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Wet weather dampens French lust: survey

Published: 16 Jul 2012 12:27 GMT+02:00 | Print version
Updated: 16 Jul 2012 10:06 GMT+02:00

Rain and low temperatures this summer have put a damper on French libidos in the northern half of the country, a recent survey reveals. 

Huddled in their raincoats, or sitting tight under their umbrellas, the French are not enjoying summer 2012.

In the northern half of the country, the weather has been particularly bad with temperatures sinking as low as 11 degrees Celsius, well below the seasonal average of 20 degrees.

And it seems the miserable weather has seeped all the way into French bedrooms. 61 percent of respondents in northern France say the weather has quelled their desire for sex,according to a poll by the dating website Gleeden.com.

Some 57 percent of men admit they are less interested in sex while 65 percent of women say the inclement conditions have proved a major turn-off.

In the south of France, where the weather has been warm and sunny in recent weeks, respondents were a lot more positive. A majority of interviewees in Cannes, Marseille and Montpellier said they were satisfied with their sex life.

More generally, 80 percent of the people interviewed said the weather affected their sex drive.  

Gleeden, which bills itself as a dating site for married people, based its results an on-line survey of 1,501 respondents in the 30-55 age group.

Clea Caulcutt (news@thelocal.fr)

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