprising places Aussies are having sex