Britain is in peak one-night stand season - here's why

It’s June already. We’re in the middle of summer already. It’s almost over already. And you still haven’t had sex yet.

And you should have, because we’re slap-bang in the midst of peak one-night stand season. Sort it out.

OkCupid asked more than 18 million users the question: “About how long do you want your next relationship to last?” by month from 2013 to 2016. Possible answers included:

• One night
• A few months to a year
• Several years
• The rest of my life

From this, they discovered that April, May and June are the most popular months for overnight flings, with June coming out on top (a bit like you during a one night stand etc. etc. fnar whizz pop bang).

During those three months, there’s a 17% increase in those looking for a literal quick buck, rising to 33% in the sexiest month of the year: June. Poon June I like to never call it.

On the opposite end of the sextrum, there’s a tiny 3% rise in people looking for longer relationships from January to March. This is because it is cold, and girlfriends and boyfriends are good when it’s cold, apparently.

Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., a professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst says:

“I would say that the increase [of interest in one-night stands] in the summer (assuming in Northern Hemisphere) reflects the warmer weather and perhaps less inhibition as one is wearing fewer clothes.

“People are more willing and able to get out of the house when they’re not dealing with snow, rain, and freezing temperatures. The ‘one-night stand’ nature of this behavior may reflect, as well, fewer inhibitions with those warmer temperatures.”

It’s all true. I often engage in way more one-night stands when I go out just wearing a bra and knickers. Gets the girls in a right tizzy.

But it’s also related to the fleeting and spontaneous nature of summer in general. OkCupid Data Scientist Dale Markowitz says:

“More students, vacationers, interns and other travelers join OkCupid during this time. Since these members are not necessarily tied to the place where they’re dating, maybe they are less likely to look for a serious commitment.”

So a combination of skin on show and a lack of permanent residence leads to a flurry of late-night fumbling.

(Images: OkCupid)