ATLANTA—According to a new survey conducted for Lovehoney, a leading sex-toy brand based in the United Kingdom and operating U.S. distribution out of Atlanta, three-quarters of Americans have enjoyed sexual fireworks on the 4th of July. The following are some of the stats from the survey:
• A fifth of couples (21 percent) have made love outdoors to celebrate U.S. independence.
One in six people (16 percent) have enjoyed sex during the July 4th fireworks.
• A further 74 percent of respondents said they had had sex on July 4th in previous years.
The results are revealed in a new survey of 1,000 Americans by Lovehoney.
One in four couples (25 percent) said they had abandoned friends or relatives during the festivities for some illicit sex.
While July 4th clearly inspires passion in many American couples, it is not the sexiest public holiday: Just 6 percent of those surveyed said the Fourth of July was the most popular holiday to have sex on.
Almost half of Americans (44 percent) chose New Year's Eve, which was by far the most popular answer, followed by Halloween (21 percent) and Christmas Day (13 percent). Labor Day came at the bottom, with just 3 percent of couples choosing it as sexiest.
The Lovehoney survey also found that Americans are great lovers of sex outdoors, even though public sex is a misdemeanor in most U.S. states, including California. But the survey found that more than three-quarters of American adults (77 percent) have enjoyed sex outdoors.
Al fresco sex is even more popular with women (80 percent) than men (74 percent).
Women are also more likely to have tried sex in a public place such as a park: 53 percent of women, compared to just 41 percent of men.
Sex on the beach is more popular with men: 47 percent have taken the plunge, compared to 36 percent of women.
A Lovehoney spokesperson said: "It's great to see that the July 4th fireworks are igniting passion in so many American couples. Big public holidays are a great time to show that special person in your life just how special they are."
The spokesperson added, "It is no surprise that three-quarters of Americans have got it on during the July 4th celebrations and a quarter have sneaked away from their friends and relatives for some illicit passion."
The Atlanta-based Lovehoney.com has grown briskly in the last couple of years. Lovehoney makes all the Official Fifty Shades of Grey pleasure products, which have been created with the books' author, E L James.
"We think Fifty Shades of Grey has been a key influence in making American couples more sexually adventurous. This spirit of sexual adventure is reflected in how many couples love having sex outdoors during the warm summer months," the spokesperson said.
Lovehoney sales have shot up by 40 percent this year, thanks to the success of the Fifty Shades movie.
