Noisy sex no problem for Swedes: study

Only one out of four Swedes who hear their neighbours having sex are bothered enough to do anything about it, according to a new study.

• Swedes find bedroom sex 'most romantic' (27 Aug 12)
• Woman protests 'sexy' sausage ad removal (12 Jul 12)
• Sweden's 'sexiest politicians' exposed (6 Jul 12)

The findings come from responses of 1,000 Swedes in a poll carried out by research company Skop looking at the nighttime habits of Swedes’ neighbours and the resulting naughty noises that penetrate the walls.

According to the poll, one in ten Swedes has heard their neighbours having sex, but only a quarter of those who've heard their neighbours doing the nasty have gotten hot enough under the collar to take action, reported Hem & Hyra, newspaper of the Swedish Tenants' Union (Hyresgästföreningen).

While the results showed both women and men were equally affected by the experience, younger Swedes were more likely to take issue with the romantic rendezvous.

Sex expert Malena Ivarsson explained that young people's intolerance of high-decibel lovemaking may be due to the contrast in life experiences between people of differing age.

“Young people have not realized yet that what they care about today they might not care about tomorrow. Older people have experienced worse sounds than sex, such as abuse, children screaming, dying gasps, loud music,and drilling,” she told Hem & Hyra.

“An average lovemaking session lasts seven and a half minutes, that’s not so long. See it as an inspiration rather than an irritation.”

Of the 10 percent who responded that they had heard the sounds of their neighbours' love-making, only 15 percent have actually had the nerve to confront the neighbour in question.

Meanwhile, only 3 percent ever took the matter further and made an official complaint.

“We treat this like any disruption. But in first hand contracts we recommend that you contact the neighbour. He or she is perhaps not aware that it is disrupting,” said Elise Berggren of real-estate company Stena to the newspaper.

Furthermore, some people are simply too shy to take the matter further, according to Yvonne Bystrom, co-owner of Swedish disturbance hotline Svenska störningsjouren.

“Most people are too embarrassed to call and complain, so these kinds of things don’t happen too often. We get a call about once a year,” she told Hem & Hyra.

TT/The Local/og
Follow The Local on Twitter