When the birds and the bees talk feels too awkward or a nagging sex question is too embarrassing to ask, most people turn to the internet for answers.
With the safety of being behind a computer screen, the internet allows for endless curiosity. To gauge where the most sexually curious Americans live, sex toy company Peachy analyzed Google search records for sex-related terms and questions.
The searches ran the gamut from sex positions to fetishes, and the results were surprising, with the most sex-curious Americans residing in some of the most conservative states.
Peachy CEO Amy Williams said: ‘Curiosity about sex is a natural part of being human, especially in places where open discussions about intimacy may still be considered taboo.
‘In an age where virtually everyone has access to the internet, young people can feed their curiosity about certain subjects without the shame that comes from asking potentially unaccepting adults.’
Conservative strongholds dominated the list of states with the most salacious searches, with Utah earning the top spot for most salacious internet searches with a perfect score of 100.
The state, where roughly 42 percent of people belong to the Mormon church, and 59 percent voted Republican in 2024, was most interested in ‘BDSM, ‘polyamory’ and ‘voyeurism.’
Similar results were seen in other traditionally conservative states including Nevada and Georgia.
Just as cultural taboos around sexuality in majority-conservative areas can drive curiosity online, more progressive attitudes toward sexuality in liberal-leaning states can do the same.
New York and Washington were also among the top five most curious states. Both states are among the most culturally diverse in the country, so Ms Williams was unsurprised to see them near the top of the list.
At number two, New York earned a score of 96.12. Ms Williams said the ‘naturally curious’ state enjoys a diverse population and endless mix of cultural influences that she believes fuels openness in all aspects of life, including sexuality.
Nevada took third place, earning a 90.63. Home to 3.2million people, Nevada was a battleground state in 2024.
Nevada is often associated with the anything-goes mentality of Las Vegas. However, the state is actually a mix of conservative and liberal ideologies. Sparsely populated but firmly conservative rural regions cover a significant portion of the state, but most of the population lives in more liberal-leaning cities.
On one hand, access to sexual education could be driving people’s racy searches.
Only 36 states and DC require schools to provide sex education to students, and only 26 of those states require that the information be medically accurate.
In Nevada, schools are required to establish a human sexuality course. Still, it is not a requirement for graduation, and parents need to provide written consent for their children to participate, so only a fraction of students are being educated.
Washington, on the other hand, takes a far more liberal approach to sex education and clinched the number four spot with a score of 87.47.
Schools in the Evergreen state are required to teach everyone about safe sex; the curriculum must be medically accurate, and it must include instruction about consent.
This is not to say that there are no conservative enclaves in Washington from which the most risqué searches could be coming, though, according to Ms Williams.
She said: ‘Even in states with generally progressive attitudes, there can still be disparities in education access, especially for LGBTQ+ youth.’
Georgia took fifth place with a score of 86.27. The southern state has been seeing shifting demographics and voter engagement for years.
While it has been traditionally known as a Republican stronghold, recent elections have revealed a closer political contest between Republicans and Democrats.
Georgia sex education programs primarily teach abstinence as the only safe sex measure, meaning hundreds of thousands of children in schools there may be missing out on a crucial curriculum.
Ms Williams said: ‘The data speaks volumes about the way people seek out information on their own when traditional resources fall short.
‘This study reminds us of the importance of comprehensive sex education and open conversations.’
