How Climate Change Disrupts Romance, Sex

“At night, my boyfriend and I usually cuddle for a bit before we go to sleep. This time [during the U.K.’s record-breaking heatwave] when he put his hand on me, I was like: ‘get the f*ck off,’” a 25-year-old told Dazed Digital, adding, “I didn’t feel sexual at all… I think I was just getting in my head about how hot it was going to get, freaking out about how much [water] I should drink, and trying not to exert myself.”

This isn’t an isolated experience. Past research has already documented how rising temperatures attributed to global warming is bringing down birth rates. Indeed, when a leather sofa that might have seemed sexy to get it on during intimate movie nights earlier, is reduced to a sticky puddle of sweat in the summer, it feels far from sexy. A partner’s touch that can warm one up during a chilly evening, can feel repulsive when one is drenched in sweat, praying for the mildest respite from the heat.

“When a person is exposed to extreme temperatures, their body can experience physiological changes, such as increased sweating, feelings of fatigue, dehydration and general malaise. These factors can affect the comfort level and the willingness to engage in sexual activities,” explains Andrés Suro, a sexologist. “Additionally, extreme heat can disrupt sleep and rest, which can impact the energy levels and the ability to experience sexual arousal. Being in a hot and suffocating environment can also be discouraging, making it difficult to concentrate and enjoy the intimate moment.”

But the aversion to sex in hot climates isn’t just psychological; intense heat permeates deeper, impacting our sex lives biologically, too. “Extreme heat can cause increased sweating and fluid loss, which can lead to dehydration, which can affect the body’s hormonal balance and have a negative impact on libido. In addition, high temperatures can increase the levels of stress and trigger a higher production of cortisol, a hormone that can interfere with the sexual response,” Suro adds.

Rising temperatures have been linked to a marked increase in sleeplessness as well. Meanwhile, sleep deprivation has long been associated with a drop in, both, sexual desire and arousal in women.

To make matters worse, global warming disrupts the body’s hormones, too — further reducing one’s sex drive. “Hotter temperatures cause your body to produce less testosterone, the hormone responsible for libido and performance… This can lead to lower sex drive, reduced arousal, and problems with erections [and] ejaculation. The impact may be subtle at first, but over weeks and months of prolonged heat, the effects add up,” writes Saransh Jain, a sexologist. “When it’s hot out, your body shifts its focus to cooling itself, reducing energy for reproduction.”

Further, by amplifying the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events — like cyclones, droughts, wildfires, and floods — climate change can, reportedly, cause many to experience symptoms akin to those induced by anxiety, depression, and even PTSD. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report had noted, “Increases in heat extremes that are related to climate change pose diverse risks to mental health globally, ranging from altered affective states to increased mental health-related hospital admissions and suicidality.” Mental instability, thus triggered, can impact the intimacy otherwise shared by a couple. This doesn’t just impact their sex life, though; the heat can make romance, too, evaporate.

Particularly so, since heatwaves also make people irritable and angry; beyond the instinctive exasperation, people feel at the heat and humidity, heatwaves may also be linked to social volatility. A 2013 study found evidence of increasing temperatures leading to a rise in violence among people. Another report, published almost a decade after, found that rising temperatures in India, Nepal, and Pakistan had caused domestic violence to shoot up in the countries.

The psychological toll that climate change takes can also manifest in heightened stress and anxiety — negatively impacting one’s capacity to engage in romantic relationships. The uncertainty that extreme weather events can usher, also exacerbates mental health concerns, hindering our ability to sustain — let alone to form — intimate connections. Further, by curbing outdoor recreational activities, global warming also limits opportunities for the kind of chance encounters and shared experiences that could, potentially, foster romantic connections.